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Jaguars News | Jacksonville Jaguars - jaguars.com

O-Zone: All in, of course

JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

The Other Michael from Middleburg, FL

Resilience. I didn't think that word was in their vocabulary, but it is starting to define them.

You're right, and anyone watching this team the past three weeks should agree. We first saw the Jaguars' resilience when they outplayed Houston during the final three quarters of a 13-12 loss in Week 2; that was immediately after the latest round of drama around cornerback Jalen Ramsey began. They then played their best game in more than a year in a Week 3 victory over Tennessee – after the Ramsey drama escalated during the week leading to that game. The Jaguars on Sunday rallied from a 14-point deficit on the road to beat the Denver Broncos – doing so after the Ramsey drama escalated even further and doing it against a team desperate to save its season. This team absolutely has been resilient through the first month of this season – to a remarkable degree. It has turned 0-2 and potential disaster into a 2-2 record and a tie for first place in the AFC South. Resiliency is a trait the Jaguars didn't show much – if at all – last season. That it is showing it now bodes well for the rest of the season.

Jeremy from Jacksonville

Before this season I told myself I'd wait until at least Week 4, maybe Week 5, to buy a Nick Foles jersey. Can I buy a Gardner Minshew II jersey now? Are we there yet?

I'm bad at advising on these matters. I can tell you Minshew looks like he's got something. It certainly looks like he will play quarterback for a long time in this league, and it looks like he could be a long-term starter. I hesitate to say how good he can be beyond that because he has played just four games – but he has played well enough in three starts that his ceiling is very, very high. And yes … it looks like the Jaguars may have a serious decision when starting quarterback Nick Foles returns in November; no matter what the team says publicly, there does appear a chance that will be an issue. So, should you buy a jersey? My guess is you would enjoy buying it and it would give a you a giddy, excited feeling. If that's the case, what the hell … buy it. Why not?

Stephen from Jacksonville

Can we call what happened Sunday "Minshew Mania's Magical Mile High Miracle?"

I guess.

Jeremy from Jacksonville

Mr. O, the legend continues to grow. I'm starting to catch the mania. Is there a cure for it? Should I even be seeking a cure for it? I don't think so, I just want to believe. One for Minshew.

Why would you want a cure? Enjoy it. Breathe it in. Maybe it will last or maybe it won't, but it's looking more and more like this kid has a chance to be good. Maybe really good.

Dwayne from Jacksonville

Is everybody happy?

Happiness is an illusion best left to fools and children. But hey … here's to being a child or a fool this morning.

Hunter from Orlando, FL

I think perhaps Fournette read my question. He still didn't make anybody miss but he sure did run through a few people.

What was the question?

Robert from Jacksonville

Absolutely thrilling win Sunday, but I have to say something. As a lifelong fan of this team, I have a serious problem with Jalen Ramsey standing on the sidelines with Jaguars apparel on while continually and publicly disrespecting the organization. I believe it's completely naive to think he couldn't have played today if he wanted to. The man hasn't missed a game in his entire career.

I imagine many Jaguars fans feel this way. With reason. I believe Ramsey legitimately was injured enough Sunday not to play. If not, and if he was sitting out to prove a point, then shame on him for doing something as reprehensible as anything I've covered in 25 years around this league. But whatever his reasons for missing Sunday's game, the fact remains that Ramsey two games into the season requested a trade and hasn't backed off that request. When that happens, fans of the team you want to leave are going to be suspicious of your actions and motivations. They're not going to like you and they're not going to believe you all the time. Bottom line: fans are hurt by Ramsey's actions. They're not going to blindly take him at his word anytime soon.

Don from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

Enough already. Get Josh Oliver on the field.

Oliver, the Jaguars' rookie third-round tight end, has been out since early training camp with a hamstring injury. He practiced this past week. When he's healthy, there's no reason to think the Jaguars won't play him. Why would they not?

Nick from Annapolis, MD

Chark has to high-point that ball in the end zone. He hasn't been very good at that all season.

LOL. Whut? That's what the young people say now, right?

Iftach from Raanana

Zone, it's 5 a.m. here. The Broncos' first touchdown came after the refs missing a clear ineligible receiver downfield penalty, then the refs decided to not throw a flag for Bradley Chubb's sack in which he hit Minshew below the knee – and then again they missed a below the knee hit on the game-winning drive. That's too many missed calls in my opinion. How does the Jaguars' front office approach this?

The Jaguars will approach this as all NFL teams approach these situations – by filing a report with the NFL detailing questionable calls and requesting feedback on whether the calls were correct. The league will respond, and it's common for the league to inform teams multiple calls in a given game were incorrect. There's not much to do beyond that. Calls go for and against teams every week. Teams – and their fans – always believe more go against them than not. Sometimes they do. Often, they don't. But there's usually not much satisfaction gained after the fact.

Rayan from Murfreesboro, TN

After 13 games last year, four preseason games, and now four regular-season games, when do the critics that said "there's no film on this guy" finally admit maybe he's just better at football than we all thought?

Minshew's 13 games at Washington State last season really don't play into the discussion, nor do the four preseason games. College football is different enough from the NFL that it's practically a different sport, and Minshew did little-to-nothing in the preseason to indicate he was going to be much more than a serviceable NFL backup – if that. As for the four regular-season games … yeah, those count. Big-time. And the critics are admitting that he can play. Quickly.

James from Jacksonville

I honestly don't see how we bench the Stache when Foles comes back. He went from a small sample size to looking like the future. He's got all the tools we have asked for in a quarterback and then some. Besides, having the best backup quarterback in the league worked out well for Philly, why not for the Jags?

Because $88 million, and because of experience and mainly because we're not there yet, but oh … what a glorious problem.

Chriz from Jax

I feel like so much of our problems come from the lines. Offensive lineman penalties and lack of production. Defensive line letting runners stroll on through. How do we fix this?

You go back to work and you get better against the run, and you get better at pass-blocking so you don't have to hold and out your hands in defenders' faces when they're rushing. Maybe you move Will Richardson Jr. to left tackle if you think that will improve the position. It's the regular season. Options for personnel improvement are limited. But in reference to the Jaguars' offensive line … let's not give up on the group just yet. While it struggled in pass protection Sunday, the Jaguars did rush for 269 yards. And they won a huge game. This may not be the week to overhaul the position.

Wyatt from Jacksonville

Is diving at quarterback's knees not roughing anymore?

It apparently wasn't when Chubb did it to Minshew in the first half on Sunday. It looked like it should have been a penalty. It looked like the officials missed it. It looked like they missed a few others, too. My guess is Broncos fans are angry about a few calls, too. Fans gonna fan. Always.

Dave from Dallas, TX

Hey Mr. O; I am so cross. Egregious penalties and our inability to convert third downs are costing us so much. Neither are new problems. So, why haven't they been corrected?

It's hard to convert third downs when you're struggling to pass block – and you're more likely to commit egregious, drive-killing penalties in that situation, too.

Jerell from Columbia, SC

Ramsey who!? JAGS TO THE SUPER BOWL!!!!!! Gardner MVP!!!!!

I thought you retired.

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