#20 | 10/1/95 vs. Houston Oilers / 17-16: Win #1 for the franchise. The Jaguars had lost their inaugural regular season home game in Jacksonville to the Oilers back in Week 1, and were 0-4 heading into the rematch in Houston. The Jaguars took a 10-6 lead into halftime, but found themselves down 16-10 in the 4th quarter. The tides would turn in the Jaguars’ favor as QB Mark Brunell hit WR Desmond Howard for a 15-yard TD strike that won the game 17-16.

#19 | 9/19/04 vs. Denver Broncos / 7-6: From the beginning of the 2004 preseason, the Jaguars’ offense was a sputtering disaster. This game was no different as the Jaguars only managed 8 first downs, 176 passing yards, and 67 rushing yards. The Jaguars held a slim 7-6 lead at halftime, and the majority of the second half was nothing more than a punter’s paradise. Toward the end of the 3rd quarter, Denver K Jason Elam missed a 51-yard field goal that would’ve given the Broncos the lead. But Denver got another chance. With 2:20 in the game, QB Jake Plummer led the Broncos down the field from their 11-yard line to Jaguars 23-yard line. Facing a 3rd and 9 with :37 left, the Broncos could have tried an easy field goal. But Coach Mike Shanahan elected to run one more play. It would backfire as RB Quentin Griffin fumbled the ball, and the Jaguars recovered to seal the ugly yet improbable victory 7-6.

#18 | 12/16/07 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers / 29-22: The first of five classic Jaguars-Steelers games in this countdown. The Jaguars traveled to chilly Pittsburgh to face the Steelers with playoff fever in the wintry air. Jacksonville mauled Pittsburgh in the trenches, and took a commanding 22-7 lead heading into the 4th quarter. But a short pass from QB David Garrard intended for RB Greg Jones was tipped and intercepted by the Steelers. It sparked a 15-point turnaround by Pittsburgh, and the game was tied 22-22. Jacksonville used their double-shot RBs Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew to pound the Steelers run defense, running time off the clock in the process. With 2:02 left in the game, Taylor burst through the Steelers defense for a 12-yard touchdown score to give the Jaguars a 29-22 lead. Pittsburgh attempted one more comeback, but the drive stalled at the Jaguars’ 45-yard line, giving Jacksonville a big AFC road win and inching them closer to a Wild Card rematch with the Steelers only weeks later. RB Fred Taylor also set a Heinz Field rushing record with 147 yards on this day.

#17 | 9/25/05 vs. New York Jets / 26-20: The Jaguars were smarting from a tough loss the week before in Indianapolis, and they were looking to rebound against the New York Jets in Week 3. The Jaguars took a 10-7 lead at halftime thanks in part to RB Fred Taylor’s franchise-record 37 rushing attempts for the game. But Jacksonville started off the 3rd quarter miserably as QB Byron Leftwich’s fumble was returned 33 yards for a Jets touchdown score. The Jaguars would retake the lead 20-17 into the 4th quarter, and seemed to be heading for a victory with 3:17 in the game. But a costly fumble by WR Reggie Williams gave New York new life. With 1:24 left to play, Pennington threw what appeared to be a game-clinching touchdown pass. But the play was overturned, and the Jets had to settle for a field goal to tie the game at 20-20. The two teams took the brawl into overtime, and the football gods chose Jacksonville on this day. On 3rd and 12, Leftwich called an audible and threw a beautiful ball to a streaking WR Jimmy Smith for a 36-yard touchdown score. The Jaguars won the overtime thriller 26-20.

#16 | 11/9/03 vs. Indianapolis Colts / 28-23: The Jaguars were 1-7 heading into this Week 10 game in Coach Jack Del Rio’s inaugural season, and he was fed up at halftime when the Jaguars were down 20-7 to the 7-1 Indianapolis Colts. He had a raging meltdown where he lit into his team and smashed a glass in the locker room to get their attention. It worked brilliantly. Not to mention that RB Fred Taylor had his own motivation for playing the Colts on this day. Rookie S Mike Doss disrespected Taylor during the September 2003 matchup between these two foes by pushing Taylor’s head into the ground unnecessarily. Taylor promised to punish Doss, and he did that and more. With 1:14 left in the game, Taylor ran 32 yards of his 152 yards on one play, flattening Doss en route to the game-winning touchdown score. The Jaguars held on 28-23 for the win. It was the first time the Jaguars had won a game against Indianapolis.

#15 | 9/18/06 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers / 9-0: There are three constants in life: death, taxes, and Jaguars-Steelers slugfests. Rewind to Week 14 of the 2004 season when the Steelers and the Terrible Towels of the Pittsburgh faithful invaded Alltel Stadium and escaped with a narrow 17-16 win. That loss, as painful as it was, energized the Jaguars fan base into taking back our house. When Week 2 of the 2006 rolled around, the Monday night football atmosphere was electric. That sea of yellow from 2004 turned into a sea of teal jerseys and white wiggle sticks as the Jaguars fans celebrated a hard-fought 9-0 victory over the Steelers. Pittsburgh only managed 9 first downs and 26 rushing yards, the lowest rushing total ever during the Bill Cowher tenure.

#14 | 10/28/07 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers / 24-23: The Jaguars were coming off an extremely disappointing Monday night football loss the week before to the Indianapolis Colts in which several key players were injured. Backup players such as QB Quinn Gray, RB LaBrandon Toefield, and CB Aaron Glenn were asked to shoulder the load in the short week leading up to the game versus the Buccaneers. The Jaguars were facing the ageless veteran QB Jeff Garcia, who had resurrected his career in Tampa Bay and had not thrown a single interception through Week 7. The Jaguars took a 17-13 lead into halftime, even with Gray only throwing two passes the entire first half. Tampa Bay would answer with 10 points in the 3rd quarter as their defense stiffened and helped the Buccaneers take a 23-17 lead. But with 11:37 left in the 4th quarter, Gray found WR Matt Jones on a fade route that resulted in an 8-yard touchdown score. The score was 24-23. Garcia and the Buccaneers had their chances late in the game, but an easy touchdown pass to WR Ike Hilliard was overthrown and a late interception (Garcia’s third of the day) sealed the improbable win for Jacksonville 24-23. It was the first time a quarterback making his first start had beaten a Monte Kiffin defense. Gray only threw 7 passes the entire day, tying a Jaguars franchise record.

#13 | 9/12/04 vs. Buffalo Bills / 13-10: The Jaguars traveled to Buffalo to face the Bills in Week 1. Jacksonville was hoping to jumpstart a lifeless offense that had many fans grumbling in the preseason. The woes continued as the Jaguars only managed 3 points by halftime, but they continued to claw their way back as the game progressed. Trailing 10-6 with 1:18 left in the game and facing a 4th and 14 situation at the Jacksonville 34-yard line, QB Byron Leftwich found WR Jimmy Smith on a 45-yard bomb that moved the Jaguars into Buffalo territory. But the Bills would force another 4th down situation. With :33 left and facing 4th and 2, Leftwich took the snap in the shotgun and found WR Troy Edwards for a 6-yard gain to the Bills’ 7-yard line. After three straight incomplete passes, the Jaguars were facing their third 4th down conversion situation on the drive. With :04 left, Leftwich took the snap, threw the ball toward the back of the end zone, and rookie WR Ernest Wilford came down with the ball. The referees reviewed the play and determined that Wilford was forced out. Touchdown, Jacksonville! The Jaguars escaped with a thrilling 13-10 come-from-behind victory.

#12 | 10/16/05 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers / 23-17: The Jaguars were in Pittsburgh in Week 6, and they were without their workhorse RB Fred Taylor and veteran S Donovin Darius. RB Greg Jones got the nod to start in place of Taylor. On the other side of the field, QB Ben Roethlisberger missed the game, and that put former starter and XFL star QB Tommy Maddox back on the field. The Jaguars’ special teams were anything but special on this day. In the 2nd quarter, punt returner Antwaan Randle-El returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown score, giving Pittsburgh a 14-7 lead. The two teams would battle back and forth, eventually sending the game into overtime knotted in a 17-17 tie. The Jaguars’ special teams failed right away in overtime as they allowed kick returner Quincy Morgan to run the kick back 74 yards to the Jacksonville 26-yard line. An easy chip shot field goal seemed imminent for Pittsburgh. However, on the second play of the drive, Maddox fumbled the snap from center and the Jaguars recovered. The Jaguars’ drive would stall, and the Steelers would take their second swing in overtime. On the second play from scrimmage, Maddox threw a pass….right to CB Rashean Mathis. He took it to the house, and the Jaguars stunned the Pittsburgh crowd with a thrilling 23-17 win.

#11 | 12/19/04 vs. Green Bay Packers / 28-25: The Jaguars stepped onto the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field as the 12 degree temperature felt colder as the sun started to go down and came out swinging. QB Byron Leftwich tossed a 31-yard touchdown bomb to WR Jimmy Smith to give the Jaguars an early 7-0 lead. But the game eventually evolved into a matchup of RB Fred Taylor’s legs versus QB Brett Favre’s arm. The Jaguars chose not to fight the weather and just pound the rock on the ground with Taylor, who finished with 165 rushing yards and one big 37-yard touchdown run. Favre did his best to keep the Packers in the game, slinging a late 4th quarter touchdown and converting a two-point conversion with 1:11 left to pull to within 28-25. But the ensuing onside kick failed, and the Jaguars held on for the victory. It was the first time since 1985 that a Florida team had won in Green Bay in December. Favre’s 367-yard passing performance was derailed by three costly interceptions.

#10 | 9/26/04 vs. Tennessee Titans / 15-12: The Jaguars went on the road in Week 3 riding the wave of a two-game winning streak, where the Cardiac Cats escaped in one game with a miraculous last-gasp touchdown pass and another game after a late fumble recovery sealed the victory. Week 3 versus the Tennessee Titans proved to be another thriller yet another game where the Jaguars just could not get the offensive engine cranked up until late in the game. Tennessee carried a slim 6-0 lead into halftime, and RB Fred Taylor only had 4 carries for 11 yards. But he helped the Jaguars climb back into the game. With :13 left in the game and trailing 12-7, Taylor pounded his way into the end zone. The ensuing two-point conversion was good, and the Jaguars went to 3-0 with a thrilling 15-12 victory.

#9 | 10/24/96 vs. Baltimore Ravens / 28-25: The 4-7 Jaguars seemed like they were on their way to another losing season. The Andre Rison experiment was a complete failure, and there were questions about whether Coach Tom Coughlin had the respect of his locker room. The Jaguars traveled to Baltimore to play the Ravens, who just two weeks earlier lost to the Jaguars by a field goal in Jacksonville. The Ravens stormed out to a 15-point lead, going up 25-10 as the 4th quarter began. But QB Mark Brunell was ready to shine, and he completed touchdown passes to both TE Pete Mitchell and WR Willie Jackson in the 4th quarter. Brunell scampered in for a two-point conversion, and the game went into overtime. K Mike Hollis sealed the amazing win 28-25 with a 34-yard game-winner. The victory was the first overtime victory in Jaguars history, and it also served as the launching pad for the amazing 7-game winning streak on the way to the AFC Championship Game.

#8 | 12/10/06 vs. Indianapolis Colts / 44-17: The Jaguars stormed out of the gates and never looked back in this game in which the Colts were absolutely thumped. On the Jaguars’ first possession, RB Fred Taylor ran 76 yards from the Jacksonville 6-yard to the Indianapolis 18-yard line. One play later, rookie sensation RB Maurice Jones-Drew pounded his way into the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown score. And that was only the beginning as the Jaguars ran for 375 yards on the day as a team, tying the second-most rushing yards in one game since the AFL-NFL merger. QB David Garrard did not have to do much, only passing for 76 yards. But the Jaguars shredded the Colts 44-17 on the strength of its running game and run defense. Ironically, the Jaguars would lose their next three games and miss the playoffs, while Indianapolis did not lose another game en route to the Super Bowl title.

#7 | 9/22/97 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers / 29-21: The Jaguars were 2-0 as they headed into their Week 4 game against the Steelers. It was the Jaguars’ first appearance on Monday night football, surely the result of their incredible run to the ’96 AFC Championship Game. The big news of the game is that QB Mark Brunell was returning to the starting lineup after sustaining a knee injury in the preseason. Brunell came out slinging the ball to the tune of 303 yards and 1 touchdown. The fireworks at the end of the game provided the real drama. With :06 left in the game, the Jaguars held a slim 23-21 lead, and Pittsburgh K Norm Johnson was lining up for a 40-yard field goal. But the snap was low and it was blocked by DE Clyde Simmons. Jaguars S Chris Hudson scooped up the ball and returned it 58 yards for a game-clinching touchdown. The iconic moment was caught on tape as head coach Bill Cowher pretended to deck Hudson as he was running down the sideline to seal the 30-21 victory.

#6 | 12/20/03 vs. New Orleans Saints / 20-19: The significance of this game was huge on three fronts: QB Mark Brunell’s last game in a Jaguars uniform, a stellar running display by RB Fred Taylor to the tune of 194 yards on the ground, and, of course, the River City Relay. With the Jaguars leading 20-13 and :06 remaining, Saints WR Donte Stallworth caught a 42-yard pass from QB Aaron Brooks, broke a couple of tackles and threw a lateral across the field to WR Michael Lewis at the Jaguars’ 33. Lewis went 7 yards and pitched it back to RB Deuce McAllister, who got 5 yards and threw across the field to WR Jerome Pathon. With the help of a good block by Brooks, Pathon ran 21 yards to the end zone for a touchdown score. The Jaguars were stunned. K John Carney lined up for the extra point attempt…..and shanked it to the right. No good! The Jaguars edged the Saints 20-19, as thoughts of the ’96 game versus Atlanta ran through the minds of Jaguars fans and players familiar with the name “Morten Andersen.”

#5 | 1/5/08 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Wild Card Round) / 31-29: The Jaguars had just been to Pittsburgh three weeks earlier when RB Fred Taylor scorched the Steelers for 147 rushing yards and a game-clinching touchdown. It was the only regular season home loss for the Steelers. Now the Jaguars not only had to beat the Steelers again on their home turf in Pittsburgh but also beat the odds facing them: no team had ever won in Pittsburgh twice in the same season. The Jaguars thumbed their noses at history on this day, as they jumped out to a commanding 28-10 lead. Much like the game against Pittsburgh three weeks before, the Jaguars let the Steelers back into the contest in the 4th quarter, and suddenly, Pittsburgh was up 29-28. But as the San Francisco 49ers franchise has “The Catch” in their team lore, the Jaguars would have “The Run” in this Wild Card game. Facing a 4th and 2, QB David Garrard would take the snap and run a quarterback draw for 32 yards to the Pittsburgh 11-yard line. The Steelers had to use all their timeouts to stop the clock. With :40 left, K Josh Scobee booted a 25-yard field goal to give the Jaguars a 31-29 lead. On the next drive, QB Ben Roethlisberger was sacked and fumbled the ball away to Jacksonville, sealing the first playoff win since 1999 for the franchise.

#4 | 1/15/00 vs. Miami Dolphins (Divisional Round) / 62-7: The Jaguars had the best record in the league at 14-2 in 1999, and they were awarded the #1 seed and home field advantage. The first order of business was to welcome the Miami Dolphins to Jacksonville in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. It turned into a fish fry really quick. The Jaguars led 24-0 after one quarter, 41-7 at the half, and eventually had 62 points by the end, which are the second-most points scored in NFL postseason history and the most scored in an AFC playoff game. The 55-point margin of victory is the second-largest for an NFL postseason game, second only to the Chicago Bears’ 73-0 victory over the Washington Redskins in 1940. RB Fred Taylor also provided a highlight 90-yard touchdown run that remains the longest touchdown in playoff history. It was a sad exit for one of the NFL’s all-time great quarterbacks as QB Dan Marino was only 11-for-25 for 95 yards.

#3 | 12/28/96 vs. Buffalo Bills (Wild Card Round) / 30-27: The Jaguars had made the improbable happen by winning the last 5 regular season games and clinching a wild card berth. The first destination? A date with the Bills where Buffalo had never lost a playoff game at Rich Stadium. The Bills players did not take the Jaguars seriously. According to excerpts from “Jags to Riches” by Pete Prisco and John Oehser, RB Thurman Thomas commented, “Jacksonville who?” QB Jim Kelly said on his television show that the Bills had a huge edge over the Jaguars because they had not seen the K-Gun no-huddle offense before, even though the Ravens ran the same offense and lost twice in ’96 to the Jaguars. LB Sam Rogers told the Buffalo News that the Jaguars would be shell-shocked by the Rich Stadium crowd. The Jaguars did not blink, and it was the Bills who got shell-shocked. The “no-name” Jaguars LT Tony Boselli completely shut down All-World DE Bruce Smith. RB Natrone Means pounded the rock for 31 carries and 175 rushing yards. QB Jim Kelly was knocked out of the game late, and backup QB Todd Collins was not a factor as the Jaguars upset the Bills 30-27. Jacksonville who? They knew after that December day.

#2 | 12/22/96 vs. Atlanta Falcons / 19-17: The 8-7 Jaguars were riding a 4-game winning streak as they prepared for the season finale with the dismal 3-12 Atlanta Falcons. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to get the first playoff berth in franchise history, and things started out great as Jacksonville took a 13-3 lead at halftime. The Jaguars were already getting help from Buffalo as they were rolling over Kansas City. The stars were aligning for something special. The Jaguars tacked on another field goal 16-3, and the playoff fever was starting to spread through the Jacksonville crowd. But by the end of the 3rd quarter the Falcons were making things interesting, pulling to within 16-10. K Mike Hollis would nail a 42-yard field goal off the upright to pad the lead 19-10. The Jaguars defense seemed lackadaisical as they allowed the Falcons right back into the game. Atlanta completed a 12-play, 77-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown run by RB Craig “Ironhead” Heyward. The lead suddenly was only two points with just less than 6 minutes to play, and the Jacksonville crowd was getting worried. The Jaguars’ next drive stalled, and the Falcons got the ball back. Just like the previous drive, Atlanta moved with ease through the Jaguars’ defense. The Falcons made it all the way down to the Jaguars’ 13-yard line, called timeout with just seconds on the clock, and sent in one of the most sure-footed kickers in the history of the game: Morten Andersen. The snap was good. But Andersen planted his foot and slipped! The kick sailed wide left, and the Jaguars miraculously escaped 19-17 to begin their first trip into the playoffs.

#1 | 1/4/97 vs. Denver Broncos (Divisional Round) / 30-27: Even with beating the Bills on the road in the Wild Card round the week before, the Jaguars did not earn many believers heading into Denver for the Divisional Round game versus the 13-3 Broncos. The Jaguars (or “JagWads” as Denver columnist Woody Paige dubbed the team) were 13.5 point underdogs to John Elway and company. It started off like maybe the Jaguars did not belong on this stage after all, as the Broncos got out to a 12-0 lead after the 1st quarter. But the Jaguars would tack on 23 unanswered points to quietly take a 23-12 lead. The Broncos were stifled by the Jaguars defense. RB Natrone Means continued his bruising running attack, carrying the rock 21 times for 140 yards. Elway refused to give up, and he pulled the Broncos to within 23-20 with about 7 minutes left in the game. The ensuing drive solidified QB Mark Brunell’s nickname as “Miracle Mark” as he had a legendary 29-yard scramble deep into Broncos territory. A few plays, Brunell threaded a beautiful touchdown pass to WR Jimmy Smith to give the “JagWads” a 30-20 lead with just over 3 minutes remaining. Elway got a quick Broncos touchdown in typical two-minute fashion that has always made Elway a legend. But an onside kick was recovered by the Jaguars, and David truly slayed Goliath. The miracle train that was the ’96 season kept on rolling right to the AFC Championship Game.