JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Bruce from Saint Simons Island, GA
O, Good to see the Jags win a game! Tough games ahead. If they get the running game going, they may have a chance for more wins.
The Jaguars currently have the running game going – and it was a major reason they beat the New England Patriots, 32-16, at Wembley Stadium in London this past Sunday. This was a major area of offseason focus – and that focus has yielded results. They rank 12th this season at 124.3 yards per game after ranking 23rd in the NFL with 96.3 yards per game rushing last season. They are averaging 5.1 yards per carry – tied for fourth in the NFL this season – after ranking 31st at 3.6 yards per carry last season. This reflects a team that is running very well on average. They haven't run as well in short-yardage situations or when teams know they need to run. If they continue to run well on average and improve in short-yardage situations, they absolutely should have a chance for more victories.
Daniel from Johnston, IA
O, have we reached the point where Bigsby should be getting the bulk of the carries regardless of Etienne's health/status? It's looking like to me he's earned it?
Running backs Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne Jr. increasingly have shared carries, with Bigsby increasingly earning those opportunities. They two players have different skill sets, and I expect Jaguars coaches to continue to play both extensively in different situations. Head Coach Doug Pederson's thoughts on the matter after Sunday's victory over the Patriots: "I'm a believer where injury doesn't replace your position. I think you have to have a fair competition. We're blessed to have two really good running backs right now. When Etienne comes back, he's just as explosive, just as good, just as powerful. It's still his job. Tank has done some really good things. We'll continue to find ways to put the ball in his hands."
Greg from St. Johns, FL
Very happy to have cornerback Tyson Campbell back in the secondary. Can we get a little bit of stick 'um for his gloves? Got a feeling we might actually need a pick or two to beat Green Bay.
The NFL doesn't allow stick 'um.
Tony from Johns Creek, GA
O, Bill Belichick is a good coach and possibly the most overrated. He rode the jersey tail of the GOAT. We saw the aftermath after the GOAT left and added another ring elsewhere.
Belichick is a high-end coach who will deservedly be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He wouldn't have been the same head coach without quarterback Tom Brady just as Brady wouldn't have been the same quarterback without Belichick. This is not unusual. There only has been one NFL head coach to "win no matter the quarterback." That was Joe Gibbs, who won Super Bowls with three different non-Hall of Fame quarterbacks – Joe Theismann, Doug Williams and Mark Rypien. Aside from Gibbs, most "great" NFL head coaches are very quarterback dependent. This is one reason why any conversation about "great" head coaches must include Gibbs.
John from Jacksonville
Hi, KOAGF - Here we are now with a chance to achieve that goal with three out of four games in the second quarter of the season before we enter the grueling third quarter of the season. I feel like our chances are slim but beating the Green Bay Packers would be our first signature win of the season and at least build some confidence and hope to be competitive again. What are your thoughts on the Packers?
That they're better than either of the teams the Jaguars have beaten this season – the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots – and that beating them indeed would be the Jaguars' best victory of the season. They're 5-2 and seem to be ascending. Sunday won't be easy.
Nick from Virginia Beach, VA
I love winning, I wish they did it all the time. What is it going to take to win Sunday?
Their best game of the season.
Rob from The duuuuuuuu
Wide receiver Parker Washington is an explosive threat that would make this offense better. He is our new Jamal Agnew, especially now that Devin Duvernay is injured. He is fast, quick and can make plays with the ball in his hands. I feel like he should be our third receiver. I understand Gabe is big and presumably a better blocker, but wouldn't you agree that Washington has a better chance at making big plays for this team?
Not necessarily. Washington indeed has played well and is capable. But he's similar enough in size and skill set to wide receiver Christian Kirk that it's tough to get them both on the field at the same time. Gabe Davis has had issues with drops this season, but it's equally tough to take reduce his snaps seven games after he signed as an unrestricted free agent.
Adam from Manchester
Have the Jags secured a new UK contract to extend their tenure past 2024.
Not yet, but the team's lease agreement with the City of Jacksonville allows six home games in London from 2025-2027.
Nick from Virginia Beach, VA
Will the Jags ever be good enough not to get flexed out of SNF?
The Jaguars played the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football in 2023.
Jeremy from Gilbert, AZ
I acknowledge Trevor has played better lately but will he ever mature to another level? For example, he makes it easier on opposing defenses by predictably audibling to run plays most of the time, running the play clock down so the defense can get a jump on the snap, wasting timeouts by not getting plays off in time, etc. He also rarely makes plays above the Xs and Os. He make a lot of plays that are there but that's it. I ask because if he doesn't mature to another level then I doubt the Jags ever win a Super Bowl.
I wonder about a little about your thought that Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence doesn't make plays above the Xs and Os. It's true that he doesn't make the spectacular plays with his legs that, say, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson or Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, make. But he's more of a pocket passer than those players. Lawrence's 58-yard completion to wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. Sunday was a perfect pass and was 60-ish yards in the air. The thought here was that was at least somewhat above the Xs and Os. It's true Lawrence hasn't yet made enough of these plays to be considered elite. Will Lawrence develop and do that more often? He's still growing. We'll see.
Gunga Dan from Sand Dune
Hi O. Football is a team sport and I think that team chemistry is a huge factor. I also think the only one who can bring this team together is safety Andrew Wingard. When will Wingman return?
Soon.
Patrick from Duval-section441
Walker Little looks good enough to be the guy, yet again. What did you think of his play? Cam is on his last year of his contract, I would love to see his contract turn into another draft pick via trade. Thoughts?
I thought Jaguars left tackle Walker Little played well Sunday in a victory over the Patriots, just as he played well late in the 2022 season when playing for then-injured Cam Robinson. Little didn't play as well at various positions during the 2023 season. Robinson, like Little, is in the final season of his contract. I wouldn't necessarily rule out Robinson being traded before the NFL's November 5 trade deadline, but I don't sense such a deal is imminent. Left tackle is an intriguing position for this team. They currently have two capable players at the spot, which is a positive. With both players in the final season of their contracts, two could become zero quickly. That's not a positive.
Nathan from Sacramento, by way of Duval
John, may I call you John? I read a response of yours to a question about whether or not Pederson talked with safety Andre Cisco about his "lot of quit" comment. At first, that got me thinking about how it can be intimidating for an "employee" to speak to someone in "management" who is several layers above him. Then I thought, "Doesn't Cisco have a coach he can talk to?" Which lead to the question, "Which coach would it be?" I mean, maybe Cisco has a good relationship with the defensive coordinator and he could ask Ryan Nielsen. Or maybe he is "tight" with the defensive backs coach and he could talk to Kris Richard. Or maybe he has a better relationship with the assistant secondary coach and him and Mike Gray could grab a beer some time. And now I'm shocked at how overcoached these guys probably are.
There indeed are many, many coaches at many different levels coaching many different things in the NFL these days. It's quite a scene.
