| | JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars will head
into the playoffs without their cornerstone, Tony Boselli.
The All-Pro left tackle and first draft pick in team history was
diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee
Monday.
|  | | Pro Bowl tackle Tony Boselli will miss the entire playoffs with a knee injury. |
It's a season-ending injury that soured what should have been a
celebration at Jaguars headquarters, where on Sunday, the team
clinched the AFC Central, home-field advantage throughout the
playoffs and best record in the NFL at 14-2.
Boselli is expected to spend about seven months rehabilitating
the knee.
"This is the thing about this business I find most difficult of
all," coach Tom Coughlin said. "We've had our share of injuries
and this is another huge blow to our team."
The loss of an offensive lineman wouldn't normally raise so many
red flags, but Boselli is not just another lineman.
The 6-foot-7, 320-pound star from Southern Cal was selected to
his fourth straight Pro Bowl this season. He's recognized by many
as the best lineman in the league.
In every way, he has lived up to the expectations that surfaced
when Coughlin opted against a more intriguing pick and decided to
build his franchise around Boselli in 1995.
Boselli and the entire team blossomed in 1996.
He allowed only three sacks all season, and when he stonewalled Bruce Smith in a playoff upset over the Bills -- holding him to three tackles and no sacks -- the legend began to form.
Before the season, Hall of Fame lineman Anthony Munoz said, "He
could end up being one of the best of all time."
Boselli's season ended on a simple running play in which he
moved up field, took a small pop from one of the Bengals, then felt
his knee buckle as he prepared to plant and make a hit.
He clutched the leg, then fell to the ground. Some wondered if
the condition of the field -- torn up from the Gator Bowl game at
Alltel Stadium Saturday -- was a factor.
Coughlin dismissed that.
"I don't think that particular incident was the cause of it,"
Coughlin said. "But I also don't think it was as good as it should
have been for what was at stake."
Boselli was not available for comment after the game and didn't
grant interviews Monday.
After the game, he addressed teammates and said he would not
allow his season to end this way. Coughlin said Boselli was
devastated when he received the results of the MRI that proved
otherwise.
"He's trying to deal with it as best he can," Coughlin said.
"Today's a more difficult day than yesterday. Reality is setting
in and it's not a pleasant thought."
Nor is the idea of making a Super Bowl run without him,
especially considering the health of the rest of the line.
Right tackle Leon Searcy, also a Pro Bowl selection, sustained a
high ankle sprain that put him out for the second half. He
underwent an MRI Monday. Ben Coleman, who will replace Boselli at
left tackle, has been dealing with a gimpy knee all season.
"We've got to use the personnel we've got," running back Fred
Taylor said. "They've got to step it up. Ben will be the person to
take over. He's been in that position before."
Meanwhile, quarterback Mark Brunell is still working his way back from the strained medial collateral ligament he sustained last
week in a 41-14 loss to Tennessee. Coughlin hopes Brunell can
practice again by Friday and will be ready for the playoff game,
Jan. 15.
Last season, Brunell's injury, a high ankle sprain, had the
Jaguars most concerned going into the playoffs.
This year, Brunell is dinged up, Boselli is gone and Coughlin is
wondering if any team has linked injuries with playoff time as
consistently as the Jaguars.
"It seems like we're carrying that mantle," he said.
| |
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