JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Oscar from Palm Coast, FL
John, Sunday feels like a real measuring-stick game for this defense. After dominating New England, now you are facing Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow with wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on the road. Do you think this is the game where we find out just how good this Jaguars secondary really is? And with that matchup, do you expect Travis Hunter to have a bigger role defensively?
The Jaguars will play the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio in Sunday – and the game indeed is a huge test for the Jaguars' defense for the reasons you cite. Burrow is an elite quarterback with Hall of Fame ability, and Chase might be a better receiver than Burrow is a quarterback. Higgins would be the best receiver on many NFL teams. I hesitate to call most games "measuring sticks" because all observers "measure" such things differently, and the Jaguars might be a very good defense and still allow the Bengals to score multiple touchdowns. Such is the nature of the NFL and such is the level of the Bengals' offense. I expect Hunter to start at cornerback and have a huge role in how the Jaguars defend Higgins and Chase. That probably means playing more than the 70 percent of snaps he played in a 35-6 victory over the New England Patriots last week. Exactly how big is that role? I am not certain it will be measured in snap counts or snap percentages, but he will be critical the plan. He is the most-talented corner in the Jaguars' secondary and I expect his role to reflect that.
Big Jags Fan from Jacksonville
The Jaguars' defense is rated near the top of the NFL in so many categories after three weeks of games. Do you sense they can stop the Bengals' offense this week? Do you expect the Jaguars' offense will score 25 points or more against Cincinnati? Inquiring minds want to know …
Whether the Jaguars' defense can stop the Bengals' offense depends on your definition of "stop." I doubt the Jaguars' defense can shut out the Bengals and I doubt the Jaguars' defense can hold the Bengals' offense to two field goals as they did the Patriots. The Bengals' offense is high-end good, particularly at quarterback and wide receiver, and they also run very effectively and dangerously. It's difficult enough to defend such combinations that you do not really set shutouts or holding opponents below 10 points as goals. You want to be resilient enough to make enough big plays to get elite offenses off the field in big situations and give your offense a reasonable chance to outscore those elite offenses. As for the Jaguars' offense … yes, I do think that unit can score at least 25 points Sunday. Will that be enough to win? Stay tuned.
Nick from Virginia Beach, FL
No question, but what a guy D-Ham is. I really enjoyed the O-Zone Podcast with him. Props to that dude.
Jaguars defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton was the guest on this week's O-Zone Podcast. That can be viewed here. I enjoyed having him as the guest very much. He is one of the more likeable players on a team of very likeable players and I like to think the interview reflected that. One fer Hamilton …
Batman from Kissimmee, FL
John, just watched the O-Zone with D-Ham. What a humble man. Class act. How does he rank in your "interview book?" It sometimes felt like you were trying to pull out his personality, but his humility wouldn't let you. Smart.
Hamilton indeed is a class act. I suppose I was trying to pull his personality out of him a bit. He's an enjoyable person to be around. I hoped those watching would see that and I believe they did.
Jason from North Pole, AK
The Jaguars have not hit a bunch of deep shots, but quarterback Trevor Lawrence is leading the league in attempts and efficiency on throws in the intermediate area of the field. I think it takes far more arm talent and great quarterback play to work that area and the throws he is making across the middle are eye popping. Keeping a defense honest does not always mean hitting a guy 40 yards downfield behind the safeties.
True.
JT from Palm Coast, FL
Great interview with DaVon Hamilton. He has easily been the most underrated defensive tackle in the league for a while now. He has really good, solid energy. Really, the entire defense does. I will not take these seasons for granted. Great interview again!
One fer Hamilton.
Rob from The duo-uuuuuuuuuuuuuu
Franchise tag this year for receivers is $27.29 million. It's going to go up next year. I am assuming the Jags were offering less than this per year to wide receiver Parker Washington. I am not sure if the Jags are going to want to pay that for one year and if they do the price will go up even more the next year. It definitely feels like the Jaguars' unwillingness to pay top money because Parker had not proven his recent elite play was consistent enough over time is going to cost them a ton in the end. You have to pay early for projected production or you will overpay like crazy once it is a sure thing. You seem unwilling to admit it but if his production continues, the price may be so high the jags just can't or won't pay it.
First: We all know what happens when you assume. Second, the Jaguars have been willing to pay Washington a lot of money. Washington and his representatives have wanted more money than the Jaguars have been willing to pay. This does not make either side evil, mean or wrong. This makes it a tricky situation in a league in which the salary cap can create tricky situations. But the reality in the NFL's cap era is that while fans can simply shout, "Pay the man," teams must determine how much they can "pay the man" and there must be some limit to what you "pay the man." This one hasn't played out yet. The Jaguars have the option of placing the franchise tag on Washington for the 2027 season and I expect that will be the move if the sides can't reach an agreement. Either way, there is a long way to go on this one.
Nick from Annapolis, M
Two comments. Are we ready to say BTJ is officially the underwear football champion? Seems so far away from when he was trending to get back to being a serious force again. Also, the Jaguars are tied for seventh in the league with eight sacks. If they got two more (marginal pass rush improvement) they would be tied for fourth – a.k.a., Top 5 in the NFL in sacks. They can not be terrible in pass rush and be two away from a top 5 sacks team. Maybe they are just OK and that's OK.
Two "answers." One, I do not know that any proclamations or declarations regarding Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. are necessary or appropriate. While people seem slow to embrace this, the thought here is that the best way to think of him at this point is as a member of a versatile, deep receiving corps rather than a "WR1." That can still mean being important and productive. Two, the Jaguars' pass rush from this view for the most part has been fine this season. The are wasn't good enough in their one "critical moment" this season – the second half of a close game against the Denver Broncos – and it's in the critical moments that pass rushes matter most and are judged mostly critically.
Richard from Jacksonville
Do you expect Hunter to follow Chase or do you expect the normal rotation? Do you expect more man/press coverage with a safety over the top or a steady dose of quarters- Cover 4/6? This may be the most important game of Hunter's young career (personally). We all know the cost of drafting him. Plenty of top corners shadow a team's best receivers. They play every snap. We have faced two such corners this year. He played 70 percent of the defensive snaps last week. A lot less off ball zone, too. Stopping the free release seems to favor his strengths and last week he flashed. What is the best thought process to stop Chase? Is it time to take the leash off Hunter?
I do not know what "take the leash" off Hunter means. I do not expect Hunter to shadow or chase Chase all over the field on all snaps Sunday. I do expect him to be integral to how the Jaguars defend Chase and Higgins.
Aaron from White Hall, AR
This week's game against the Cincinnati Bengals is the most important game in franchise history.
Damned right.
