{
  "id": 13153851,
  "title": "Remembering the lone time a Mike Ditka-led team played the Jaguars",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/remembering-the-lone-time-a-mike-ditka-led-team-played-the-jaguars",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-09T16:12:49.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/remembering-lone-time-mike-ditka-161249836.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the late 1990s, Mike Ditka, renowned for his successful tenure as head coach of the Chicago Bears, led a final team to the field in the National Football League. That team was the New Orleans Saints, with Ditka coaching them from 1997 to 1999. However, the Saints did manage to face a Ditka-coached team once, back in 1999.\n\nThe Jacksonville Jaguars, led by Ditka in his final season as head coach in the NFL, entered the field against the Saints in Jacksonville. The Jaguars were riding high with an 8-1 record, while the Saints were just 2-7. The Saints managed to keep the game competitive in the first half, scoring touchdowns and field goals, and even leading 17-14. However, Jacksonville bounced back in the second half, scoring 24 unanswered points to secure a 41-23 victory.\n\nKey players on the winning Jaguars team included Mark Brunell, who threw for 351 yards and two touchdowns, Jimmy Smith, who had 220 receiving yards and a score, and James Stewart, who ran for 87 yards and two touchdowns. The game was a fitting farewell for Ditka, who would go on to win only one more game over his final six as a coach. His career coaching record was 121-95, including the 1985 Super Bowl championship with the Chicago Bears. Despite a losing streak in his final seasons with both the Saints and the Bears, Ditka's legacy in the NFL remains significant.",
  "summary": "Mike Ditka died at age 86 on Oct. 9. The Jaguars played a Mike Ditka coached team just once in their franchise history. Here's how it went.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}