FREMONT, Calif. – Let's get to it . . . James from Jacksonville:
Why is the offensive line getting worse?
John: Statistically, the Jaguars' offensive line actually improved a bit from Week 1 to Week 2. That's the short term. For the long-term, I don't know that we can say the group is worse than last year. That probably has to be determined over the long haul and not over two games. But the group hasn't played well yet and it must play better than it has the first two weeks. It's probably the No. 1 issue right now. No questioning that.
Adam from Section 123 and St. John, FL:
You seem as nonchalant as the team. I pay for this. I've paid for it a long time and will continue to pay. All I want is someone to act pissed off. Does no one care?
John: Grrr.
Jeff from Wake Forest, NC:
The thought that keeps coming to my mind every Sunday night is "Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, did you enjoy the play?" So O, what year, in your estimation, will be the first year we hear our offense referred to as a "quick-strike" offense?
John: If you're asking what year will the Jaguars be among the elite offenses, then that obviously could take a year or two. But if you're asking when we will see the quick-tempo creativity that we saw from this offense in preseason, I think you'll see more of that as the season goes on. It's hard to be quick tempo when you're not picking up first downs and hard to be creative when you're concerned about getting into positive down-and-distance situations. Once the line starts playing better, and once you get your skill guys healthy, the offense should start looking more like what we saw in preseason.
It's Dave man from Jacksonville:
Thursday at 4:20 I will be at EverBank Field with a group of true fans for four hours and twenty minutes to demand Cheech Marin be signed and play quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
John: Word.
Jason from Kadena AB Okinawa:
So we finally get a touchdown, have a chance to pull within eight and Henne throws the ball away. He still had time in the pocket or could have tried to run it. With so many young players on the team it's hard to watch veterans make a mistake like that. If that out of work quarterback has taught us anything, it's that 55 minutes of garbage with five minutes of decent play can be enough to steal a win!
John: I rewatched the play after reading your email. It looked like Chad Henne on the two-point conversion late against Oakland was simply trying to throw high to the receiver to give him a chance to make the catch. Granted, he threw really, really, really high and as a result, there was no chance for a completion. But it didn't appear he was throwing the ball away intentionally. If that makes you feel better.
Keith from Portsmouth, VA:
I believe the Jaguars will shock all the doubters really soon and start winning. Would you agree, John?
John: I believe they'll improve, and with that, through the course of the season, I do believe victories will come. People get angry that I don't provide specifics with that stance. That's OK. Emotions are hard to control sometimes.
Bill from Jacksonville:
I was expressing my frustrations with the Jaguars to my teenage daughter and she asked why I just don't go and pick another NFL team to support. I asked her in reply if I should just go and find another daughter when she does something disappointing. She said there was a big difference between your NFL team and your family. I didn't get her point. Win or lose, better or worse, the Jaguars are my team.
John: Ah, Bill . . . Bill, Bill, Bill . . . you have made the fundamental mistake that I often find myself making. You have tried to reason with a teenager. Sometimes this works, or so I've been told. Your teenager believes things such as family take precedence and should somehow have more value than things like you and I enjoy. My advice to you for dealing with teenagers . . . ah, I don't have any advice. I've got one in my house, and usually we just look at each other funny and stay out of each other's way.
Sal from New Jersey:
Can you tell me why people are hung up on hoping for a losing season or the worst record in the NFL just to acquire the best draft picks? I get it fans are upset with the overall quarterback and team performance, but that's a terrible way to follow the Jaguars from season to season if you're a true fan of the team.
John: Fans can root for what they want, but the team wants to win now. And a lot of Jaguars fans want that, too.
Billy from Kalaheo, Hawaii:
Aloha, O man: Right now it's unfair to blame the current coaches and the general manager. This team is feeling the effects of poorly-made decisions the former general manager made on draft day. As a fan I'd love to see my Jaguars win but I have to accept they're in a building process. I take lumps from my friends for this team, Oman, but what can I say? I love this team good or bad. Aloha
John: When there is a new general manager and new coaching staff, it's usually the case that they're making up for previous drafts gone wrong. That's the case here. Aloha.
Charles from Midlothian, VA:
John, here is why we could be worse. If Tebow does not play to the high level they assume he will, or is injured behind this offensive line, they will blame everyone under the sky BUT Tebow. That will cause problems with the coach and players, and be nothing more than one more story in the media for them to rip on the Jags about. The team simply doesn't need that distraction or circus. Now, playing Devil's advocate . . . IF he does play as good as they think he would. . . . Oh, who am I kidding? There is no reason to address that . . . Is there?
John: You've put a lot of thought into this. I wouldn't sweat it either way.
Tuckr from Nashville, TN:
People are focusing on the wrong position for Robinson. If you watched a Michigan game, he throws the ball as bad as Tebow. Will Robinson get more looks at running back with MJD hurting?
John: There's a much better chance of that than more reps at quarterback. The Jaguars right now are looking for the best combinations of plays and personnel to give them a chance. That sounds pretty darned obvious, but it's that simple. Not very much is working, and when the line isn't clearing holes, it doesn't matter how fast a player such as Robinson is running, there's not going to be room. As the offense begins functioning better, I expect you'll see Robinson more – at running back, and occasionally, as a Wildcat quarterback.
Royce from Jacksonville:
Last year it was if only Daryl Smith and Jones-Drew were playing. Now, it's if only M. Lewis and J. Blackmon was playing. Have you considered just changing the dates on last year's o-zone emails?
John: The difference between what is written and what is read continues to stagger. I wrote last year that Daryl Smith and Maurice Jones-Drew would have helped, and it stands to reason they would help. They're pretty good players. I wrote this year that Lewis and Blackmon would help, and again, that's a reasonable response. But to say that "if only" those players were playing the results would have been dramatically different – that those players were the difference between 2-14 and being competitive . . . no, that's not the case.
Rob from Section 410:
On the wing of my plane, damaging the engine. In flight. #ShadrickSightings
John: Well, yes. When you put it that way. Definitely.
Ryan from Duville:
Sometimes I read the questions and comments in the O-Zone and just really wonder what these people are thinking. They have to be joking. Robinson at quarterback? Caldwell is like Gene because he drafted a decent cornerback in the third round? He isn't a punter for God's sake! And then you still have the Tebow fan. I really feel for you sometimes. But not really.
John: Thanks. But not really.
Rob from Pittsburgh, PA:
He asked me if I'd share my soda with him. When I said yes, he drank the whole thing and told me his half was on the bottom... #ShadrickSightings
John: I know that guy!
Chris from Pickerington, OH:
John, you said "but my experience is that over the course of a season in the NFL, even teams that seem outmanned play well enough to win games and vice-versa. 1960 Dallas Cowboys 0-11-1 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0-14 1982 Baltimore Colts 0-8-1 2008 Detroit Lions 0-16
John: Right. Four in 53 years. I never said it never happened. I said my experience is teams that seem outmanned play well enough to win games and vice-versa.
Aaron from Arlington:
And speaking of underwear, John, why do we say grab a pair of underwear when actually only mean one?
John: You said, "Underwear." Heh-heh.