JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Anita from Springfield
As I understand it, Doug is "West Coast" and "pass first" in his mindset. But he has expressed the obviousness of establishing the run, yada yada. Do you see this team and coaching staff as capable of making a philosophical switch more towards the run? Am I overestimating the need to do so? Obviously, you still want to pass, but it seems the run sets up the play action and not the other way around when this team is successful.
The Jaguars have run very well this season, ranking 12th in the NFL at 124.3 yards per game – and they rushed for a season-high 171 yards in a 32-16 victory over the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium this past Sunday. This is a major improvement from last season. But I don't expect this team or coaching staff to make a philosophical switch toward running significantly more because I don't think this team is built to be a "run-first, power-run" offense. Pederson's offensive philosophy is more about running plays that are going to be effective against certain defensive looks than about dictating a certain philosophy to the defense. That's why the team can very effective running – which is absolutely is – and not always great running when it needs to run. Bottom line: I still expect this team's offensive approach to depend largely upon what the defense is presenting as opposed to "imposing its will" by turning around and handing the ball to the running back.
Brian from Greenwood, IN
What is the story with Tashaun Gipson? Why is he not reinstated yet?
Jaguars safety Tashaun Gipson, who signed with the team in the offseason, originally was scheduled to serve a six-game NFL suspension to start the 2024 regular season. He could have been cleared to return last week, but was not. There is little more information than that because the league doesn't share information or speak with teams in these situations. The Jaguars are essentially waiting to hear from the NFL. When they hear, they will hear. And then we will know more.
Dan from Ormond Beach, FL
You stated on Tuesday that the league will let the Jaguars know when Tashaun will be reinstated. OK fine. I am just curious, as I recall the Jags had to seek permission for him to travel with the team and it was granted. Obviously, I was incorrect in assuming that the reinstatement was therefore imminent. Is this normal? Do you believe the Jaguars felt his reinstatement was going to be granted while they were overseas?
Gipson traveled with the Jaguars to London because he was eligible to be reinstated. Being eligible for something does not necessarily make it imminent.
Rob from Pittsburgh, PA
Hey, John. Has Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd lived up to being a first-round pick?
Not yet.
James from Titusville, NJ
I'm not calling on it to stop (heaven forbid), but KOAGF reads to me as co-ag. F. Co-ag makes me think of the word coagulate which is a little gross. Now to my question, what is the "G" in KOAGF? As an off-again, on-again reader, I don't know what the G stands for in "King of all Funk." Bonus question if I may: how did this all originate? Thanks for what you do to make bad seasons a bit more fun and good seasons all the better!
The "G" in "KOAGF" stands for grizzly. I don't remember exactly how King of All Funk started, but I think it may have had something to do with my being the King of All Funk. I assume it began in the offseason of some bygone year. That's when things tend to get weird in these parts.
CC from Duval
After defending Darby to me when I warned you we needed another cornerback before the season started, have you come to your senses to admit we need to attempt to make a trade for a cornerback such as Greg Newsome? I believe your exact words on Darby were, "He's a good cover comer." Smh
Insider tip: There's no reason to "warn" me about things, not unless I am in some grave physical danger. Even then, I have catlike reflexes and a ninja's ability to ward off impending doom. I am not one to be trifled with. I did say Jaguars cornerback Ronald Darby was a good cover corner. That's what the Jaguars believed they signed this past offseason, and that's what he had been throughout his lengthy career. I'm not sure the Jaguars need to go making all that many trades right now, though. And give up what?
Nick from Annapolis, MD
I think the conversation about the Jaguars having an adequate amount of good or very good players, but not enough (any?) truly elite players is spot on. Even the best players seem to be just under that threshold. How many positions are there where the Jaguars have a player who is an obvious Top 5 player at their position? Possibly none outside of special teams. And it's hard to consistently make enough game-changing plays in the fourth quarter when that's the case. Is finding those players a lot more luck than skill? Is it something you can fault the general manager if he's drafting players that are consistently close but don't quite get there? Or is the combination of mental makeup, drive, and talent to become truly elite between the ages of 22 and 25 just too hard to project outside of obvious elite talents at the top of drafts (e.g., Calvin Johnson)? Is there really a difference in the quality of a general manager's pick between an Aaron Donald selection and any other top 10 DT with a lot of potential?
It makes sense in one sense that the Jaguars have few top five players at their positions. Many of their starters were signed as unrestricted free agents. This means another franchise chose not to re-sign them and teams typically re-sign players who are among the NFL's top five players at their positions. Free agency is a way to get really good without getting great. As for selecting talent … this is about projection – and in every projection, there's a maddening combination of skill, expertise, luck and life involved. If there were a perfect formula for projecting these things, no team would ever miss in the draft – and all teams miss in the draft, pretty much every year.
Don from Marshall, NC
To me it appears that defenses are getting better at stopping the spread offense. It is a different game out there this year. Go Jaguars!
When it comes to deciphering the NFL's latest trends and cycles, Don remains very perceptibly "all in."
Bradford from Orange Park, FL
Bro. Couldn't be happier for Jimmy Smith to get official Hall of Fame consideration. I was younger, during his playing days. Didn't pay as much attention or have as good of a grasp on a lot of the particulars to the game as (I'd like to think) I have now. But from what I've gleaned digging into his career here recently … he was a rare breed of size and speed at the position. His production and numbers definitely, to me, seemed to merit him being in that conversation. I just started to assume that the off-the-field stuff was going to blackball him from the potential induction process – and that that was why he hadn't been mentioned in it before. I've thumped for him on social media on the topic. Good for him. He deserves it.
Former Jaguars wide receiver Jimmy Smith has been involved in the Hall induction process before, but he has fallen short of the later rounds. He and running back Fred Taylor both were among 50 players announced as moving forward in the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame voting process Tuesday. Taylor has been a Hall semifinalist the past five years and was a Hall finalist last year. Smith has yet to get to the semifinalist state. I hope he gets there this year. He is absolutely deserving.
Mark from Richmond VA
Help me with this, please. Third and manageable is a big goal throughout the game. An incomplete pass on first down means you should run to hopefully gain some important yards. If those yards are so important, why throw behind the line of scrimmage on third-and-4 or third-and-6? You are taking those precious yards away. I get bubble screens and trying to get the ball into the playmakers' hands with a high-percentage throw. But it just seems like we choose those plays at the worst times. Seems counterintuitive and I hate those plays when they fail. But when they work … guess I answered my own question. It's all about coaching in the NFL. Thanks for listening.
Good plays are the ones that work. Bad plays are the ones that don't. It's absolutely always coaching in the NFL. What else would it be?
