Easy Prey for Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars, tied for the division lead with the Tennessee Titans at 4-1, appear to have clear sailing to the AFC’s best record and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Of their final 11 games, only one is against a team with a winning record. Four are against the Cleveland Browns, 0-5, and Cincinnati Bengals, 1-4; two are against last season’s two faltering Super Bowl teams, the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons, each 1-4; and two more are against the Baltimore Ravens, 2-3.

The exception is a game Dec. 26 against the Titans, who last month handed the Jaguars their only loss, 22-20, at Jacksonville.

Still, Jacksonville fans are concerned about the usually potent Jaguars’ lack of offensive firepower.

“We didn’t have any big plays again,” Coach Tom Coughlin said after Monday’s 16-6 win over the New York Jets. “We didn’t have any big chunks of yardage. Long ago, I gave up worrying about that. We’ll do what we have to do to win.”

Perhaps others will forget someday that Tim Couch, selected by the Browns, was the No. 1 pick in the 1999 NFL draft, but Akili Smith won’t.

Smith, picked third in the draft, made that apparent Sunday when he led the Bengals to an 18-17 victory over the Browns in his first NFL start--a triumph he celebrated by pounding his chest after the winning score and yelling at the Browns’ bench.

The outburst angered Couch, who said he’ll never forget it.

That was the point.

“I hope he remembers it the rest of his career,” Smith said. “There’s no doubt in my mind who the better quarterback is. Period.”

The teams meet again Dec. 12 at Cincinnati.