JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Michael from Orange Park, FL
Congrats, Freddy T. Well-deserved.
Former Jaguars running back Fred Taylor on Wednesday evening was announced as one of 15 modern-era finalists for the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. This marks an important step for Taylor and is the first time he has been a finalist after having previously been a semifinalist four previous times. This step matters because Taylor now will be discussed and voted upon in the final voting process to determine what likely will be five modern-era inductees. This means he is "in the room," and when Hall voters discuss players "in the room" it often enhances a candidate's chances of being enshrined because more voters fully grasp how much the candidate deserves the honor. Taylor absolutely is Hall-worthy. The more voters study his career, the more I suspect they will realize that. I long have expected Taylor to become a finalist and I expect that he eventually will be enshrined now that he has reached this step. I have no sense of whether that will happen this year, but this is significant. And so very well-deserved. Good for Taylor.
JT from Palm Coast, FL
Congrats to Freddy T on becoming a finalist. It was long overdue. He deserves to be in already. He was my favorite Gator and favorite Jag. His combo of power, finesse and speed was always underrated by the many that refused to give the Jags any credit. Congrats again to a legend!
Absolutely.
Bradley from Sparks, NV
Anything to the Jags going 6-1 and 25.1 ppg with Cam Robinson and 2-6 and 19.6 ppg without him?
Like most things statistics-related in the NFL, it's a little risky to correlate the Jaguars' records this season with and without left tackle Cam Robinson directly to his presence and absence. They're a better team with him, though. They run better with him. They seem to play tougher as a whole offensively with him. They seem to have more of an edge with him. He appears likely to play against the Carolina Panthers Sunday. That's a lot better for this team than him not playing.
John from Jacksonville
Hi KOAGF - Nobody should feel comfortable about this Sunday's game against the Panthers. They beat the Atlanta Falcons and the Houston Texans. They lost six games by seven points or less. These teams like to play spoiler, similar to how we felt when the Jags were bad but rose up to beat a playoff contender. I'm glad and hopeful that Robinson and some others return. The fun continues...
I don't expect anyone around the Jaguars will feel comfortable about Sunday's game against the Panthers. Then again, I didn't expect the Jaguars to play as they did against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday. I'm not going to pretend to have a feel for this team. I sort of did a month ago. Or at least I thought I did. This team still has a chance to get into the postseason. It still controls its destiny to win a second consecutive division title. That's special. That's historical. Will they play like it Sunday? We'll see.
Kathy from Jacksonville, FL
Are the Jaguars "pass happy?" Is there too much focus on "big plays?"
The Jaguars pass a lot these days. They pass 59.94 percent of plays this season, which is eighth highest in the NFL. They have passed 74.49 percent of plays in the last three games, the highest in the NFL over that span. Considering how poorly they have run in the last five games, I get it.
JK from NY & Fernandina Beach
John - The path forward is clear: Win Sunday at The 'Bank and on to Tennessee. The December slide has been historically bad. But so was October '22 (only the Jags can achieve the dubious distinction of losing five games in one month and then winning the Division). The Jags as a team need to look deep inside themselves this week and decide whether they are moving forward or regressing to the "Same Old Jags." Football is a team game. Each player must give 100 percent every play. It is cliche, but true, that those lucky enough to have played football at any level have experienced the joy of playing the game. Every Jag needs to remember this week why we all love this game. Each of us would trade places with them if we could on Sunday to have the opportunity to compete for an AFC South Championship on a sunny North Florida New Year's Eve afternoon in front of 70,000 fans. John, can the Jags rise to the occasion?
I can't call the December slide "historically bad." The first two games of the four-game losing streak were close losses to the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns. They're both contending, good teams … so nothing historically bad there. They then lost to the Baltimore Ravens with the Ravens pulling away from a close game in the fourth quarter. The Ravens right now look like the NFL's best team … so again, not historical stuff. The Jaguars gave away a lot in those games, but it didn't seem to be about pride or lack of urgency. Sunday's loss to the Buccaneers seemed about those things. Maybe that game was a one-off. Maybe it was a Christmas Eve thing. Maybe they were tired. I honestly don't know. I do know you're right about the opportunity that's at hand. The Jaguars still have a chance to finish 10-7 and win the AFC South. That should be plenty of incentive.
Adam from Round Here
Zone, I think I am going to treat the last few weeks like you treat the memory of the Culligan Girl.
I have no idea what you're talking about.
_Rob from the duuuuuu _
There must be something wrong with the stats, Zone. They say that Travon Walker has more sacks than Aidan Hutchinson, and Joey Bosa – and that Josh Allen has more sacks than Myles Garrett. Maybe the book of Travon got written a little too soon? He had the higher ceiling. That's why we picked him. I would love for he and Josh to remain a thing for a long time.
Jaguars outside linebacker Travon Walker has been very good this season. That has been true all season. If stats are now supporting that … well, good for him, I suppose.
Gerry from Jacksonville
Two games left and – unfortunately – about to miss the playoffs after being on top four weeks ago! I read and listen to Head Coach Doug Pederson and quarterback Trevor Lawrence trying to figure this out. How about taking a drastic measure to deal with players that seem to have lost focus? Go into training camp mode, quarantine them for the week, keep them away from whatever is distracting them and then see what happens?
League rules prohibit "training camp mode" during the regular season. You can pretty much hit one day a week at the most and you must keep to a regular-season schedule. I get it, though. It's not a horrible thought.
Jeff from Atlantic Beach, FL
The Jaguars get hot, win their final two games and make a deep run in the playoffs. Or the Jaguars stay cold, lose their final two games and miss the playoffs. The way the season has played out, would either of these scenarios surprise you?
No.
John from Jacksonville
Hi KOAGF - I think the Jags team should call it a season and get ready for 2024. There isn't much going right that would give them a chance to make a playoff game interesting. Let's give the Colts or Texans a chance. I must say I'm impressed with Trevor's toughness in not missing a start but it's a hollow victory to just start but play careless in the process of doing so.
The cynics among us might say they looked like they had called it a season on Sunday and those cynics would have a point. But I don't expect the Jaguars to call it a season. With so much at stake, it would be a shame if they did that.
Bruce from Saint Simons Island, GA
It is now reasonable to panic. The Jags will have a hard time winning any of the two remaining games under current circumstances. Will the New Year's Eve game end with a DJ Chark revenge?
The Jaguars can win their final two games. They need to force takeaways, protect the ball and get back to being good against the run. There's no reason they can't do these things. But they haven't done these things in a while so it's fair to be skeptical on this front.
Don from Marshall, NC
If this team finds a way to win a division crown that would be spectacular. Go Jaguars!
When it comes to the spectacular nature of the Jaguars potentially winning a second consecutive AFC South title, Don remains "all in."
