JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Bruce from Owensboro, KY

Zoney, after watching the Monday night game, I am OK with Lawrence not running the quarterback sneak. Ever. As far as the upcoming Jags game, I feel like the offensive play-calling needs to be used to try and get Lawrence in a groove. I would be fine with a pass-first offense and adding in the run. Do you think the offense needs to get Trevor clicking early to get him in a groove to finish games?

My Scooby Sense – and not my Scobee sense – tells me you don't want Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence to run the quarterback sneak because Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained a concussion in a Thursday night loss to the Buffalo Bills. While I don't know that the Jaguars will – or should – run quarterback sneaks with Lawrence all that much, what happened Thursday wouldn't be the reason. Tagovailoa sustained his injury in high-impact fashion, running from the pocket and being tackled. A quarterback sneak isn't nearly that much of an injury risk. What Tagovailoa's injury did show yet again is the inherent risk running quarterbacks assume more often than pocket quarterbacks, which always must be considered when game-planning or even selecting quarterbacks to be the foundation of your franchise. The more you run and take such hits, the more wear and tear your body will sustain. As for getting Lawrence into a groove, this is usually the early objective in a game. The best way to get into a groove is to get first downs. Can that be done play-calling specifically to get Lawrence easy completions? Sure, but you need to get first downs first.

JT from Palm Coast, FL

If the Jags are who they say they are, they have to beat the Browns. I have been hesitant to ask you any questions because I have seen this song and dance before. Success one year, then "same old Jags." Miami felt like the same old Jags.

The Jaguars don't believe they're last year's Jaguars. On Sunday against the Dolphins, they looked like last year's Jaguars. If they're not last year's Jaguars, they have to not look like last year's Jaguars. That means they must start winning close games and making key plays at key times to do so. That's the objective. That's what will define this season. It's time.

David from Canton GA by way of Jacksonville

Not a question, just a reminder. Jags fans need to remember last year's Super Bowl champions were 0-1 last year. Buck up, everyone.

OK.

Karter from Sahuarita

I know this isn't Jags situation, but what happens if a player retires after signing a long-term contract extension? I tried to see what would the ramifications would be if Tua retired, but I couldn't find any cases that match his. Hope he recovers and can have the career he deserves, but I also get the need to protect his after-football life for his sake and his family.

Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212.4-million deal this past offseason. There are many details of this contract, but significant to your question is that if he never is medically cleared to play again he reportedly can leave the game with $167.2 million guaranteed. If he is cleared to play, his retirement would be voluntary, which would mean many of his guarantees would not be paid. While teams don't usually try to recoup signing bonuses of retiring players, they don't usually pay remaining guarantees. The salary-cap ramifications would vary from situation to situation depending on contract language. My best effort to explain this would be that teams usually have ways out of serious cap ramifications if retirement in this situation is voluntary. A retirement forced by injury is more damaging to a team's cap.

Aiden from DUUUVALLL!

I think Trevor Lawrence is going to carve up this defense, they were not great on the road last year, and we showed great signs last week. He also better do great or else renaming the stadium to TrEverBank Stadium would be some not so great irony.

OK.

Jim from Edge of Paradise, Virgin Gorda

John, I wrote you several months ago about a salary cap for quarterbacks. As I follow what is going on in Miami with Tua, I can't help but wonder if something has to happen. Right now, I believe many teams are paying almost 24 percent of their salary cap money for the quarterback position. Miami is faced with the possibility of a Tua retirement and a $124 million dead money cap hit. That dead money will cripple the Dolphins for years if Tua does retire or is deemed medically unfit. Owners have to be nervous about these huge guaranteed contracts with the possibility of career ending injuries or a quarterback bust. It seems that the owners would want some level of risk mitigation. Have your thoughts changed that the new Collective Bargaining Agreement might put some type of cap on the quarterback position. I would think the owners would applaud it and the rank and file players would see more money in the pot for them. I know this is a slippery slope as you open the door to caps for all positions. But it just seems that something has to change. Your thoughts are always respected.

I responded to this original email that a salary cap for quarterbacks seems unlikely and I still believe it's unlikely. I don't doubt that owners would want this. I do expect owners would need to give players quite a bit when bargaining such a restriction into existence. I won't say never on this. Owners reportedly have discussed it, so it's a possibility. I'm just not feeling it's imminent.

Steve from Hilton Head, SC

John, It just goes to show you how unpredictable the NFL season can be. The Dolphins franchise quarterback may only play one game this season. And who might that opponent be in week 1?

The Jaguars.

Kevin from Jacksonville Beach, FL

I don't care what you say, O-Zone. Dougie Fresh was chippy this week. He was in a baaaaaad mood. He's feeling the heat.

I don't know that I care all that much about what I say, either – and I don't know that I said Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson wasn't chippy this past week speaking to the media. What I said when discussing this earlier this week was you can't necessarily judge a coach's mood, vibe or outlook based on the time he spends during the week speaking with the media. While this is what the public sees, those media availabilities make up a fraction of the coach's week and may or may not reflect his "vibe." Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson perhaps was a bit chippy this past week. He from this view is chippy with the idea from time to time – as is the case with many head coaches. Many of my good friends are media members. They can be an annoying segment of our society. So can coaches. These groups sometimes are chippy with one another. Pederson being a little chippy with or disconnected from the media does not necessarily mean he's in any particular mood or feeling "heat."

Patrick from St. Augustine, FL

I'm nervous about this one, Zone.

As you should be. This is a big one that the Jaguars need to win. They're capable of winning, but they haven't played winning football in long enough that their followers have every reason to be nervous until the Jaguars give them a reason to be confident.

Michael from Orange Park, FL

I'm worried, Zone. This Cleveland game feels like must-win no matter what you say.

The Jaguars' game against the Cleveland Browns Sunday indeed feels very, very important. Whether it's "must win" depends on how the Jaguars respond if they lose. If they lose and respond well, it wasn't "must win." If they lose and respond poorly, it apparently was "must win." Here's the situation facing the Jaguars Sunday: They haven't responded well to losses over their last six or seven games dating to last season. They haven't responded well to tough situations in games. They haven't made big plays late in games in crucial situations. This has been a theme among players and coaches. It has been a theme here in the O-Zone. It has been a theme among pretty much everyone who discusses or watches this team. They need to start doing these things sooner not later. That's what makes Sunday so important. Maybe it's must win. Maybe it's not. But the Jaguars must start winning at some point. They can't wait much longer.

Gary from St. Augustine, FL

Even at 0-1, you still suck. You will really suck at 0-2.

Yep.

Sam from Orlando, FL

Don's back. Jags by a million.

Don may not be the king of all funk. But he appears to be an influencer and leader of men – or at least leader of the type of men who frequent this forum.