Jags break Law on game-winner


Taylor-made offense helps Jags run over Pats


New England at Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Pete Carroll's contract says he has three years left as coach of the New England Patriots. What team owner Robert Kraft says is more important.

And Kraft has kept silent following a published report that Carroll's continuation in his job depended on a strong playoff performance by his team. On Sunday, the Patriots lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars 25-10 in an AFC wild-card game.

Was that good enough for Carroll, who has led the Patriots to the playoffs in both his seasons, to keep his job?

	Patriots coach Pete Carroll could have a shaky future with New England.

"You never know," free safety Willie Clay said. "This is the NFL. Everybody's job could be in jeopardy, every man in here (the locker room), and it doesn't make any difference whether you are under contract or not."

Based on Sunday's first half, several Patriots might deserve unemployment more than Carroll; they had one first down, 54 offensive yards and trailed 12-0, Scott Zolak completed 5-of-16 passes, and Robert Edwards ran seven times for 12 yards.

While some veterans preferred former coach Bill Parcells to Carroll, no veterans criticized Carroll after the loss.

"There's been a lot of talk about Pete, but Pete can't get out and play for us," wide receiver Shawn Jefferson said. "Good game plans ... are put in place. It's up to these guys to execute the game plan. For one reason or another, we did not get it done."

One reason is the large number of injuries. Quarterback Drew Bledsoe, wide receiver Terry Glenn and linebackers Ted Johnson and Todd Collins all missed the playoff game.

Another is the inadequacy of backups like Zolak, who finished 21 of 44 for 190 yards and an interception, and a rare lapse by All-Pro cornerback Ty Law, who was beaten by Jimmy Smith on a 37-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter after the Patriots had cut the 12-0 deficit to 12-10.

Law said he is "100 percent" in support of Carroll returning.

"I like Pete Carroll. I like Bill Parcells," Law said. "We're getting to know him (Carroll). He's getting to know us a lot better. He's 'The Man' on the team right now, so I have no doubt that he'll be back."

He came into a difficult situation. Parcells, one of the NFL's top coaches, had just led the Patriots to the Super Bowl but was preparing to leave for the New York Jets. And Carroll had been a head coach for just one season, going 6-10 with the Jets in 1994.

But the Patriots were 10-6 in Carroll's first season and only a one-point loss to Pittsburgh kept them from the AFC title game. They were 9-7 this season despite the injuries.

And he's confident he'll return next season.

"I'm coming back to put together a football team that can win the championship," Carroll said after the loss Sunday. "With good health and good fortune, we'll do the things that we dream about doing and things that we set as our goals. And I'm going to be part of it."

Still, a few days after five other NFL coaches were fired, a member of the Patriots' front office reportedly planted a newspaper item last week that Carroll might be in trouble, according to a published report.

"I don't think it's fair" to blame him, strong safety Lawyer Milloy said. "All he does is prepare us to go out and play. He didn't think at the beginning of the year he was going to lose so many starters."

Linebacker Chris Slade said the Patriots were outplayed and outcoached in a 31-10 loss to Parcells and the Jets in the regular-season finale.

On Sunday, though, Slade said, "As far as I'm concerned, Pete Carroll's the head coach of the Patriots and that's the way it's going to be."

Ultimately, the only opinion that counts belongs to Kraft, and Carroll said they've gotten along well.

"We've been together on everything we've done," Carroll said. "He has been terrific about it. ... Everything has been very amicable."