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"Oh, no," he says. "The league's too competitive to give away our insights. Maybe I'll release it all in a book when I retire, but right now we're still following our original plan. We've just had to modify things a bit and set our sights higher."

The three-year blueprint proved so effective that Jacksonville was just two thirds of the way through it when the team found itself in the AFC Championship Game. After starting 4-7 in 1996 the Jags came together as a team and won their last five games by an average of 4.2 points. The second-year club sneaked into the playoffs as a wild card, then upset Buffalo and AFC-title-favorite Denver before falling 20-6 to New England, one stop short of the Super Bowl.

The central figure in the Jacksonville story is 26-year-old quarterback Mark Brunell, who led the NFL in passing yards in 1996. In his third year as a starter, he's on the verge of superstardom, but he is also approaching a critical career point. This is the final year of his contract, and he is an absolute steal at $1.2 million for 1997. The Jaguars entered the summer anxious to hook up their QB with a long-term deal. The southpaw was looking for at least $6 million a year.

Brunell's contract status isn't the Jaguars' only worry concerning their quarterback. They lost offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, who took the head coaching job in San Diego. How Brunell fares under Gilbride's replacement, Chris Palmer—who is credited with putting Drew Bledsoe back on track in New England—will be an equally important development.

Of course, Brunell did not take this team to within two touchdowns of the Super Bowl by himself. He is protected by left tackle Tony Boselli, already one of the league's best; in the playoffs Boselli dominated Buffalo's Bruce Smith. Also returning on offense are running back Natrone Means, who hit his stride in December and rushed for 315 yards in the first two postseason games, and wideout Jimmy Smith, who led the AFC in receiving yards.

Coach Tom Coughlin has developed one of the league's youngest and nastiest defenses, featuring right end Tony Brackens, 22, and linebackers Kevin Hardy, 24, and Bryan Schwartz, 25. The additions of rookie defensive tackles Renaldo Wynn from Notre Dame and Seth Payne from Cornell could make Jacksonville the NFL's next name defense.

Joining the secondary is free-agent cornerback Deon Figures, formerly of the Steelers, who appears to be back in the top form he showed before he was shot in the knee during a random attack near his Los Angeles home in 1995. Figures will vie for the right corner spot with Dave Thomas, who returns after breaking his femur in 1996.

Coughlin loves such competition among his players, and he's a stickler for discipline and conditioning. Although he has been known to go overboard in all three areas on occasion, the team seems to fully subscribe to his methods. Only safety Travis Davis did not participate in the off-season training program in Florida, and he had good reason, returning to Notre Dame to get his degree. "The fact that we were so physical in the end last season made all the difference in the world," says guard Brian DeMarco. "Other teams were tired and dragging, so we realize how important the off-season is."

Not all went well during the summer, though. Seemingly envious of the Jags' quick success, several teams refused to deal with Jacksonville, settling for what seemed to be less advantageous predraft trades elsewhere. And while the other teams that played for the conference championships last year each received five national television dates this season, Jacksonville must settle for a single Monday-night appearance.

Not to worry. According to the Jaguars' updated master plan, the only national TV date that matters is the one on Jan. 25, 1998.

—by David Fleming