JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Mad 'Til We Win from Struggle City, USA
The Jaguars make football not fun, which is the entire point. We (the fans) actually spend hard-earned money to watch this. We don't expect wins every week, but whatever the Jaguars are doing this year (and for the vast majority of the last decade) is disingenuous to it's fanbase. This is abject failure, not new faces in new places. Maybe an empty stadium on throwback day will send a message? I mean, what else can we do if the Jags won't "put their money where their mouth is?"
I confess I'm never quite sure how to answer questions along these lines. Jaguars Owner Shad Khan hires the best football people he can and puts as many resources into supporting those people as any NFL owner. The players, coaches and personnel people work and prepare. I realize the Jaguars are 0-4 through four 2024 regular-season games. It's impossible to not know that. They are well aware that 0-4 isn't good enough. An empty stadium won't do anything to reinforce that idea.
Kei from Kitakyushu, Japan
John, you stated last week that Shad Khan "hires football people and lets the football people run the organization," and that "this is what the vast majority of NFL owners do." Which is fine, except he has gotten literally every decision wrong since the first one he made. There's really nothing to be said about the dirt-poor hit rate he's had on those hires?
I suppose people can say what they want. I'm not sure where the discussion goes. Khan owns the Jaguars. He's going to continue to operate as owner as he has – and as pretty much all owners operate. That means hiring football people to do their, supporting them as much as possible and evaluating them for the short- and long-term. If he makes changes to either coach or general manager – and I have no idea if that's on the horizon – he will hire the best people possible, support them as much as possible and evaluate them. This is the job. This is what he does.
Jason from Suffolk, VA
Zone, I'm at a loss. I just don't understand! In Head Coach Doug Pederson's first year, we started off slow, but finished the season strong which included a playoff win. Last year we started off at 8-3 and competing for the No. 1 seed. Since that time the wheels have completely fell off with our lone win against the Carolina Panthers and using our backup quarterback. What is wrong with this team that we can show success with the coach and our players, but now it feels like we can't even buy ourselves a win? Beyond frustrating!!!
Yes, it is.
Bradford from Orange Park, FL
Just wanted to point out that - in the general sense of diagnosing this freakin' disaster - Pete Prisco knows what he's talking about.
CBS Sports senior writer Pete Prisco is among my closest friends and one of the most knowledgeable NFL minds among national analysts. This doesn't mean he's always right. But he's right a lot.
Ryan from Detroit, MI
Zone - what's the difference between this team right now and last year's Jaguars around Week 5? It seems like the offense is largely the same? Other than swap Brian Thomas Jr. for Calvin Ridley at wide receiver, which frankly feels like an upgrade, this is the same offense, same coaching staff, same players. How did we go from having a really good offense to a really bad offense?
Good question.
JK from NY & Fernandina Beach. FL
John – Safety Dewey Wingard, linebacker Foyesade Oluokun, tight end Evan Engram and now defensive end Josh Hines-Allen are hurt. Four current or former captains. How much has the loss of this veteran leadership contributed to the 0-4 start?
A little, I guess. All four were healthy and playing well when the Jaguars lost five of their last six regular-season games to end the 2023 season.
Shawn from Moore County, NC
This Sunday our best head coach is getting his just due in Jaguars enshrinement. Who else is currently in the Pride? Who do you expect to go in next? I think I should go in also because I worked there in the first season. I proudly display my inaugural season program in my man cave.
The current members of the Pride of the Jaguars: Left tackle Tony Boselli, running back Fred Taylor, wide receiver Jimmy Smith, quarterback Mark Brunell and Owners Wayne and Delores Weaver. Tom Coughlin will be honored Sunday. My thought is that running back Maurice Jones-Drew and wide receiver Keenan McCardell should be the next two honored. Just my thought.
Roy from Orange Park, FL
John, Serious question here. What did the front office personnel see in the first three seasons of quarterback Trevor Lawrence that made them want to pay him $275 million ?!! I wonder because I never saw anything from Trevor that would make me comfortable in giving him that big of a contract.
The Jaguars saw during Lawrence's first three NFL seasons a quarterback who was developing and improving – and who quarterbacked the team to back-to-back winning seasons. They also saw a quarterback who threw 29 touchdown passes with nine interceptions over a 16-game span beginning in late 2022 and extending into 2023. The Jaguars went 13-3 during that span. That didn't make Lawrence elite, but it was evidence of moving in that direction. The Jaguars therefore believed – and still believe – it made sense to commit to Lawrence for the long-term with the idea that he will continue to develop.
Keith from Saint Augustine, FL
Either the Jags coaches are failing to develop, prepare and/or bring out the best in their players or the general manager brought in the wrong players. Either way, we should ask ourselves if it's probable the current leadership will ever bring a championship to Duval. Because really, that's the point of all this.
OK.
Marcus from Jax
You say that the resurgence of Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield is due to the fact that players develop at different speeds. Certainly there is truth in that, but couldn't it also be argued that their resurgence is due in part to better coaches who develop players and put them in position to succeed?
People can argue anything. A lot of people like to argue that coaches make mammoth differences in how quarterbacks play. This is true in some cases. If you're arguing that Lawrence has fallen off from 2022 and early 2023 because of coaching I would find this curious considering it's the same group of coaches. But we can argue whatever we like.
John from Merritt Island, FL
I know I will be laughed at and ridiculed for this but, Sunday's game reset us. We will win the AFC South. I really believe that game brought us back where we need to be in our heads.
John, like Don in days of yore, remains "all in."
Jerry from Italia, FL
John, I noticed Press Taylor on the sideline during the game. Didn't he used to be in the press box for games? I don't care whether he's calling the plays or not, but maybe he should get his a$$ back in the press box so he can see what's going on. Wouldn't this help?
Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor indeed is working from the sidelines this season after working from the press box in his previous two seasons with the team. He should have his butt wherever he is most comfortable and feels he will do the best job.
Andrew from Halifax
John, I WANTED to spend 3.5 hours every week on this team, I wanted to be excited when my gf bought me a cool vintage Jags shirt, I wanted to consume national media coverage throughout the week. I wanted to care but now I can barely bring myself to tune in to the games and have watched two quarters of the past two games. This team needs to win me back. I can't do another "our season is over and it is only September" season. I just can't.
More than fair.
Mike from Cartersville (AKA Trevortown), GA
Are Lawrence's accuracy issues an 'it is what it is' thing at this point? He missed two touchdowns. One to Brian Thomas Jr and one to Christian Kirk. With all the Texans penalties and 14 points left on the field, they should have won comfortably.
I don't know if Lawrence's accuracy "is what it is." It seems from this view as if he is struggling in this area a bit more than previously was the case.
Dwight from Naples, FL
Zone. If you want to see the real Jags better be there Sunday! Zone you know, I know, the fans know, and the players certainly know they are not the worst team in the NFL. They're going to put this aggravation behind them and blow the Colts out!! Whatcha think, O?
I am the king of all funk.
