JACKSONVILLE – Look-ahead Wednesday.
Let's get to it …
Unhipcat from Georgia
O, hi, O. Two losses, two wins, two losses, two wins. two losses. What does that mean, if anything?
The trend you cite means close to everything when it comes to the Jaguars this season. As I have written and said multiple times, the Jaguars for the most part this season have been an average team. They have beaten struggling teams and lost to good teams. They have struggled, gotten hot, struggled again, gotten hot again and struggled again. They have put themselves in bad situations three times and been able to dig themselves out twice – and though it seems far-fetched, they can similarly dig themselves out of their current bad situation by winning their next three or four games. Mostly, they have been an up-and-down, inconsistent team. That makes them maddeningly frustrating to observers and fans. It also obviously leaves their season – and in some cases, the future – very much in peril through 10 games. If they win their next few games, then they will remain an inconsistent, frustrating team. If they lose their next few games, they will be a bad team. The latter scenario likely will mean a lot of change. Stay tuned.
Chris from Waverly, GA
Is there another Poz anywhere we can sign?
Not on November 20.
Cliff from Las Vegas, NV
Do you think middle linebacker Myles Jack is trying to do too much? I think the lack of talent and experience at the other two linebacking spots has him reaching a bit. Perhaps linebacker is another spot to address in the offseason.
I think there were times earlier this season when Jack clearly was trying to do too much and was trying to make up for rookie linebacker Quincy Williams' lack of experience. I didn't think that was the case Sunday. I think he just didn't play well Sunday.
Chris from Vienna, Austria
In soccer, it happens that the players play against the coach. That means they want to get rid of them. Could this be the reason way the team is playing so bad?
Not in the slightest.
Julie from Jacksonville
Is it fair to say that the Jaguars' struggles with the linebackers are a direct result of going easy on the starters during the preseason? Also, Jaguars Head Coach Doug Marrone said he would have to get with quarterback Nick Foles as this was their first game together. Same thing - that was a choice he made which put us in a bad spot. We can't be so afraid of injuries in the preseason that we don't properly prepare, right?
The Jaguars' linebackers have played enough regular-season games that you can't attribute their issues Sunday to preseason playing time. And when Marrone was talking about needing to get with Foles after Sunday's loss, he was talking about Foles perhaps being rusty upon returning from an injury and about what happened after the second quarter Sunday when Foles' play dropped from its first-quarter level. I don't know how much a few more preseason quarters would have helped there.
Tom from Charlottesville, VA
What is the NFL record for most yards by a running back in a game? Will Henry break that record in the first half?
Hey! My boy's got jokes!
Jakob from Hawthorne, FL
Although this season may be coming to an early close, I fear that the wrath of Khan maybe impending. With that said, the roster is transcending and there are pieces to build around. Also, who on Earth anticipated the Telvin Smith and Jalen Ramsey issues? Basically, does Jaguars Owner Shad Khan bring the wrath, or do you think he is insightful enough to give this front office and coaching staff a pass?
This decision won't be made for at least another month. It's a results-based business, and the results of the next month will go a long way to answering your question.
Bill from Springfield, VA
Looking forward. How many draft picks by round do we currently have?
Two in the first (Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams), one in the second, one in the third, one in the fourth, none in the fifth (traded to Pittsburgh Steelers), two in the sixth (Jaguars, Seattle), one in the seventh.
Raymond from Orange Park, FL
John: I think many are too influenced by 2017 when they think this is a good defense. Only one of the four secondary players from 2017 remains on the team. Only one linebacker remains, and he may be better on the outside than the middle, and only two of the starting linemen are the same. When people say it is not the same defense as 2017, they are correct because it is not the same defense. The Colts teams you covered were designed to rush the passer and protect leads, but they had a very good offense that scored a lot of points.
OK.
Tom from Jacksonville
What positions are in need of upgrade the most? I would say middle linebacker, tight end, running back (sorry but Fournette was way over-drafted).
You needn't apologize to me, but I don't see running back being a mammoth need this offseason – and it's not nearly as big of a need as interior linemen on both sides of the ball. The Jaguars must improve at defensive tackle and offensive guard – and perhaps center. Their inability to control the line of scrimmage consistently on both sides of the ball is perhaps the dominant theme of the season.
Roger from London
Hey John. Where's the next "W" coming from? The last two performances make games I thought Jags should win - versus Buccaneers, Chargers, Falcons – seem very losable. A 6-10 record now looks a realistic outturn. How depressing is that?
Hey, Roger. I don't know. You're right. And you're right again. Very.
Wes from Joshua
What worries me is our division rivals are running the ball better than us. We supposedly have been gearing the last three years to have an effective run game. Our rivals are doing to us what we should be doing to them. This is what concerns me. Your thoughts?
My thoughts are that any time you can't run against your division opponents and can't stop your division opponents from running against you that darned well should concern you.
Eric from Columbus, IN
Remember when the Jags fired offensive coordinator Nate Hackett last year thinking he was our weak coaching link? LOL. We now have an offensive coordinator calling 47 pass plays on a team built to run the ball ...
There was no reason to fire offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett last season other than the undeniable fact that it's always coaching in the NFL. When teams lose, coordinators and coaches get fired – often without reason. We know this to be true because fired coaches routinely become successful hired coaches at future stops, and logic tells us that those coaches did not miraculously become geniuses after previously being incompetent idiots. I don't write this thinking these words will prevent coaches from being fired without reason in the future. The cycle undoubtedly will resume this offseason and continue as long as there is an NFL because it's always coaching in the NFL. Always.
Shane from Jacksonville
They can't run the ball because of the lack of draft capital spent on the interior offensive line on top of wasted money on free agents. Drafting a running back Top Five and then drafting zero interior lineman the remainder of that draft and the following two drafts is a joke. As far as stopping the run, it doesn't help that they apparently spent big money for Myles Jack to be the invisible man. He's playing out of position; they need a physical presence in the middle to set the tempo and he isn't it.
The problem isn't the equity spent on the interior of offensive line. The Jaguars have signed an All-Pro guard (Andrew Norwell) and have third-, third- and fourth-round selections (A.J. Cann, Brandon Linder, Will Richardson Jr.) invested elsewhere on the interior of the line. It's fair to question the quality of the interior linemen, but the Jaguars haven't been negligent in the area in terms of capital spent.
Bobby from Summerville, SC
Hi John, after two consecutive bad losses do you think the Jags can turn it around and possibly go on a little win streak. I honestly believe all the remaining games on the schedule can be won.
Absolutely. Go, Jaguars.
Fred from Churchville, NY
The Jags have gone two losses followed by two victories this whole season. We've lost the last two, so that means we win the next two and possibly get rid of that trend once Foles gets hot the next two games. Playoffs are a long shot and we are too inconsistent to win a big stretch of games, but crazier things have happened.
Absolutely. Go, Jaguars.
Matt from Fort Worth, TX
Football is fun, right? ...Right?
I don't remember.
