JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are still
looking for their first touchdown of the preseason.
Their opponent Thursday night, the Kansas City Chiefs, haven't
allowed one.
For the Jaguars, this is as good a time as any to get receiver
Jimmy Smith back in the lineup.
Smith will play in his first game since a pair of offseason
abdominal operations left him in the hospital for 35 days.
He was back to practicing full time with the Jaguars this week.
And while he views playing in a game as the next step in his
rehabilitation process, he also knows the Jaguars are in dire need
of some confidence -- and a touchdown -- with less than three weeks
left before the regular season opens.
"My main concern is getting the football in the end zone,"
Smith said. "It's true, we've had some key guys out, but that's no
excuse for not scoring a touchdown in two games."
Coach Tom Coughlin says Smith will play more than one series.
Naturally, the team is concerned about how Smith will respond to
his first big hit.
"For as many balls as I've caught, I haven't taken a lot of
hits" in the NFL, said Smith, who has missed only one
regular-season game. "I'm either out of bounds or in the end zone.
I try not to take many hits, and that's how I want it to
continue."
While Smith's return is a boost, it falls far short of returning
the Jaguars to full health. Left tackle Tony Boselli won't play
after twisting his knee this week. Smith's receiving partner,
Keenan McCardell, is out while he recovers from a hernia operation.
The Jaguars had trouble keeping the same 11 offensive players on
the field through training camp -- that is the root of their scoring
problem.
"The continuity factor is directly related to how you perform
and to how you execute," Coughlin said. "Until we get a group
that can practice together on offense consistently, we're going to
have these kind of things."
That's why the Chiefs are anything but the perfect opponent for
Jacksonville.
With new coordinator Greg Robinson calling the defenses, Kansas
City has allowed only nine points and 293 yards in two games. Sure,
it's only preseason, but this is hardly the kind of dominance
expected from a defense that finished 18th in the league last
season.
Still, new coach Dick Vermeil wants to see the Chiefs perform
against a top quarterback such as Mark Brunell. So far, the Chiefs
have gone against Todd Husak and Sage Rosenfels of the Redskins,
and Shane Matthews and Jim Miller of the Bears.
"The Pro Bowl guys, that kind of guy, we haven't seen yet,"
Vermeil said. "It tests you more because he'll throw the ball to
the right people, he'll throw it more accurately, he'll throw it
downfield better."
Smith will play as long as his stamina permits, while Brunell
should stay in the entire first half -- maybe longer if the Jaguars
don't score a touchdown.
"I still don't think we're in panic mode," Brunell said.
"We've scored a lot of touchdowns before. We've got guys capable
of making plays. Now, we just have to go out and make them."
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