JACKSONVILLE – Look Ahead Wednesday.
Let's get to it …
NotDanSkuta from Duval
Typing sacksonville.com into a web browser redirects you to Jaguars.com. Speaking of which, they need to step up. Cowboys had more sacks against Giants than Jags do in 2 games).
Are the Jaguars 2-0? Why, yes they are! Has the defense played well? Why, yes it has! Have opposing quarterbacks had time to scan the defense and comfortably throw? Why, no they have not? Look, sacks are cool. Fans like them. But they are not the end-all measure of an effective pass rush. The Jaguars have played two veteran quarterbacks – Eli Manning of the Giants and Tom Brady of the Patriots – this season, including one (Brady) who is known for getting the ball out terrifically quickly. The Jaguars' pass rush is pressuring quarterbacks and forcing a lot of quick, errant passes. That's the goal.
David from Waycross, GA
"Settling in at 32" made me laugh out loud!
And it really wasn't meant to be funny. I get that a lot.
Gary from Fleming Island, FL
If the Jags are activating running back Brandon Wilds from the practice squad, does that mean Leonard Fournette is out for a while? What is the number of weeks Wilds has to spend on the active roster?
Wilds being activated has nothing to do with the potential time Fournette might be out. They needed an extra running back for Sunday's game – and they might need an extra running back moving forward. The Jaguars can release Wilds at any time. The rule that a team must keep a player signed from a practice squad on an active roster for three weeks applies only to players signed from other teams' practice squads; the Jaguars last week signed Wilds from their practice squad.
Shane from Washington, D.C.
Just wanted to say that I ponied up for a Blake Bortles jersey today. And I'll be very proud to wear it. That is all.
Good for you, Shane. Good for you.
Ron from Ponte Vedra, FL
Jags look awesome, but I would have to say Los Angeles Rams look like best team after last game. I'd put Jags at No. 2 after last week. Best team in AFC ain't bad.
That's great, Rob. You should put all 32 NFL teams in order and put it somewhere online. Maybe someone would care.
Catherine from Jacksonville
I laugh every time I see that video shot of Jaguars Owner Shad Khan's box and everyone is yelling and high-fiving – and there is TC sitting up front looking like Mt. Rushmore. What will it take to make him smile during a game?
Is the game in question the Super Bowl? If so, are the Jaguars winning by double digits in the final 10 seconds? With possession? Is Bortles handing the ball to an official? Is the clock still running? If the answer to those questions are "yes," then Jaguars Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tom Coughlin will smile. I promise. Maybe.
David from Maplewood, NJ
John: I hate to be Debbie Downer. Last week was fantastic but they need to bring it this week. The Patriots game got a lot of attention, but this game is even more important. Win and the Jags have a real possibility of a two-game lead on the whole division after three weeks. Lose and we are in second place and behind in two tiebreakers. This is BIG!
Yes, it is.
CD from Fleming Island, FL
Hey John, it looked like the Patriots played a lot of man Sunday. It seems like it would be easier for a quarterback to "see the field," go through his progressions and identify an open receiver versus man coverage as opposed to zone? With zone coverage, you can have linebackers hidden behind linemen, you have to anticipate the closing speed of defensive backs, etc. With man, it seems more cut and dry. Do you feel that's the case? And if so, do you have an opinion on how Blake measures up vs each coverage? Or is having a clean pocket the biggest factor?
The Patriots played a lot of man coverage Sunday without a tremendous amount of help. Significantly, the Jaguars' offensive line got the Patriots' defensive front blocked. Any quarterback should do very well in that scenario because a quarterback should be able to beat man coverage provided he has time to throw. It seems Bortles fares well against man because he's a good play-action passer and because his ability to run is very dangerous against defenders who are covering man-to-man with their backs to the quarterback.
JT from Fort Worth
Hope this team doesn't have a letdown this weekend. This team coming up beat us twice last year and the potential quarterback beat us on another team as well. I get the feeling that this team is different.
I don't anticipate the Jaguars having a letdown against the Titans Sunday. That doesn't mean they will win. It's the NFL. You needn't be emotionally low to lose. Sometimes you just lose.
John from Section 206 Right Under Freddie T
Blake Bortles, the People's Quarterback, has played his best in big games: the London games, the Seattle game last year, the playoffs and now the New England game. We can't forget just how bad those teams were his first three years …
… though it certainly would be awesome if we could.
Chris from Goodnight, TX
Any chance the Jaguars make a move to bolster the tackle position in light of the injury to Cam Robinson? Wouldn't it be a strange turn of events if the Jaguars signed Luke Joeckel? If the Jags stand pat, who backs up Josh Wells at left tackle? Will Richardson?
Positions in the NFL aren't often bolstered with in-season free-agent signings, and Head Coach Doug Marrone specifically said on Monday that the answers to this issue were on the roster. I expect Josh Walker to be the backup to Wells at left tackle for now.
Brad from Orange Park, FL
Sometimes I feel like one of one, O. Then I remember you and I … we're not so different. We make awesome look easy.
We're different, Brad. We are so different.
Chris from Norfolk, VA
I'll ask this knowing it won't happen and I'm not sure it should, but O-Dog, would you trade Fowler for one of the top three left tackles in the league right now? I'm just looking for your personal opinion on this.
Sure, I would – but no one would trade a Top 3 left tackle for a non-Top 3 pass rusher. It's a silly premise.
Henry from Riverside, CA
Why is there a bell ringing every so often in the background of the audio from the drive time and happy hour shows. Noticed it a few weeks back. Kept thinking it was something in my car but it only happens when those shows playing.
It means it's on, baby.
Steve from Sunroom Couch
Dear John, Which No. 5 will show up next Sunday?
I imagine the same one who has improved dramatically over the last 18 regular-season games, and who shows no signs of not continuing a steady ascension. That may not mean a four-touchdown, 377-yard performance every week, but it will mean a guy who's going to give the Jaguars a chance to win more often than not.
Luis from Fruit Cove and Section 412
John, all these people already declaring Leonard Fournette injury prone, do you think maybe they're the same ones who early on referred to Fred Taylor as "Fragile Freddie"? How quickly we forget!
This.
Rob from Jagsonville
Is it a foregone conclusion we get rid of Fowler? Would we then need to draft a pass rusher in the first round to replace him? It's not like guys like that are easy to find. What if Ngakoue gets hurt or in Campbell gets old? Who's are second best rusher without him? Maybe shoulda taken that option, just saying.
It's not a forgone conclusion, but the Jaguars' salary cap issues at multiple position will make keeping Fowler after this season tough. It's not that they don't think he has value; it's a matter of trying to assess defensive end Dante Fowler Jr.'s value compared to multiple other players. I long have said the Jaguars will miss Fowler if/when he leaves. He's a disruptive player who plays with great effort and has the athleticism to make game-changing players. Sunday was a prime example of this. As far as the option, it's really a non-issue in terms of keeping Fowler. They can still negotiate a long-term deal with him after the season and they can still apply the franchise tag to retain him for another season if they so choose.
Logan from Wichita, KS
If we have play calling that good, the offense executes that well and keeps teams that off balance when Fournette is back, we gonna be really hard to beat!!!! GO JAGS!!!!
I don't like this Logan. I didn't like the other one that much, either.
