WATFORD, United Kingdom – Let's get to it …
Stephen from Melbourne, FL
Hearing a head coach call for a culture change is odd to me. Isn't establishing culture one of the main roles of the head coach? Have you seen anything like that before or was that a man calling to be put out of his misery?
Head Coach Doug Pederson indeed discussed the need for a culture change with Jaguars Media analyst Bucky Brooks moments after a 35-16 loss to the Chicago Bears at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London Sunday. He spoke in the context of needing to win and needing to change the culture of losing, and many observers have expressed the same opinion as this email – that establishing the culture is a primary responsibility of the head coach. My thought is not that Pederson was calling to be "put out of his misery" – rather, that he very much wants to reverse the trend of losing and knows that losing as much as the Jaguars have lost recently can create an environment that makes winning difficult. His quote discussing this on Monday: "We've lost some games here. We want to change that culture to a winning culture. … I don't want them to feel sort of mentally defeated. That's where the slippery slope comes in. If you feel like you're going into a game where you don't have a chance, then you're not going to have a chance. You're not going to give yourself an opportunity to win that game."
Bob from Sumter, SC
When a team is playing its sixth game of the season and one of your starters says he saw a lot of quit in the first half then there is something wrong with this team beyond the X's and O's and speaks to the lack of intensity, passion in games that were crucial to having some success this season.
This references Jaguars safety Andre Cisco saying after Sunday's game that he saw a lot of quit. I wasn't present when Cisco said it, but my interpretation from reading the comments is he was talking more about players not playing as one – i.e., not playing within the defense and playing for themselves – than "quitting." This often happens when players are discouraged. I'm not saying such a situation is a good thing, but it's usually not lack of caring as much as lack of cohesion and belief in direction. NFL players usually don't quit in difficult situations as much as they go off course. Make no mistake: Neither is good. It's difficult to recover from either situation. The Jaguars' task now is to somehow respond to what any measure was an unacceptable and disturbing performance – one that raises legitimate questions about the team's direction – and show that it was a temporary hiccup as opposed to an incurable sickness. I can't predict the direction. Here's hoping it's a positive one. Stay tuned.
GP from Savannah, GA
Wow, saw what Andre said: "A lot of quit." Not good. First player to come out in public and criticize the effort. Pederson needs to be concerned.
I'm sure he is.
Morgan from Oklahoma
It feels like if Trevor isn't perfect, this team has no chance.
This is a fair feeling. The reality is quarterback Trevor Lawrence played fine Sunday. He was actually better than fine to the point of being pretty good. He wasn't perfect, but Lawrence wasn't the reason the Jaguars lost Sunday.
Ron from Orlando, FL
A good owner would start holding his staff accountable! This team continues the endless run of pre-snap penalties, that's on the head coach. Drafting Travon Walker over Aidan Hutchinson and paying a massive long-term deal to a below-average quarterback is on the general manager. High paid professional athletes that continuously drop the ball should be benched or cut. Yet, we see the same clowns out there every week getting embarrassed on national television. What exactly does it take for an owner to actually start holding his employees accountable for their poor performance? In every other job, poor performance gets replaced!
'Tis the season for exclamation points and accountability. 'Tis difficult times indeed.
Anita from Springfield
It's hard to take positives away from this sort of game, but I actually thought Trevor played pretty well and even "made some plays" with his legs when he needed to - especially the scramble. His pick wasn't good, but he also had every starting receiver drop a touchdown (or more) and it seemed like our whole team had a fumble problem but Trevor never got strip sacked or anything. Just saying, one fer the only part of the current "regime" I still believe in. Also, one fer Marcedes Lewis.
You're correct that positives were hard to find Sunday. I wouldn't blame anyone for not trying too hard to find them. The performance didn't merit such effort. You're also correct about Lawrence. Even his interception wasn't tragic. The Jaguars were trailing big in the second half and he threw an interception on third-and-long. What the hell else is he supposed to do?
James from Jax
The rookie outplayed Trevor. Would Trevor be better if he cut his hair?
Did he? I don't know.
John from Jacksonville
With a few young quarterbacks playing at a higher level than Lawrence with much less playing experience, it's not surprising that industry professionals are losing faith in his development. It's year four. If he was going to be great, there would be more signs.
I don't know what industry professionals means. I know Lawrence played fine Sunday and has played well the last two games.
Spazman from JACKSONVILLE
John - There are not enough negative things to say about this team right now.
Sure there are.
Me from Would Never Admit Jax
Why are we doing a complete remodel of the stadium now? Seems to me we're rewarding a bunch of losers with a new home. Yeah, we live in a welfare state….
You wouldn't admit Jax? I would. Most people I know who live in Jacksonville would. The Jaguars and the City of Jacksonville are renovating EverBank Stadium because it's a three-decade old stadium that is no longer viable to be an NFL stadium. The team's record in the first six weeks of a particular season on the field does not – and should not – dictate the long-term infrastructure of a city and a franchise. I understand that this is a convenient – and perhaps satisfying – reaction and sentiment when frustrated by the team's performance, but it's not a particularly informed or relevant part of a serious discussion.
Paul from Jax
What are your thoughts on pulling Lawrence with three to go? I get that we were going to lose so it doesn't matter, but three minutes is enough to get a drive in. A score. It just seems too early to me. And then why not at start of fourth? Andre Cisco we quit statement is telling. Because it seems they all quit.
Pederson took Lawrence out when the game was essentially unwinnable. The score was 21-10 at the start of the fourth quarter. It might have felt unwinnable at that time – and I wouldn't argue that feeling – but it was still winnable.
Kei from Kitakyushu, Japan
Off-the-field question (sorta): Shad stated that he was "very optimistic" that his fellow owners would approve the stadium deal with a 75 percent majority. Is there any reason why they "wouldn't" approve an agreed-upon stadium deal between a city and its team with significant amounts of taxpayer dollars involved?
You're referencing the NFL Owners scheduled vote Tuesday to approve the Jaguars' Stadium of the Future agreement between the City of Jacksonville and the Jaguars. I have heard nothing to indicate the owners won't approve it and I have heard no reason that it wouldn't get approved.
Mark from Richmond VA
Nothing cheap, nothing deep. That didn't age well. Everything about this team is bad. Ronald Darby is a parking cone. Our receivers have crock pots for hands. Are there any bright spots to build off of in 2025? I might not want to know the answer.
There absolutely are foundation pieces – if indeed 2025 has a "building feel." Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. Lawrence. Defensive ends Josh Hines-Allen and Walker. Right tackle Anton Harrison. I'm not going to stand on a table with a megaphone screaming that this roster is the NFL's most talented, but it's also not devoid of young foundation pieces.
Snow Wolf from Asheville, NC
Once a loser always a loser, Loserville is nothing but a losing organazation,and don't give me that lie 2 years team went 9-8. take away the extra game and it would've been 8-8. plus never ever won back to back division tittles like other teams in the division. Loserville will always be Loservlle/ Duvual is DEAD FOREEVER!!
Do you have one of those sweatshirts with a wolf painted on a snowy mountainside? My mother, may she rest in peace, gave me one for Christmas once. I wore it and wondered for a while why I didn't have a girlfriend.