JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Pookie from Panda City

Aaron from Atlanta said, "For this particular team in this particular year, winning is more meaningful than improved draft selection," and you answered, "Damn right." To what end is winning more meaningful for this team, exactly? This was their first game after getting eliminated from the playoffs, and they played at an embarrassing level the entire season – embarrassing to themselves, the city and the fans who pay money to support them. Are we happy that they get to have warm and fuzzy feelings? Moral victories all around? There was no benefit to this win whatsoever. None. It was meaningless and only hurts draft position. Crowing about our beating the Titans is like a nerd in grade school bragging about punching a girl.

I received multiple versions of this email – understandably so– and it's not completely fair to say the Jaguars played embarrassingly all season, it's nitpicky to point out a series of close losses when the team failed so decisively to meet expectations. So, why was a victory over the Tennessee Titans Sunday more meaningful than draft selection? Because there are young players on this team that have worked for a victory and deserved a victory. And because it had been too long since the players had that feeling. And because when the Jaguars turn this franchise around – whoever is doing the turning – it will take a sea change of approach/attitude/improvement that far outweighs one player and a few positions in the draft. Remember, too: Players and coaches play to win. Even if it is better for the future to improve draft position, those doing the doing have no incentive to follow that course. They're going to try to win, and win they sometimes shall. You may as well enjoy it when it happens and let the future take care of itself.

Daniel from St Johns

Wouldn't it be appropriate to make a general manager change now as opposed to waiting for the season to end? Don't you think Shad is shopping now if he's going to make that change, and then make any other decisions with the assistance of the new general manager?

All we know about Jaguars Owner Shad Khan's end-of-season plans is that most people saying they know those plans are lying. One thing to remember, too: The general manager doesn't have to be the top decision-maker to whom all others bow down. Who bows to whom depends on how the owner structures the bow-ers and bow-ees.

Daniel from Johnston, IA

Since we're getting to see him play for extended period of time now, do you think Mac Jones is really an upgrade over C.J. Beathard? I'm not seeing that so far...

A bit. Maybe. It's sort of whatever.

Ray from Vernon

Mighty O, I must admit I was again on the edge of my recliner, beer in hand, hoping for us to pull out a win. But in the back of my mind, I'm debating how much better a second or third pick would be great without the tremendous pressure to succeed. And then Mac gets hot and our rookies started showing out and BOOM. We got hope! Loved seeing Mac get a pro win. Hope he sticks around. If we win out, could he start next year?

Trevor Lawrence if healthy will be the Jaguars' starting quarterback when next season begins. Jones has the ability to play in the NFL for a long time – likely as a backup quarterback.

Roger from Houston

There were many good plays Sunday, but my favorite was Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen's sack of Titans quarterback Will Levis on the last play of the second quarter. A clean, textbook sack that I could watch over and over again without ever getting bored.

It was a good play. Hines-Allen expressed surprise afterward that the Titans single-blocked him on the play. He took advantage of the situation. That's what big-time pass rushers do.

Marty from Jacksonville

Hey, John. Here's the way I look at winning and losing and how it affects our draft position. The final record of a team is a way of measuring how far a team is from the Super Bowl. Having a worse record means you are farther away. Having a better record means you are closer. Obviously, a 1-16 team is a worse team than a 5-12 team. And a 1-16 team has to a lot more work to do. So wishing for your team to lose games just so you can get a higher draft pick is nonsense. A worse record means you are a worse team, and you have much more work to do to get to the Super Bowl. I don't know that a higher draft pick makes up for that.

That's a good way to look at it.

Don from Marshall, NC

Come on now. We all know everyone Jaguars was hoping to lose to get Trevor Lawrence. Other than that I agree with Zac from Austin and right on! Go Jaguars!

When it comes to remembering how things really were back in the days of yore that were the 2020 season, Don remains "all in."

Doug from Jacksonville, FL

The winning was great, but the idea that all those fans in their ugly baby blue jerseys were driving home sad Sunday makes it even better.

Beating the Titans is cool. Fans like it.

Sam from Orlando, FL

If the line is fine, and it essentially been the same line for two years while Trevor baby hasn't finished either season healthy. While also looking like most of the same line will return next year… can we fix the "fine" line? Do we need to change schemes? Is Trevor injury prone? Help me.

A couple of thoughts on your (somewhat fragmented) thoughts. One is that while the Jaguars' offense line is indeed fine in a sense, it also in another sense hasn't been good enough – a dilemma that must be addressed in the offseason. Another is that while Lawrence indeed hasn't finished either of the last two seasons, it must be noted that both of his injuries this season came while he was running outside the pocket – and it's not accurate to say the line absolutely caused Lawrence's injuries this season. Is Lawrence injury prone? I don't know that we're there yet, but he has sustained seven injuries in the last three seasons – and that's something that can take a serious long-term toll if he and/or the team can't get it under control. Can the line get fixed? It can get addressed. I have no idea how that might be done until we know who will be making decisions.

Tony from Johns Creek, GA

O, good things can happen when the defense plays four quarters.

OK.

Paul from Washington, D.C.

My 14-year-old son and I took our annual road game trip to Nashville and miraculously saw our Jags win — but he was baffled by watching our best defenders run off the field on critical third downs. He asked: "Dad, if you say 41, 44, and 91 are the three best players, why don't they play at the same time?" What would you tell the (very observant) kid?

As the late, great Charlie Daniels said when opining about just when it was OK to go down to Wooley Swamp, "Some things in this world you just can't explain."

Jeremy from Wise, VA

There is an outside chance, with the remaining games (New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, Titans and Indianapolis Colts), that the Jags could win out and be 7-10. That would be good and bad.

Fair.

Rob from the duuuuuuu

In 2021 and 2022, we signed good emerging players from bad teams. In 2024 we signed older declining players from perennially contending teams. Defensive end Arik Armstead, wide receiver Gabe Davis and cornerback Ronald Darby have all been worse than the cheaper players they replaced and we are stuck with Armstead and Davis for another year. These signings set our team back two years and may have cost General Manager Trent Baalke his job. You want emerging players and you want to be giving them their second contract. Players rarely play better on their third contract. And the whole bringing in guys for their culture who don't produce thing is a team and culture killer. Will these expensive vets be sitting behind better players next year?

Not every specific is spot on here, but why get bogged down in specifics? You want to participate in free agency as little as possible – and you're correct that as a general rule, signing free agents with double-digit experience is fraught with concerns. Free agency is risky stuff. I don't know who will be starting where for the Jaguars next season. It's difficult to speculate with anything close to accuracy until we know more about who will be making decisions.

Crash from Glen Saint Mary

OZ! J-A-G-S. Jags! Jags!! Jags!!! Bring on the Jets.

Winning is cool. Fans like it. Even at 3-10.