JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it … Jason from Yomitan, Okinawa:
Why does it seem like people sending in questions are all whiney little babies? They do understand we won, right? Most of them are the ones who say stuff like, "I don't care how we play as long as we win ..." Well, you won, so shut up already. … Or how about, "The national media doesn't give us any respect..." Boo freakin who. We won, enjoy it, I will!
John: Now, now, Jason … can't we all get along? I think most fans genuinely enjoyed the Jaguars' victory over the Bills, even the ones who wrote in upset about the second half. But honestly … although they fill my inbox with antagonism, angst and anger, the reality is these are passionate fans who want very much to see the Jaguars win. They follow, worry about and invest in this franchise and have every right to desperately want them to win. They also are rightly concerned about the long-term direction of the franchise, and it's understandable they want the Jaguars to be better than 2-5 – and for them to win in convincing fashion. That's what they're supposed to want, and thank goodness they do. This does not always mean they're right, just as I am not always right and the team is not always right. But are upset fans babies for wanting the Jaguars to succeed? No. Absolutely, definitely not.
Shaun from Baker:
Check out this scenario: I say move Aaron Colvin to free safety, and train James Sample (when he's healthy again) at corner. I know it sounds crazy, but I think it would work. Oh yeah – and, of course, get Davon House back in the No. 1 corner slot. What were they thinking? Anyway, thanks for hearing me out. Go Jags.
John: I don't see your scenario happening. Colvin and House have a chance to be very good corners, and I think they're clearly the best two on the roster at the position. The Jaguars think Sample has a chance to be a big-time player at safety, so he'll almost certainly remain there. As far as what the Jaguars were thinking benching House, he made a couple of very basic mistakes in the fourth quarter against Houston. The belief is he will respond to the benching and be better when/if he returns to the starting lineup. I imagine that's more a case of "when" than "if," and also imagine it will be a case of sooner rather than later.
Tom from Jacksonville:
Why is Toby Gerhart and Jason Myers still on this roster? I can't come to a logical reasoning ... especially since there is a proven kicker named Scobee sitting at home?
John: Gerhart and Myers is on this roster because of the same reason all players is on the roster – that despite any short-term errors, the people running the team believe as of now they are still better than the alternatives on the street. Myers, specifically, is on the roster because the Jaguars committed to his development when they chose to keep him over Josh Scobee. What does the future hold for Myers? We'll see. According to reports, the Jaguars will be trying out kickers this week.
Bryan from Our Nation's Capital:
Big O, help me … I'm still trying to wrap my head around why the NFL moved the extra point back and, in turn, gave these "Idiot kickers" that much more influence over the outcome of games. I thought we were trying to make it so that they had less influence in the final scores of games?!
John: Believe me, I'm with you on this. Moving the extra point has caused more missed extra points, but I don't get the idea that coaches are more inclined to go for two under the new rules. That's because they believe a kicker should make a 33-yard field goal. I'm old school, but I find the change irritating more than anything else.
Tommy from Jacksonville:
But there are annoying fans and unreasonable fans and obnoxious fans and...
John: … annoying and unreasonable and obnoxious senior writers.
The Lonely Jaguars from Winston Salem, NC:
I'm going to make it short; maybe, just maybe, then I will see a reply. It's just so hard to keep it short when I like this squad so much. It's been a long time since I have liked a group of Jags this much. They are just a likeable group ... oh, how one Sunday makes all the difference, eh?
John: The current Jaguars indeed are a likable group. That's a good thing, because the way some of the young kids are playing, it seems they may be around for a long time.
Hugo from Albuquerque, NM:
So the game was pretty successful streaming, getting around 15 million viewers. With more people ditching cable and using streaming services do you see the NFL realistically pursuing this avenue? That's a lot of ad revenue.
John: There's no question the NFL will pursue this avenue because more and more people – including yours truly – are cutting the cord. Plus, the NFL is figuring a way to monetize streaming. So, yeah …
Robert from Jacksonville:
Hi, John. Will Marqise and Denard be back after the bye for the Jets game? I think that would be big.
John: Denard Robinson actually was back for the Houston game, and though he didn't play on offense against the Bills it wasn't because of the knee injury that kept him out of three games. As for Marqise Lee … yes, I expect he will practice next week with the idea of playing that Sunday against the New York Jets.
Brian from New Hampshire:
Only being one game back of the division and the team is only going to get better as the season moves on, do you think there is a chance the Jaguars could steal the division? The Colts do not look like they are that much better than us this year.
John: There's little question that the Colts' struggles have left this division wide open. At the same time, I'm not going to spend a lot of time and energy on playoff scenarios until the Jaguars win … say, two consecutive games.
Mary from Jacksonville and Section 104:
Not really a question, just an observation. I was on NFL.com and Blake is up for Clutch Player of the Week, and Yeldon for Rookie of the Week. Plus we had a play in the Top 5 catches for this week. Despite all the frustrations of this season, our arrow is definitely pointing up.
John: Yep.
Brian from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL:
The 2014 rookie class has the potential to be one of the best ever for the Jags. Bortles, Robinson, Linder, Colvin, Smith and Hurns look like they could be long-term starters and Smith and Bowanko could be solid backups/potential starters. If Lee can get healthy and play to his potential you can add him to the list, too. This is the first rookie class that looks like a big "hit" since I have been a Jags fan (eight years).
John: Yep.
Shaun from Jacksonville:
Your BFF, Tony Boselli, predicted the Jaguars are going to come out of the bye and win three straight. Do you see the team making a run like it did in Bradley's first year after the bye week?
John: I heard that prediction. The nice thing about Boselli is he doesn't mind saying silly things that make good radio. That prediction indeed made really good radio. I have a tough time predicting a three-game winning streak for a team that hasn't won back-to-back games, but hey … the guy is on the wall. Maybe he knows something I don't.
Ron from Jacksonville:
What is the status of Greene? He is designated to return … any updates?
John: Rashad Greene indeed is on the injured reserve/designated to return list. He is expected to begin returning to practice next week and will be eligible to play against the Tennessee Titans on Thursday, November 19. That's important, because the Jaguars believe strongly that Greene has a chance to be a really good, important player in the offense. Those final seven games will be important to his development.
Bill from Jacksonville:
John, why is it refs tend to "swallow the whistle" on plays like Bortles' pick-six where it looks like A-Rob was interfered with because it was a bad throw – or they'll wave off a pass interference because they don't think the ball was catchable – but they won't swallow the whistle on a holding call on the other side of the field. You see calls all the time where a lineman or wide receiver holds on the far side of the field, and the play is run to the opposite side. The yards gained had nothing to do with the hold, but it's called anyway. If you're gonna swallow your whistle or wave off flags because it didn't have an impact, you should do the same for holding. Is this something you see as well? What do you think? Thanks! Go Jags!
John: Bill, amazingly enough, I couldn't agree with you more. Write this date down.