JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Kenneth from Jacksonville
Zone, I'm afraid I lost track. Forgive me. How many days?
My Scooby Sense – and not my Scobee Sense – senses sarcasm here, and it also senses you're sarcastically asking how many days until Jaguars 2025 Training Camp begins at the Miller Electric Center. I'm all about an answer dipped in sarcasm, so I'll answer sincerely here and tell you that as of this – Saturday morning – O-Zone it's four days until the first practice of '25 camp at the MEC. Rookies and quarterbacks report Saturday, so possibly at the exact moment you – whoever "you" may be – are reading this. All other veterans report Tuesday. We're getting there. Wheee.
Travis from High Springs, FL
If I remember correctly, Peyton Manning had a rough rookie season. Three wins, I think. But his second season won 13 games and went on to have his Hall of Fame career, I think there was like a six-win season around his fifth or sixth year, but other than that he was pretty dominant. Trevor's career started similarly, not great as a rookie, but really started to turn it on and look like a Top 5-to-10 quarterback by the end of his second season. My question is do you believe that Lawrence now going into his fifth season, with the new coaches/front office, could go on to have a career like Peyton? Maybe not with all the stats but competing for double-digit wins, playoffs and division titles every year? Or should that have started happening sooner than his fifth season?
Many fans try to make this connection – which is understandable considering Lawrence had rockiness to start his career kinda sorta similar to the rockiness Manning had early in his career. If you're thinking that way and hoping Lawrence has Manning's career trajectory, it is indeed encouraging to realize that Manning ascended sharply in his fifth season after an offseason coaching change. He then had his first Most Valuable Player season in his sixth season. Remember, though: Manning is a "Rushmore quarterback" and it's just as unfair to assume Lawrence will follow Manning's trajectory as it would be to expect a sixth-round selection to follow Tom Brady's career trajectory. Great ones get there by their own path and there are only so many great ones. I believe Lawrence can accelerate his career in the coming seasons and be very good. Maybe even great. I believe that can mean being a perennial playoff contender. I don't know if that can mean matching Manning. That's rarified air.
Greg from Orange Park, FL
It wasn't really the dog, was it?
It never is.
John from Jax
Hi, KOAGF. Although I am looking forward to the "alive zone" starting on Wednesday, I somewhat dread the upcoming panic of a fumble/interception in training camp, a good day of offense meaning the defense is worrisome (and vice versa), and other meaningless things to waste time on. It's like being worried if a singer's voice cracks during warmups before a concert. I prefer to wait until Week 1 of the regular season for some meaningful results to talk about. It must be hard to respond to some of the noise.
You're speaking of viewing training camp from a measured, logical perspective. Experience tells me you will be in a very small minority by doing this. The reality of training camp is it's practice. It's not games. The results don't count. I have seen bad teams have great training camp practices. I have seen good teams have bad training camp practices. Within this context, a few things about camp are almost true. One is that the offensive line is judged way too harshly in one-on-one pass-rushing drills because it's skewed heavily in the defensive player's favor. Another is that we will laud "big plays" for the offense too often because there's very little contact and tackling in practice. Another is that we as observers will overreact and misjudge a lot because we're watching practice and acting like it's a game. Would it be better to wait until Week 1 to discuss how the team is doing? Sure. But it won't happen. Fans fan. Observers observer. Panic will reign. The nice thing is it's all entertainment and fun, so a little panic and overreaction is more amusing/annoying than harmful. Buckle up.
Mike from Eagan, MN
Well, one last Dead Zone question. The question about Travis' tablet time got me thinking … is there a limit on how much Bluey my kid can watch? Can you answer this quick before my wife gets home? Thanks. #DTWD
Let your child watch however much television he or she wants. Children should have as much screen time as possible from as early an age as possible. You're welcome.
Mark from Atlantic Beach, FL
O-Funk, when it comes to the ground game, are we gonna thank Tank, be darn-Tuten, or will 1 be EaTiN up the yards?
I expect the Jaguars' running game in 2025 to be very, very "multi" with Travis Etienne Jr., Tank Bigsby and Bhayshul Tuten all playing a key role. I don't think it's at all certain which back will start. And while I don't have a nickname or clever phrase with which to discuss him, don't overlook rookie LeQuint Allen playing a key role. This position, like offensive line, is pretty open.
Brendan from The Banana Patch
Do you eat lunch before you do the O-Zone everyday? Seems like you were hungry yesterday and perhaps needed a Snickers. O-zone with some spice woooo! Go Jags!
I rarely eat breakfast or lunch. I only occasionally eat dinner. I am a fine-tuned machine. And I never eat Snickers. I am the king of all funk.
Ty from Fleming Island, FL
O-Zone. If the Jaguars would have won the AFC Championship in the 1996, 1999 and 2017 seasons, which of those Jaguars teams would have matched up best and had the highest chance of winning the Super Bowl against the NFC champion that season… the 1996 team against the Green Bay Packers, the 1999 team against the St. Louis Rams, or the 2017 team against the Philadelphia Eagles?
Let's start here: I'm not sure the Jaguars would have been favored in any of the three matchups. They would have entered the Super Bowls following the 1996 and 2017 seasons perceived as a relative surprise team and they would have been playing a very-hyped and explosive Rams team following the 1999 season. The thought here is the Jaguars would have won at least one of the matchups, but it would have been difficult all three times. Remember: None of the teams that beat the Jaguars in those championship games – the New England Patriots in 1996, the Tennessee Titans in 1999 or the Patriots in 2017 – won the Super Bowl in their next game. I don't know that the 1996 team was ready to beat a Green Bay Packers team that had built its way to the Super Bowl for a few seasons, so I expect Green Bay would have won that matchup. I think they would have had a real chance to beat the Rams in a very close game that likely would have been higher-scoring than the Rams' 23-16 Super Bowl victory over the Tennessee Titans. I think they would have had a difficult time beating the Eagles following the 2017 season, but it certainly would have been possible.
STEVEN from Nocatee
Final fun "Dead Zone" fact of the year: Earth's poles are moving. This magnetic reversal of the North and South Pole has happened 171 times in the past 71 million years. We're overdue a flip. It could come soon, as the North Pole is moving at around 55 kilometres per year, an increase over the 15km per year up until 1990.
I thought it was 56 kilometres per year. Agree to disagree, I suppose.
Sal from Austin, TX
Does the logo on the equipment fall under the purview of Tony Boselli? If it doesn't, who is making the call on that?
I confess I don't quite know what "logo on the equipment" means here. If it means logo on the side of the helmet, that's an organizational decision that the highest of the higher-ups – read: Owner Shad Khan – will decide upon. Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli certainly would have input, as would other key higher-ups. If you mean logo on equipment such as practice jerseys and the like, that's in Boselli's area and often depends on how NIKE designs such equipment. If you mean the uniform in general, I don't expect that to change until the Jaguars are in the new Stadium of the Future in 2028. Boselli, Khan and other key decision-makers also would work with NIKE to design that. I may be missing something here. It would be in character.
Anita from Springfield
The Hunt has no right to be as good as it is. Thanks to the production team! Phenomenal!!
Indeed.
