Bruce Smith was trying to be generous, considering the circumstances, but he would go only so far. And the NFL’s defensive player of the year had heard more than enough about a certain second-year tackle who had all but owned him during Buffalo’s demise in the playoffs Saturday.
“It wasn’t like he was one-on-one all day,” an exasperated Smith finally said.
Clearly, Jacksonville’s Tony Boselli had gotten to him, in just as shocking a fashion as the Jaguars had undercut the Bills. And in Denver, All-Pro defensive end Alfred Williams, whose Broncos team is set to meet the Jaguars in one AFC divisional playoff Saturday at Mile High Stadium, was sincerely impressed.
“I watched the game intently,” said Williams, who had 13 sacks this regular season and was third in voting for defensive player of the year. “I saw everything that happened. Boselli won that battle hands down. It caught me off guard because I had never seen that guy play before. Seeing him play was a treat to watch.
“Watching Bruce Smith over the years and having great respect for his game, I think Boselli just totally dominated.”
In helping limit Smith to just three tackles and no sacks, the 6-foot-7-inch, 322-pound Boselli demonstrated as well as any family tree could why a strong foundation has benefited the Jaguars. As Jacksonville’s inaugural selection in the college draft, Boselli epitomizes the Jaguars’ no-nonsense approach to building their team, and courting history.
Under the stern and, some say, taskmaster-type leadership of head coach Tom Coughlin, the Jaguars have dramatically improved from last season’s 4-12 record, and in the process have gained a sense of confidence that belies their humble beginnings.
“I don’t think anybody believes we can do it except for us,” Boselli said of the prospect of knocking off the AFC’s best in a return to his home state. “I’m sure family, friends, some fans, but that’s about it. But we wouldn’t go out and play if we didn’t think we could win, and we’re just going to go up there and do it.”
Said offensive tackle Leon Searcy, when asked how far the Jaguars could go in the playoffs: “As far as we want to go.”
After starting the season 4-7, the Jaguars have yet to lose. The offensive line, led by Boselli and Searcy, has paved the way for Natrone Means, who rushed for 175 yards on 31 carries against the Bills, including one 62-yard run and another 30-yard touchdown.
Means, slowed by injury early in the season, has made the Jaguars’ running game a legitimate threat in recent weeks, and their offense one of the best in the NFL.
“Now he’s showing the type of Pro Bowl back he is,” Boselli said, “and what it gives us is a lot more balance. Earlier in the year, we got caught in situations where we’d pass the ball 50 times and as an offensive lineman, that puts you on your heels a little bit. You can’t be as aggressive or physical and that also puts a lot of pressure on (quarterback) Mark (Brunell).”
Brunell’s first-quarter interception against the Bills ended a streak of 128 passes without one. And Brunell’s fourth-quarter comeback was the fourth he has directed this season.
A little divine intervention hasn’t exactly hurt the Jaguars, either. A missed 30-yarder by the legendary Morten Andersen in the final game of the season allowed the Jaguars to slink into the playoffs with a 19-17 victory over Atlanta. And a 45-yarder in the fourth quarter by Jacksonville’s Mike Hollis, which hit the upright and bounced through, gave them their three-point victory against Buffalo.
“That tells me that the Lord is watching over this team and taking care of us a little bit,” Boselli said with a laugh. “We’re just on a run right now. We’re playing hard and I think good things happen to teams who work hard and play hard, and we definitely do that here.”
