Jaguars get more bad news on injuries
LB Schwartz out 4 weeks; RB Stewart out indefinitely
Posted: Monday September 21, 1998 05:15 PM
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Stewart is scheduled to have a diagnostic arthroscopy performed on his left knee Tuesday to determine if he can return to the Jaguars this season AP |
JACKSONVILLE, Florida (AP) -- Last season, it was the defensive line. This
year, it seems no position is safe from injuries on the Jacksonville Jaguars'
roster.
The Jaguars learned Monday they have lost running back James Stewart and
linebacker Bryan
Schwartz to knee injuries suffered in their 24-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
Stewart's injury appeared serious, but coach Tom Coughlin wasn't
speculating on whether it would keep him out for the season. Stewart was
scheduled to have a diagnostic arthroscopy performed on his left knee
Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury.
He was listed third on the depth chart for next week's game against the Tennessee Oilers, behind
rookies Fred Taylor and
Tavian Banks.
Stewart's knee buckled under him in the first-quarter on a tackle by Ravens
linebacker Peter
Boulware. Stewart had to be carried off the field and was wearing a
full-leg splint after the game.
Schwartz strained the MCL on his right knee and will be out three to four
weeks, just another in a long line of injuries that have plagued the
Jaguars (3-0) this year.
"It's no curse," Coughlin said. "It's the National Football League."
The injury list already included defensive linemen Jeff Lageman (biceps) and
Don Davey (knee), who
are out for the season.
Three more defensive linemen, Seth Payne (shoulder) and
Jabbar Threats (knee)
and Tony Brackens
(ankle), are likely out until after the Jaguars' bye week, October 4.
Linebacker James
Hamilton (ankle) is also on the injured list.
Stewart's injury opened the door for Taylor, who ran for a 52-yard
touchdown the first time he touched the ball Sunday. He finished with a
team record 128 yards and had nine catches for 85 yards.
Taylor will likely end up where many people projected him when he was
chosen ninth out of Florida in this year's NFL draft -- in Stewart's
starting position.
But Stewart's loss would be a big one. Showing strength and speed he hadn't
displayed in his first three years, he easily beat out Taylor for the
starting position in the preseason. Stewart rushed for 218 yards in the
first two games and entered the Ravens game as the AFC's second-leading
rusher.
His loss would leave the Jaguars with only Taylor and Banks at tailback.
Coughlin said he anticipated bringing some other runners to camp for
tryouts this week should Stewart be ruled lost.
Last year, the defensive line underwent several incarnations, as Davey, John Jurkovic and Kelvin Pritchett all
suffered season-ending injuries. Jurkovic, who is healthy this year, said
it's not difficult to improvise.
"Right now, we're plugging along," Jurkovic said. "We'll go as long as we
can go. We know eventually we're going to get these guys back, that's the
big thing."
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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