JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it … Matt from Austin, TX:
Is it just me or do we burn through our timeouts too fast? It has seemed through the first few games we call timeouts in the first quarter and don't leave ourselves any room for a final drive before the half.
John: The Jaguars have used timeouts too quickly so far this season. It happened early in the season with Chad Henne at quarterback. Sunday, Blake Bortles took two early in the first half. Ideally, you would like him not to do that. But this is a kid making his second NFL start with rookie wide receivers and rookie offensive linemen against a defense that shows various fronts and blitzes. Better to burn timeouts than run a wrong play. Over time, you'll see Bortles use fewer timeouts before the end of halves, but for now, this is something that stems from being a rookie quarterback.
Terry from Jacksonville:
Don't you think Jags need a new offensive coach?
John: I think the Jaguars need time for young offensive players to develop and gain experience. Then, it will be easier to get a fair assessment on the offensive coaches.
Mike from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL:
Combined record 11-42 in the past three years. And fans are told not to complain.
John: When was that, exactly?
Scott from Atlantic Beach, FL:
John, only eleven preseason games left until the draft! I can't wait! Go Jags!
John: Cute.
Jerell from Columbia, SC:
Sigh..... Same ole jags. Let's hear how good this lost felt. A loser will always find a way to lose.
John: It didn't feel good. It felt frustrating. It also feels like this is about where I figured the Jaguars would be after five games. Not 0-5, necessarily, but with a defense that played well enough to keep a young, struggling offense in the game.
Mike from Jacksonville:
I've seen this from the Jaguars over the last few years. Why on third down and we need, say, eight yards for a first down we only throw the ball for three? We do this consistently and it is really frustrating because it makes no sense and is a reason we are such a bad third down team!
John: That is beyond frustrating, and it does hurt things offensively. The first thing Ace Sanders did when I interviewed him post-game Sunday was shake his head and talk about a six-yard route he ran on a 3rd-and-7 play in the second quarter. Can't come up one yard short, he said, and he was right. That's something you see less of from experienced offenses with experienced quarterbacks and I expect you'll less of it as this group matures.
Alan from Maine:
Bortles lost us that game. Defense got better, offense continues to struggle.
John: Yes, I guess the case could be made that Bortles lost the game. He threw two interceptions, and though the first essentially was a punt the second was a throw that shouldn't have been made. He knew it. Everyone in EverBank Field knew it. It was the sort of interception that rookie quarterbacks are going to throw, and the sort of interception Jaguars coaches knew Bortles would throw. Remember when coaches kept starting Chad Henne and saying Bortles wasn't quite ready? That was why. Now, without question the Jaguars appear to be a better team with Bortles playing. The positives for the most part have outweighed the negatives. And as for your unit assessments, yes, the defense did get better and the offense struggled. Get used to it on offense. You have kids playing behind kids alongside kids. There are going to be flashes, but there is going to be inconsistency, too. That's the deal.
Lance from Jacksonville:
This team is playing to leave this city. No doubt in my mind.
John: A mind is a terrible thing to waste, Lance.
Brian from Neptune Beach, FL:
Toby Gerhart needs to play better. His nickname should be Stutter Step Toby. Hit the hole and hit it hard. It seems like Denard Robinson is getting more snaps and Storm had that good cut back. Toby Gerhart. Buy or Sell... Or is it still too early?
John: I don't want to sell Gerhart, but I'd buy some rookie Storm Johnson, too. Gerhart indeed could hit the hole harder. That has become more evident each week, and Johnson showed enough Sunday that I would expect his carries to increase. The Jaguars seem to be finding a role for Gerhart. He was effective as a receiver Sunday, and had a couple OK runs. But it's hard at this to see him as the feature back and it appears it's going to be very much a backfield by committee this season.