Not just scratching the surface

Main focus was always on Patriots

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - There was a wild-card game to prepare for against Pittsburgh. There was the possibility that if they won there, the Jaguars next would play in Indianapolis. But truthfully, for the better part of two weeks, the team had one thought on its collective mind.

"We've been working on New England since prior to the Houston game [Dec. 30, the regular-season finale]," said Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio when asked late Sunday afternoon if anyone on his staff had been prepping for either the Patriots or Colts in the divisional round.

As Del Rio spoke, the Chargers were still in danger of losing to the Titans, a situation that would have sent the Jaguars to Indianapolis, but he didn't deny that a game against the Patriots was very much in his thoughts.

"We're all doing that, putting in the extra mile," said Del Rio, in his fifth year as Jaguars coach, who a few hours later discovered that his prep work would not be wasted. The Chargers won to draw Indianapolis, so the Jaguars - as they suspected - got the Patriots, whose undefeated regular season Del Rio calls "remarkable," though he stops well short of adulation.

"We saw it once before," Del Rio said. "Coach [Don] Shula and the Dolphins did it and now the Patriots have duplicated it. And it'll probably get done again at some point. But it's a heck of a feat."

It's just not something that will scare the Jaguars away from Saturday night's matchup.

"Right now, it's advance or go home. We are not trying to go home," said Maurice Jones-Drew, who set up one touchdown in Saturday night's wild-card win at Pittsburgh with a 96-yard kickoff return and scored two others, one on a 43-yard dump pass.

Stand by your man

The touchdown to Jones-Drew was one of the few positive pass plays against Pittsburgh for quarterback David Garrard, whose poor statistical evening (9 of 21, 140 yards, 2 interceptions, 41.9 rating) was forgotten in light of his clutch 32-yard run on fourth and 2 that set up the winning field goal. As that victory fades, some have concern over how the unheralded youngster will stand up to the challenge at Gillette Stadium.

Not Del Rio, however.

"We feel good about David. We think he'll grow from [the Pittsburgh] experience," said the man whose controversial decision to cut the team's established starter, Byron Leftwich, right before the start of the season and go with the untested Garrard was widely criticized.

Of course, with Garrard having led the Jaguars to an 11-5 regular-season record, Del Rio looks brilliant, and he's not about to let one shaky playoff game sour him on his 29-year-old quarterback.

"David had a rough stretch there at the end of the third [quarter]. Those things happen," said Del Rio. "I think it's a lot more fun to learn and advance and get an opportunity this next week to go out and try and help your team win."

Oops. Dept.

Running back Fred Taylor perhaps could have served as an editor for a story in yesterday's Florida Times-Union, which stated, "The Jaguars are still looking for their first victory over the Patriots in team history." Ouch. Have they forgotten Taylor's 162-yard effort eight years ago when he powered the Jaguars over the Pete Carroll-coached Patriots in a wild-card game at Alltel Stadium? It's hard to think that game still doesn't resonate some in these parts, for it was Jacksonville's first playoff game at home. (The Jaguars played three playoff games on the road in 1996 and one on the road in 1997 before entertaining the Patriots Jan. 3, 1999.) The Patriots were just 9-7 that season, fourth in the AFC East, but squeezed into the playoffs. The Jaguars built a 12-0 lead at the half and breezed to victory as Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak completed 21 of 44 passes for 190 yards in place of the injured Drew Bledsoe. It remains Jacksonville's only victory over New England, which is 4-0 in the regular season and 2-1 in the postseason vs. the Jaguars.

Landri list

Rookie Derek Landri provided the Jaguars with valuable relief against Pittsburgh while filling massive shoes. When John Henderson, Jacksonville's 6-foot-7-inch, 335-pounder, went out with a hamstring injury on the first series, Landri was thrown into the fire. He remained there all night, because Henderson returned for just one series. All Landri did was snare an interception, recover a fumble, and make a sack - a trifecta that had Del Rio smiling. "Just a great example of the way we've had guys all year step up, step in, play well, and help us win. I'm really happy for him." Del Rio begrudgingly accepts that the flip side of the equation is something less than pleasant. That is, the constant questions about injuries, specifically those to Henderson and linebacker Mike Peterson (broken right hand). "We'll know more about John over the next couple of days," said Del Rio. As for Peterson, who missed the last six regular-season games and the wild-card affair, the veteran told reporters in Pittsburgh that he'd play in New England but Del Rio begged for caution. "Clearly, he's being very optimistic," the coach said. "I think you call that 'chompin' at the bit.' We'll see. He has not been a part of any team drills. The first thing I need to see is the clearance from the doctors."

Jim McCabe can be reached at jmccabe@globe.com.