JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Steve from San Marco
Khan is a man who takes his time and does not make a knee-jerk reaction. After the Urban Meyer debacle, he spent over a month after the season ended interviewing several potential head coaches – and Doug Pederson twice before being hired. Obviously, current coaches and General Manager Trent Baalke are telling him the truth about where we are, but you would imagine it is slanted with a positive spin in their direction. My question is, do you believe that Shad may have or will invite Trevor and maybe others to visit him on the Kismet so that he can get their thoughts and inside opinions on the coaches and what they believe the issues may be?
With Sunday's regular-season finale against the Colts in Indianapolis fast approaching, I expect Khan has spent time seriously analyzing the Jaguars' 2024 season. Much of that information undoubtedly is gleaned from conversations with Pederson and Baalke. Such is the nature of their positions. Khan undoubtedly has gleaned information from conversations with other pertinent sources and will continue to do so. And Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence undoubtedly qualifies as a pertinent source.
Sprinkle from Duval
Hey, Zone. Excellent way to say goodbye to the stadium as we knew it. BTJ is the real deal, so great to finally draft a wide receiver like that and he appears to be a humble player with plenty to look forward to. If the Jags had a few more wins, would he have been a better candidate for offensive rookie of the year? He is deserving. Thanks for all you do and Happy New Year! My resolution? To stop sending you angry submissions when we're losing.
A few thoughts on your thoughts/questions. One is that while some work will begin – and already has begun – toward renovating EverBank Stadium this offseason, the stadium essentially be the same next season as it was this past season. So there's still time for a fonder farewell than we experienced Sunday. Two is that while Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. is deserving of serious consideration for rookie-of-the-year honors, lousy team seasons in small markets never help a player receive postseason recognition. Three is that while I appreciate your resolution, and while I don't doubt its sincerity, history tells us that fans gonna fan. It's what they do. So don't feel bad come September when this well-intentioned resolution goes the way of so many such resolutions. It's how it always has been and how it forever shall be.
Johnny B from Howey In The Hills
Dr. O: Just a couple of comments on the players. I really like center Mitch Morse. He is certainly the best free agent from last year's class and seems to be a real solid guy off the field and in the locker room. I know he has a few years behind him but if he doesn't stay as a player, he would be an awesome keep as a line coach. Also, so glad safety Andrew Wingard is back. His presence is being felt. He is such a grinder and hard worker and seems to have the respect of the locker room. Last, I would really like to see the Jags keep quarterback Mac Jones. He is one of those guys with intangibles and while not the rocket arm that is viewed as an elite quarterback, he plays loose and seems to have the confidence of his offense. Just some thoughts. Go Jags 2025.
Good eye. Good eye. We'll see.
Crash from Glen Saint Mary, FL
OZ! Do the Cats need a CEO or is a GM enough?
I assume you're asking if the Jaguars need a "football czar" similar to when former Head Coach Tom Coughlin was the Executive Vice President of Football Operations – or if a team can be successful with "just" a general manager and a head coach. The answer isn't in the title or the organizational structure. The answer is the people. If the right person is the EVP of Football Ops – or a similar position – and he hires the right GM and head coach, then that's right. If the GM is the right person, then that's enough. There's no magic structure. It's who the owner trusts and then the quality of the people that matter.
Roy from The Bloody Dirt Roads of Ridgewood
John, is it just me or does it look like Mac Jones is running this offense smoother than Trevor Lawrence?
It's probably not just you, because many people can look at one thing and see many different things. But Jones overall has not been an upgrade over Lawrence.
Mason from Jacksonville
Is it just me or is Mac better at quarterback sneaks than Trevor?
Both have been pretty good in this area this season, and Lawrence overall was much better in this area this season than in past seasons.
Bradford from Orange Park, FL
*"... and Arik <expletive> Armstead. And Gabe <expeletive> Davis. "We'll all look forward to that." #Fantastic
People ask questions. I answer to the best of my ability. That's it. That's the O-Zone. How O-Zone answers affect the mood of the masses entering a new year is beyond my admittedly limited abilities.
Phil from Baton Rouge, LA
You seem to love to sarcastically say "it's always coaching in the NFL." But if it isn't coaching, wouldn't it have to be roster management then? Surely, it's one of the two. If it ain't the coaches, it's the players.
It's a players' league. Always has been, always will be.
John from Jax
Hi KOAGF - I would think clock management is something easy for coaches to learn but they often bumble this up. For example, we start a drive at our 20-yard line with a little over seven minutes left in the half. Over the course of eight plays, we have a first down in field-goal range with under three minutes remaining. Great drive so far, right? Drain the clock and get some points. Nope, let's throw three incomplete passes and give the Titans the ball with two minutes to run 10 plays and get a fied goal. The Titans then get the ball to start the second half. Bad decisions.
OK.
Kevin from Jacksonville
I love how you seemed to blame the fans ("short-term fan sentiment…') for the Jags consistently embarrassing ineptitude during the Shad Khan era. Nice. Short-term fan sentiment didn't seem to affect Wayne Weaver, though, when he consistently put forth a wonderful product for almost a decade stretch, did it? The problem is Shad Khan's incompetence as owner. It has nothing to do with fan sentiment.
Nope. Didn't do that. Didn't even come close. What I did do recently is answer a question about why the Pittsburgh Steelers and other organizations that have long-term success – a question that, by the way, didn't even reference the Jaguars. A major reason franchises that are successful for the long-term remain successful for the long-term is they make decisions without regard to short-term fan sentiment. This doesn't mean that no fan ever is right about an issue. This doesn't mean Khan never has made bad decisions related to football leadership. It does mean that organizations can't make decisions based on fan sentiment and expect to have stable success for the long-term. That's just the truth. Whatever else people choose to read into that answer I can't control.
GP from Savannah
Jets have already started interviewing head coaching candidates while we still are mired in limbo. Once again, the lack of direction means we may miss out on the best candidates. It's never too early to at least give direction as to whether or not we retain the current staff. One not for clarity from ownership.
Fans and the public not knowing direction is not the same as a lack of direction.
Bradley from Sparks, NV
Team officials, media and fans celebrating a win (a sweep) of the Mason Rudolph led 3-13 Titans like it secured a playoff berth is like a cornerback doing a seven-second celebratory dance after breaking up a pass on a second-and-4 in the third quarter down 30 points. Mr. Khan should not only retain all front office personnel, coaching staff and players but commission participation rings for all . Happy New Year!
No one celebrated the victory over the Titans like it secured a playoff berth. Players and coaches spoke of it as a victory, with Pederson on Monday being very clear that even finishing 4-2 in the AFC South for a third consecutive season: "It would be great, but at the same time, knowing the disappointment that we've had this season, that overshadows the fact that we'd be 4-2." What were players and coaches supposed to do after the victory? Cry? Punch walls? There's no shortage of issues to criticize about the '24 Jaguars. This criticism misses the mark.
Gary from St. Augustine, FL
Even in the new year, you still suck.
Welcome to 2025.
