JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it … Andrew from Toledo, OH:
Is it possible we have too many weapons on offense? Could this be confusing Blake Bortles and/or Greg Olson on spreading the ball around? I mean, it seems as if they are stuck in the mud because they do not know where to go with the ball.
John: No, the Jaguars do not have too many weapons on offense. They perhaps have had some trouble adjusting to wide receiver Allen Robinson receiving a lot of safety-over-the-top looks, but even that is a premature conclusion. The offense for the most part was OK against Green Bay. The San Diego game got so out of hand so quickly that it's difficult to draw sweeping conclusions from the outcome. The overall issue with the offense early has stemmed far more from penalties and turnovers than from any confusion about what players to involve in the offense. If the Jaguars can reduce mistakes, retain possession and keep themselves in manageable down-and-distance situations they will find attaining offensive efficiency and production infinitely more attainable. Either way, let's let a few more weeks play out before we make sweeping conclusions about the Jaguars' offense. And by the way, if the problem offensively indeed is too much talent that pretty much defines the term "fixable issue."
Tiger from Jacksonville:
I am as upset with the 0-2 start as anyone, but I love my Jags. I would say to fans and players – as well as the coaching staff – that there are plenty of teams throughout history that have started slowly then exploded! Don't let the start discourage you. Keep watching. Keep supporting. If we finish .500, it's a heck of lot better than what we've done in years. Stand up, 12th man, and make some noise!
John: #DTWD
Berry from Camp Buehring, Kuwait:
I may be looking way too far ahead, but entertain me. Do you believe the Jaguars would consider selecting a running back in the first round next year if the running game does not pick up as expected? The crop seems to be stronger than it has been in a long time, with Dalvin Cook and Leonard Fournette both being considered big-time backs.
John: It indeed is way too far ahead, but it's not likely the Jaguars select a running back in the first round next offseason. First, T.J. Yeldon and Chris Ivory appear to be a very capable tandem. Second, it's just difficult to justify taking a running back in the first round if there are equal players on the draft board.
Levi from Bloomington, IN:
What, if anything, do you think will happen if we're 0-4 at the bye? After the game against Green Bay, I wasn't worried about it, figured we played well enough to pull out at least two wins. Now, after the blowout against San Diego, 0-4 is a very real possibility. Baltimore is very good, and division games are always tough, especially when the other team has Andrew Luck.
John: I honestly don't believe the Jaguars will be 0-4 at the bye and I certainly don't think the Jaguars will look the way they did against San Diego in the next two games. I answer that way because I think three consecutive such games would indeed be disastrous – and I always have believed it would take something disastrous for Jaguars Owner Shad Khan to do anything extreme during the season.
Taylor from JAYcksonville:
John, how about this for an offense? Every play, we run five players out on a varied array of routes out of various formations. Two or three routes go past the first down, the others work underneath. Take shots down field often. Risk it for the biscuit. … If it doesn't work, it won't work spectacularly. Go-for-a-first-down-every-play mindset instead of trying to get into a manageable down and-distance with back-to-back four-yard rushes. Oh... and no screens.
John: I'm with you on reducing the screens. As for the rest of your plan, it sounds as if you're sending five receivers into every pattern and leaving the quarterback exposed and never running the ball and throwing downfield about half the time. It sounds terrific on paper. I'm not a fan of the approach, particularly because I think the Jaguars' running game has had enough flashes early that I wouldn't get away from it. How about this? Throw a little more on early downs/distances, get Chris Ivory involved/healthy and run the offense at a quicker tempo with less time between plays? That's not your 2016 run-and-shoot offense, but it might get things going a bit.
Scott from Atlantic Beach, FL:
I went from no expectations to now I just expect them to lose. That's who they've been and that's who they are. I would tell my fellow Jag fans: just expect them to lose then when they do it's not so bad. And who knows? Three or four times a year you get a pleasant surprise. They aren't good until they're good. The Jags aren't a winning football franchise; they've taught me that.
John: That's fair. The Jaguars have earned that attitude, and if that's your attitude, I can't argue that you're wrong. It's now time for this team to win and help you change that attitude. I'm not being snide or condescending. That's just how it is. That's the task.
Mark from High Springs:
This season is reminding me a lot of 2010. We were hopeful after our home opener beating Denver then lost to the Chargers, 38-13. We got crushed by the Eagles at home before our miracle win against the Colts. If we follow suit, Sunday will be painful and London should be a lot of fun. While I expect this to be the case, it saddens me that in the fourth year of Caldwell's rebuild we've finally gotten the team to the level of proficiency we had in 2010. That year we finished 8-8, but had a handful of blowout losses and won a few by the skin of our teeth. If we can get to .500 this year, but in 2010 fashion, what does that say about the organization?
John: The Jaguars to be honest appear to most observers a long way from 8-8; that's what happens to appearances after 0-2 starts and blowout losses. But if the Jaguars indeed do finish 8-8? What would that say? It would say that the Jaguars finished three games better than last season, and it would say that they appear to finally be recovering and establishing a young, developing roster after being at a very low point in the first few years after 2010.
Ben from Gainesville, FL:
Where's Malik Jackson, Julius Thomas? Guess Jacksonville is a vacation for free agents.
John: False – quite false, in fact. Jackson has no sacks, but defensive tackles are rarely big sacks guys and can't be measured as such. He has gotten penetration and for the most part he has played fine. Thomas has nine receptions for 135 yards and a touchdown in two games. That translates to 72 receptions for 1,080 and eight touchdowns. That's more than acceptable.
Jordan from Jacksonville:
Will we win Sunday?
John: I think the Jaguars will play much better against Baltimore than they did in San Diego and I believe they have a real chance to win. I do not know if they will win or not.
MrPadre from Kingsland, GA:
I still have no idea which team this is: the one that hung tough with Green Bay on opening weekend or the one we saw last week. I'll let you know Sunday about 4 pm. Still #DTWD.
John: Me, too.
Greg from Section 122:
Rodgers, Rivers, Flacco, Luck. Two of these guys have been in Super Bowls. The other two are perennial-playoff quarterbacks. Tough first four games to face. But honestly any starting quarterback in the NFL is going to be good. If we lose to the Ravens and lose badly it will get really ugly quick.
John: I must admit I smiled when I read "will get ugly." I also thought to myself, "Will get ugly? Isn't it as ugly as it can get already?" I didn't smile as much when I thought through the answer.
David from Oviedo, FL:
O-Zone, in your preseason predictions you were consistent in your belief that it would take time for this young team to come together and that there would be hiccups in the process – and that they would be better at the end than in the beginning. All of this still holds true, yet everybody is hitting the panic button. Some fans feel that firing some or all of the coaching staff is the only solution. Personally, I have faith in our coaches and players that they will come together and start winning some games. I want to say that I was there all along and that I didn't turn my back on the team, coaches or players when things got a little tough. That's how I choose to be a fan.
John: It must a cold, lonely, barren place out there in your world. Stay strong. Drink fluids. Stay hydrated, my friend. Stay hydrated.