JACKSONVILLE – This seemed sort of fitting.
The Jaguars on Sunday lost to the New York Jets, 32-25, at EverBank Stadium. The loss dropped the Jaguars to 3-11 on the season.
It marked their eighth loss of the season by seven points or less – and if that gave the day a general feeling of unwanted familiarity, the details of the loss provided the same feeling.
The Jaguars not only squandered a fourth-quarter lead, they did it by allowing multiple big plays in the passing game. Again.
That the game's two biggest plays came on passes from Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers to wide receiver Davante Adams indeed was a credit to Rodgers' Hall of Fame experience and Adams' All-Pro skill – and at the same time another example of a Jaguars secondary that far too often this season has allowed explosive plays in crucial situations.
This is not to say the secondary is the sole reason the Jaguars are 3-11. It is to say the sort of breakdowns that proved critical as Adams caught four passes for 139 fourth-quarter yards Sunday – with one reception a 71-yard touchdown and another a 41-yarder that set up the game-winning touchdown – have come to define a crushingly disappointing season.
But enough on that. We have emails to answer. Whee.
Let's get to it …
Big Jags Fan from Jacksonville
A first drive touchdown? Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!
The Jaguars indeed scored a first-drive touchdown Sunday, with quarterback Mac Jones capping a 70-yard, 13-play drive with a three-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. for a 7-0 lead. It was the Jaguars' third first-quarter touchdown this season and their first first-drive touchdown. Having an early lead was cool. Fans liked it.
Michael from Orange Park, FL
What are we going to do fix this defense this offseason?
Quite a lot, one would think.
Tom from The Mean Streets of Nocatee
We have to watch four more weeks of this?
This was the much-ballyhooed, sometimes-premature, oft-entertaining First Email of the Game. Fans don't have to watch, but Jaguars fans at the time of the email had the opportunity to watch four more games in the 2024 regular season. As of the publishing of this O-Zone Late Night, that number is down to three.
Nick from Virginia Beach, VA
To be fair to the fans, the Jaguars' record the past 15 years has been like a very below average amateur golfer.
I wouldn't say the Jaguars have been fair at all to their fans for most of the last 15 seasons.
Jim from Jagsonville
When Mac Jones plays loose he can make some magic happen. He looks like he's having fun at home. This season may be lost, but we have a lot to look forward to. Go Jaguars!
Jones did look like he was having fun Sunday. And he played better for a lot of that game than he did in three previous starts for quarterback Trevor Lawrence. He had energy. It was cool to watch. He also threw two interceptions, including a killer late to cornerback Sauce Gardner with :37 remaining that ended the Jaguars' chances. That wasn't as cool.
Bryan from Lutz
How do you put two linebackers on Davante Adams with a five-point lead and three minutes left in the game?
I don't know. I'm really good at this. I'm not that good.
Bradley from Sparks, NV
Recently you proclaimed your interest in the Jags GM job. It seems about 90 percent of today's general managers started as low level scouts. Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys is the only owner that has the title. John Lynch of the San Francisco 49ers was a great player. Howie Roseman of the Philadelphia Eagles and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah of the Minnesota Vikings made it to the top as " money ball" type executives. I could find no GMs that came from media and only those four that didn't start as scouts. My question is why is there not more out-of-the-box thinking when it comes to hiring top dogs?
"Recently you proclaimed your interest in the Jags GM job." I most certainly and absolutely did nothing of the kind.
James from Socorro, NM
It's Week 15 and opposing wide receivers are running wide open against the Jaguars?
Yes.
Jason from Da 'Hass
John, what in the world is Mac doing? Does he not know that he can throw the ball away once outside the pocket???
One would assume so. Jones' actions when he stepped out of bounds to take a sack late in the first half Sunday rather than throwing the ball away does not support that assumption.
Jeremy from Wise, VA
I really wish the team would go back to these wonderful uniforms full time!
One fer the throwbacks. Again.
Have a question for Jaguars Senior Writer John Oehser?
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