A Moment in Jaguars History: Week 4 of the 1996 Season, Patrioits 28 Jaguars 25

While the 1996 AFC Championship Game is the most often remembered Jaguars-Patriots match-up from that magical season, the Week 4 match-up provided Jacksonville with a glimpse of what was to come from that young team.

The Jaguars traveled to Foxborough with a 1-2 record and no real expectations to speak of. They faced a Patriots team with then young stars like Drew Bledsoe and Curtis Martin. The Patriots were coached by Tom Coughlin's mentor, Bill Parcells. Most pundits expected an easy win for the Patriots, and it seemed that way at first.

The Patriots raced out to a 22-0 lead in the second quarter, and were whipping the Jaguars in every way possible. It wasn't until Mark Brunell hit Jimmy Smith on a 51 yard Hail Mary for a touchdown at the end of the half, that the Jaguars had any semblance of life.

That pass would be a spark of life for the young team. Mark Brunell would connect on touchdown strikes of 41 and 61 yards to Andre Rison in the second-half, as the Jaguars outscored the Patriots 18-3. However, those would not be the most memorable plays of the day.

In the final seconds, Mark Brunell hit Willie Jackson for a 55 yard pass that was thought to be an improbable game winner. However, the officials disagreed and marked Willie Jackson down at the one. This was before replay was used in the NFL, so the game went to overtime where Adam Vinatieri won the game.

Despite the Jaguars only rushing for 29 yards and committing 17 penalties on the day, they showed the city of Jacksonville what they were made of. The game was seen as a turning point for the team, as they would go on to their magical run during the 1996 playoffs.