JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- A quick list of things no Jacksonville player expects to see in this lifetime: Tom Coughlin wearing dreadlocks. Tom Coughlin making obscene gestures toward the fans. Tom Coughlin trading his entire draft for one player.

While they might share some of the same intensity and drive, there seems to be no more polar opposite to Coughlin than the coach he'll face Sunday night, Mike Ditka of the New Orleans Saints.

"That's night and day," says Jaguars offensive lineman Ben Coleman. "You're talking about a guy who doesn't really like to be in the limelight in Tom, and a guy who likes to be there every day in Ditka. Ditka loves it. You're just talking about two different people with two really different ways of doing things."

None of the current Jaguars have ever played for Ditka, but most grew up watching and admiring him. They've laughed along at some of his antics and wondered about some of his statements and decisions.

All the while they know that, as long as they're in Jacksonville and Coughlin is their coach, things aren't likely to be nearly as entertaining.

"I couldn't ever really see Coughlin wearing dreads," said rookie cornerback Fernando Bryant. "But Iron Mike is Iron Mike. I respect him. I think most people do. Everybody still questions a couple things he's done. It's not always the traditional way."

Ditka's tenure with the Saints seems destined to be judged by his brash decision to trade away his entire draft to move up in the first round and select running back Ricky Williams.

The rookie has fought through injuries to rush for a respectable 722 yards this season. But the Saints are 2-7, nowhere near the Super Bowl level Ditka said they were at when he took Williams instead of replenishing his roster.

"The way I look at it, coach felt he wasn't going to do any better drafting other players when they had a need for a running back," Williams said. "If you look at our team, I don't think there is a rookie out there who could have come over and really taken over at any position. Aside from depth, we have a talented team."

The Saints will start Billy Joe Tolliver at quarterback for the third straight game. Last week, he went 12-for-15 for 242 yards in a 24-6 victory over the 49ers.

Williams rushed for 99 yards and caught three passes for 57 yards. Over the past month, he has overcome his nagging ankle injuries and begun rounding into the franchise player Ditka thought he could be.

Williams said he has enjoyed playing for Ditka despite the stressful start.

"He's got a personality," Williams said. "I mean to us, his players, it's fun. We can have fun at work and still get work done. It makes our job easier."

Fun has never been a focal point of life with Coughlin and the Jaguars. But the results have been hard to deny.

Even without a healthy Fred Taylor, expected to miss his fourth game of the season this week, Jacksonville has the league's best record at 8-1.

Coughlin built this team with sound drafts and good personnel decisions. He's also known as one of the toughest disciplinarians in the league, a title that used to belong to Ditka when he was with the Bears.

"His fire, his intensity, his demeanor, without question there's a place for all of that," Coughlin said. "I was in Green Bay when Mike was winning world championships in Chicago. I've coached against him before. He's an outstanding coach."

But Ditka has changed dramatically since the tempestuous days with the Bears. As the losses have piled up over a season of high expectations in New Orleans, he has tried to keep things lively.

Sure, he got fined $20,000 for making an obscene gesture toward Saints fans last month. But in general, he insists there is no gloom and doom in his workplace.

"Contrary to what people think, the mood isn't one of desperation," he said. "Our guys, they get up and they come to work and they smile and talk. We practice hard and have some fun. It's not the end of the world. They've hung in there pretty good considering the year we've had."

NEW ORLEANS Season schedule and results

JACKSONVILLE Season schedule and results

September 12 Carolina W 19-10 September 19 @San Francisco L 21-28 October 3 @Chicago L 10-14 October 10 Atlanta L 17-20 October 17 Tennessee L 21-24 October 24 @NY Giants L 3-31 October 31 Cleveland L 16-21 November 7 Tampa Bay L 16-31 November 14 San Francisco W 24-6 November 21 @Jacksonville 8:20pm ET November 28 @St. Louis 1:00pm ET December 5 @Atlanta 1:00pm ET December 12 St. Louis 1:00pm ET December 19 @Baltimore 1:00pm ET December 24 Dallas 3:05pm ET January 2 @Carolina 1:00pm ET

September 12 San Francisco W 41-3 September 19 @Carolina W 22-20 September 26 Tennessee L 19-20 October 3 @Pittsburgh W 17-3 October 11 @NY Jets W 16-6 October 17 Cleveland W 24-7 October 31 @Cincinnati W 41-10 November 7 @Atlanta W 30-7 November 14 Baltimore W 6-3 November 21 New Orleans 8:20pm ET November 28 @Baltimore 1:00pm ET December 2 Pittsburgh 8:20pm ET December 13 Denver 9:00pm ET December 19 @Cleveland 1:00pm ET December 26 @Tennessee 1:00pm ET January 2 Cincinnati 1:00pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

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