JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Rob from Orange Park, FL

Seems like we have a lot of missed assignments on covering receivers. Is that true or is it just because I follow this team? If they do have more than normal, I assume the coaches know exactly what the problem is by now. Do you think the scheme is just too difficult or is it that some of the players just cannot quickly figure out who to cover? If that is the case during the season, you pretty much have to play who you have, but after the season the problem players will be gone, right? Don't suppose you would like to say who the problems are, assuming you know?

The Jaguars' back seven has had far, far too many blown coverages – enough that they in a very real sense have defined a disappointing 2024 season as Sunday's regular-season finale against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., approaches. Many of these glaring mistakes have been at the safety position. Some have been at linebacker. Could coaches do a better job ensuring players know assignments? Of course. Do players at some point need to just know and execute the assignments? I suppose it's always coaching in the NFL.

Tim from Fernandina Beach, FL

John: It's far enough into the season and opposing receivers are still running wide open on too many plays. Is it talent in the secondary or is the scheme too complicated? I know it's always coaching.

When the secondary has been as bad as the Jaguars' secondary has been at times this season, it's never one thing.

Boxcutter Bill from Mass

I know the hot topic is what's going to happen with the front office. I want to know, with the new college football playoff going into January and the combine being in February, how will this affect those players? There are some good teams left with some good prospects. Could this have the same effect as good NFL teams playing longer into the season?

College football indeed has followed the relentless lead of the NFL by continue to expand and expand – and expand – its season, doing so to an extent that you wonder if someday there even will be an offseason. Players playing in the final college game of the season in mid-to-late January indeed will have about six weeks to prepare for the NFL Scouting Combine in late February/early March. I expect this will have the same affect as the insanely long NFL and college seasons already have – i.e., further increasing strain, and wear and tear, on the players' bodies. None of this means college football or the NFL will shorten their seasons, but it will continue to be unnecessary and not particularly beneficial to players or quality of product.

Fred from Naples, FL

I remember when Gus Bradley was a hot candidate. Now he will be lucky to hold on to his current job as the Colts DC.

NFL coaches get hired. NFL coaches get fired. Good coaches become hot candidates. Hot candidates get jobs and eventually get fired. The cycle often repeats itself without regard to reason. 'Tis always been this way. 'Tis always will be this way. So sayeth the shepherd. So sayeth the flock.

Jim from Middleburg, FL

John. Let's talk great concert experiences in the old Vet Coliseum. Having been born in the family mansion in the opulent and gated Phoenix Ave. community, I got to see lots of rock and roll. Are you familiar with rock and roll? What is a funkmaster, after all? Tone deaf, no doubt. Oh well. There are not enough days on the calendar to hear them all, but I tried. Let's discuss my first. Grand Funk Railroad and Johnny Winter. The music was so good that people rose from their seats and run towards the stage when J.W. began playing "Johnny be good "! It scared the police so badly that they turned their backs to the crowd and fled towards the stage! They turned on the lights and stopped the music! Amen.

My concerts at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, in order: John Denver (1978), Debbie Boone (1978), Foreigner (1978, Cars opening), Billy Joel (1978), Boston (1979, Sammy Hagar opening), Heart (1979), Styx (1979), Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (1981), Rick Springfield (1983), Jimmy Buffett (sometime in the late 1980s/early 1990s). That's the list, at least the list I remember . The best was easily Springsteen on the River Tour in 1981. Billy Joel was good. All were pretty good. Rick Springfield was better than you would have expected. Don't judge. My first concert, incidentally, was John Denver. I was 11 and went with my parents and family friends. I clapped in time unrhythmically to Country Roads. It was a different experience than the one you had with Johnny Winter.

Don from Marshall, NC

Every time I see Press Taylor in a press interview, I imagine him wearing a pair of Jimmy's training shoes. Go Jaguars!

When it comes to not being nice – and not remembering that it's important in the O-Zone to be nice, even to Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor – Don remains somewhat amusingly, "All in."

Marti from Palm Coast

What happened to the great team from 2023? Were the good players traded for higher priced losers? What a letdown.

The Jaguars weren't a great team in 2023.

Bozone from WS FL

So, you are older than me and I am older than some people, I've found that sports news is mostly not news at all, and time better spent usually doing something else more beneficial. Something like reading a book or listening to a podcast or watching a movie. All of those other things have grown me more as a person than any Jaguars game or team ever has. So, since we're in the offseason now, what books or podcasts or movies have you seen recently that have been good? What are you most looking forward to?

I'm currently starting Graham Greene's It's a Battlefield. As for movies, I saw A Complete Unknown recently. Biopics are difficult, but I liked it. The acting was high end. The story gave you the right feel for Bob Dylan in the mid-1960s. The soundtrack was as good as a soundtrack could possibly because it was Dylan in the early-to-mid 1960s. I looked for another remotely interesting movie as I was leaving the theatre. Fail.

Jason from Jacksonville

I think Doug Pederson deserves one more year. Press Taylor has to go and so does General Manager Trent Baalke.

One fer Pederson and one not fer Taylor or Baalke.

D.J. from Duval

I understand that the fans, players and coaches vote on who makes the Pro Bowl, but how is one selected All Pro? Which is more prestigious?

There are several All-Pro teams because pretty much anyone can put together an All-Pro team, even Gary from St. Augustine. The most prestigious is the Associated Press All-Pro team. It's selected by media and is considered significantly more prestigious than the Pro Bowl because only one or two players from each position are named first-team All-Pro whereas multiple players at all positions make the Pro Bowl Games.

Thomas from Charlottesville

Over the three seasons under Head Coach Doug Pederson, the records are arguably the same although the results were obtained in vastly different ways. First year, big plays at the end of the year surged the team into the playoffs. The second year after a very good start, injuries took over. This year, no big plays at important times. The team could easily be 9-8 again. One contributor asked why the record did not improve if the team is more talented. My answer would be because all the teams had increase in talent. My point is that if Doug is guilty of one thing it is that the team has not developed with the increase in talent. I know this is not popular here, but Doug should be given another year if he wants it. That is if the players want him as their coach. He does not have to be liked, but they must believe he gives them the best opportunity to succeed.

OK.

John from Jacksonville

Jaguars Owner Shad Khan understands the mood of Jaguars fans. It's his role as an owner to understand that – and at the same time, to make decisions that are best for the long-term interest of the franchise. Sorry but it doesn't take sage wisdom to see he's not good at it.

Owners own. They hire football people and trust those people and support those people financially. Sometimes an owner gets it right. Sometimes he doesn't.

Brian from Round Rock, Texas

Nice try O, but the 2024 Jags had bad coaching and too many bad black and white uniforms. You may say that is always the case, but it's not true. We once had great uniforms and great coaching and we won many games. Someone even wrote a book about it. Who?

It's always writing the book in the NFL.