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Jaguars Are Confident Heading Into Playoffs

The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 3, 2008

JACKSONVILLE - The Jacksonville Jaguars were just happy to be in the playoffs two years ago, a team with little or no postseason experience that opened the first round at two-time defending Super Bowl champion New England and lost 28-3.

They feel much different this time around.

"Now, we feel like we belong," CB Rashean Mathis said. "We know we belong. That's a huge difference in the mind-set."

The Jaguars (11-5) still don't have a lot of playoff experience - 23 players on the 53-man roster haven't played a down in the postseason - but they have considerably more than they had in 2005.

They expect it to pay dividends at Pittsburgh (10-6) on Saturday night in the first round of the AFC playoffs.

"We're glad we had a good season, but it's time to turn it up," LT Khalif Barnes said. "It's not time for a one-and-done for us. We don't want to duplicate that '05 season and just be happy to get in and not be able to advance. We don't want to taste that again. We did that before."

COLTS: Marvin Harrison returned to practice and could play in Indianapolis' playoff game next week.

Harrison has missed a career-high 11 games since bruising his left knee against Denver on Sept. 30. He practiced twice last week, but was held out of the regular-season finale against Tennessee.

Indy (13-3) will play San Diego, Pittsburgh or Jacksonville on Jan. 13.

STEELERS: Pittsburgh promoted OL Jonathan Parquet from the practice squad and signed rookie OL Jason Capizzi for the second time.

The Steelers made the moves after losing starting OTs Marvel Smith and Max Starks to injuries in the last three weeks. Smith needed back surgery and Starks, who had replaced Smith at left tackle, tore the meniscus in a knee during a 27-21 loss Sunday in Baltimore.

TITANS: QB Vince Young practiced on a limited basis but lost one of his targets when TE Bo Scaife was placed on injured reserve with a lacerated liver.

The team's third-leading receiver with a career-high 46 catches for 421 yards, Scaife was hurt during Tennessee's 16-10 win against Indianapolis on Sunday night.

The Associated Press

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