JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Jeremy from Gilbert, AZ

I'm honestly trying to keep things in perspective, but people really see us as being "close" based almost beating the Packers? We played against a hobbled starting quarterback and their backup beat us. If the Jags actually made the plays that are there, then maybe we'd be close. But they don't. This franchise isn't close at all. The goal is to win the Lombardi Trophy. That's it. That's the goal. Can anyone honestly say this team is close?

I can't control, don't know and don't much care how other people see – or what they say about – the Jaguars. I do know the Jaguars are a disappointing 2-6 after a 30-27 loss to the Green Bay Packers at EverBank Stadium Sunday – and I know they have been "close" to winning in four of their six losses. This means they could be better than their record, but you're correct that the reality in the NFL is good teams with big-time players make clutch plays and win close games. That's what defines the league. The Jaguars are an OK team with a lot of good players, but they have yet to prove they have enough top-level players to consistently make the plays necessary to be a contending team. I don't know that it will take all that much for them to win more. I also can't honestly say it feels "close" when it loses consistently in the manner it has lost early this season and late last season. The Jaguars were close to winning Sunday. You're correct; that doesn't mean they're close to where they need to go.

Boxcutter Bill from Mass

I feel bad for Kirk, and the team will miss him, but I am excited to see what Parker does. Is that the plan? They seem like comparable players minus the experience.

Jaguars veteran wide receiver Christian Kirk is out for the season with a broken collarbone sustained Sunday. The plan indeed is for second-year wide receiver Parker Washington to assume Kirk's role and position. They are comparable players in size and skillset. Washington has shown enough flashes in very limited opportunities to make you think he can be a productive starter. This is his chance to show if he indeed can do that. It will be fun to watch. Washington has some intriguing traits.

Dave from Bakersfield

I understand the tricky position you're in. But saying "They're going to have to start winning a lot games in a hurry" is like standing waist-deep in the flooding Titanic and saying "We're going to have to get to New York in a hurry."

I'm not in a tricky position. People ask questions and I answer them. The Jaguars have to start winning a lot more games in a hurry. Writing that wasn't tricky at all.

Art from Glassboro, NJ

The season is over. Now we have to root for losses. There has to be a full reset in the offseason, right?

We'll see.

Kevin from Richmond, VA

When will Trevor Lawrence learn to throw the ball or tuck the ball away? His direct turnovers caused us to lose that Green Bay game. If he cuts down his turnovers this team would be headed to the playoffs.

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence committed two turnovers Sunday against the Packers. They were both costly and the Jaguars might have won if not for them. Turnovers by Lawrence were not a major deciding factor for this team in the first seven games of the 2024 regular season. They simply were not.

Bobby From Section 410 from Summerville, SC

Hi, John. Do you have a rhyme or reason as to why the Jags offense has started slowly in every game so far this season?

Not particularly.

Scott from Jax in De

Welp, an L's an L, O-man. And even though this was a decent performance by this Jags squad, the defense cannot close close games against an OK-caliber football team. Would you say this is on the defensive scheme or coaching? Or does this roster just not have enough talent on the defensive side of the ball to become a winning football team?

The Jaguars don't get much pressure from the interior of the defensive line, and they don't cover deep very well. The rotation thing is a little strange, but I don't know that you outcoach not getting much pressure from the interior and not covering deep very well.

P Funk from Murray Hill

Is the defense lacking in pass rush pressure because the secondary is playing poorly or is the secondary lacking in coverage because the pass rush is playing poorly? Both? Neither?

Yes.

Karter from Sahuarita

I guess I feel differently than the average O-Zone submitter, but I always cared more on the response of a turnover than the actual turnover. Tying the game up with under two minutes to play seems like a good response to a turnover. Stopping a backup quarterback from making a 51-yard completion seems to me to be the bigger issue.

Good eye.

Brendon from Jax

Zone, I just saw a headline from The Florida Times-Union "grades" article that the "defense fails again." The article gave the defense an "F" and the offense a "C+." I couldn't disagree more. The offense has consistently been inconsistent this year and put the defense on the field too much and put them in bad situations often. The offense didn't get going until halfway through the second quarter (they only had 24 yards total in that span). This offense has felt out of sorts since the Jags lost to the San Francisco 49ers last year. The secondary continues to give up massive chunk plays but I feel like the offense continues to put them in tough situations and they get exhausted and eventually beat. Am I completely off on my assessment of where this team is at? What do you see as the glaring issues surrounding this team?

I don't work for the Florida Times-Union. That ship sailed 23 years back, so I don't much care about its grades. The Jaguars have had various issues this season, with the offense and defense both struggling mightily at times. It's hard to argue too much with a harsh criticism of the defense Sunday and a middling gauge of the offense. The Jaguars' offense scored 27 points, turning in some of their best and most clutch drives of the season – including a fourth-quarter drive for a game-tying touchdown with their three top receivers out for the game. The defense came up with some big moments in the second half. I might have graded the offense a smidge higher based on how it played late. I'm not sure I could have graded the defense much higher based on the performance in big moments on Sunday.

Brendan Wright from The Moral High Ground

So KOAF, any predictions on who the Jags will be taking No. 1 next draft?

I would be stunned if the Jaguars select No. 1 in the 2025 NFL Draft.

That Guy from Sucksburg

Another well-earned loss. Is it time to start rooting for draft position? How come it seems when momentum starts to going in the Jaguars direction, they seem to lose it right away?

Fans can root for whatever they like. I'm not being snide, I just can't control human emotion or desire. Teams generally lose momentum in the NFL when they're not good enough to make the key plays at critical moments. That sort of defines the Jaguars' 2024 season.

Bradford from Orange Park, FL

I can't even ... Tony Boselli needs to be the next head coach. Time to fulfill your Jaguars destiny, Bo.

I don't expect former Jaguars left tackle and Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Boselli to be the next head coach of the Jaguars.

Mike from Azores

Hey, John. Has TL shown you enough that you feel he's still the guy? Many quarterbacks enter the league, are successful for a year or two and then regress and become journeymen. Others enter the league, struggle, then become solid, Super Bowl-possible quarterbacks. TL is still young enough and has shown enough that I believe he will fall into that second category. He could become the best quarterback in the league for a decade. It just might be when he's in his 30s, not his 20s. I'd hate to dump him now and then that turns out to be the case.

I feel better about Lawrence after Sunday's loss than I have felt at any point in his four NFL seasons. I thought he responded uberimpressively to adversity Sunday and was poised while making clutch plays late in the game. I don't know if he will be elite or just solid in his career, but there were elements of Sunday's performance that make me think he can lift a team out of adversity. I hadn't seen that a whole lot until Sunday. It was encouraging.