September 18, 1997

BRUNELL UPGRADED --TOM COUGHLIN COMMENTS

The Jacksonville Jaguars upgraded quarterback Mark Brunell (knee) from doubtful to questionable for Monday night's game against Pittsburgh. Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin says he expects Brunell to take more snaps every day.

In a national media conference call on Thursday, Coughlin answered questions on a variety of subjects:

How promising is that Mark Brunell has been able to practice with the team?

We looked forward to getting Mark back. Today was the first time we had him for the entire practice and we increased his snaps from yesterday. It is certainly a very optimistic and promising note to have him back on the field.

Is he going to start?

I won’t know that until we see what happens later in the week. There is going to have to be coordination from different areas giving me the right signals. The medical staff is going to have to give me the right signal. Mark’s feedback is going to be important along with my feeling about where he is in terms of his preparation and physical ability. Those areas will have a lot to do with what we do on Monday night.

Is pregame hysteria in Jacksonville at a fever pitch for your first-ever Monday
night game?

The people of Jacksonville are very excited about Monday Night Football, as they should be. We have a wonderful group of fans here -- the best in the National Football League. There is a two-way relationship between our players and the fans with a lot of respect involved.

Can you talk about the challenge the Steelers represent on Monday night?

The Steelers have been AFC Central champs for the last five years and represent a benchmark for the division. They are an outstanding franchise and a well-coached football team.

On Monday, it is going to be a physical football game and we are going to have to play extremely well on defense. The Steelers have a multi-dimensional quarterback, but the first thing we have to do is stop the run.

Offensively, we are going to deal with the blitz package on all three downs and we are going to have to run the football well. If you look at our short history, we have been a team that has suffered against an inspired Steelers defense. If you remember the game last November, our defense played extremely well against the Steelers offense, but the Steelers defense -- time and time again -- created opportunities for their offense and Carnell Lake’s sack, fumble and fumble return for a touchdown says it all.

What challenges does Kordell Stewart present?

He is an outstanding quarterback with a strong arm and great mobility. The fact that he is used so much in play action and bootleg illustrates the opportunity he has to be on the corner and use the option of run or pass. He will run the quarterback draw, run the naked bootleg, pull the ball down and scramble and has a very strong arm to take advantage of any weakness in the secondary. Kordell Stewart is a playmaker.

Tony Boselli grabbed so much of the spotlight last year with his playoff performances against Bruce Smith and Alfred Williams. Is he getting better?

Yes. He has gained tremendously from his two years in the league and I see nothing but improvement for Tony. He is an excellent athlete, has put together back-to-back offseason strength programs and has exceptional footwork.

With your offensive line, it looks like you have a foundation for this year and for years to come. Is that going to be one of your strengths?

That is the level of expectation we had. When we drafted Tony Boselli and brought in Leon Searcy a year later to play right tackle, we felt that these were two cornerstones of our offensive line. Our objective has always been to be strong on the offensive and defensive lines.

What is the key for your offense?

The ability to run the ball has been the most beneficial to us. If we can run the ball, we create the kind of balance that is necessary so that there is an element of doubt and so we are able to choose when we wish to throw. The running game is going to help any quarterback.

Do you think your playoff victory over the Broncos last year sent a message to the rest of the league?

There’s no question we played our best football down the stretch. In the playoffs, we came together as a team to complement solid defensive play with some outstanding performances on offense. I think it is a sign of the growth and maturity of a young team that has benefited by some veteran players who have helped us over the hump.