WATFORD, United Kingdom – Let's get to it …
Colin from Sanford
The first few weeks of the year I was looking for someone to blame, John. But now I'm just sad. Sad thinking about my 23 years of season tickets, all the questions I've submitted to the O-Zone over the past dozen years, all the time I spent talking excitedly with friends this offseason, sad about how after a long week of dealing with the hurricane how much I just wanted to wake up and watch some good football. Sad that we're one of those franchises who will just never be good.
Your feelings and sentiments are valid – just as any such sentiments are valid in the wake of a loss as ugly and disappointing as the Jaguars' 35-16 loss to the Chicago Bears at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London Sunday. But while Sunday was brutal and frustrating – and inexcusable -- there's no reason the Jaguars "will just never be good." They have been good at various times in their history. They were good in 2022 and won the AFC South title, and they were good early in 2023. They will be good again. They're just not very good right now and considering the expectations entering the season, that's very disappointing.
Kevin from Richmond, VA
How bad is this team? Head Coach Doug Pederson and his coaches are to blame for 90 percent of these mistakes. All pre-snap penalties and coverage busts are on coaching staff.
First, your question: "How bad is this team?" Very bad, because 1-5 with multiple double-digit losses and listless, helpless performance is by definition very bad in professional football. And this is professional football. Second, your statement: "All pre-snap penalties and coverage busts are on the coaching staff." This is one of those bold statements that sounds great in theory but has little basis in reality. Because this is professional football.
James from Titusville, NJ
And they call themselves professionals?
They do.
David from Eau Claire
Would this team be great if it had different players? The coaching is outstanding but players not so much?
Would the Jaguars be great if they had different players? I have no idea. Would they be better if they had more players who made big plays – and fewer mistakes – when needed? There's a good chance of that.
Lance from Lebanon, TN
Last year's defense was better than this year's defense. Prove me wrong!
The Jaguars' defense early last season was a lot better than it was late. The defense late last season struggled in a big way. The results through six games haven't been good enough for me to spend much time following your command.
Amazed from the Ozone
The team seems to have an identity of being sloppy and undisciplined. Has this been a complete collapse yet? There is rarely anything positive this season.
The Jaguars have had two awful games in the last month – a 47-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 3 and Sunday's loss to the Bears. They played comparatively well in the two games between that – a narrow loss to the Houston Texans and a narrow victory over the Indianapolis Colts – so I wouldn't call it a complete collapse. The question now is how they respond this week. This was a bad loss Sunday and a 1-5 record can sap confidence. This is an intriguing week in that sense.
Tommy from Duval
This team has imploded. They have completely lost their confidence. I'm so perplexed because this is not a bad roster.
You're correct that this isn't a bad roster. I think it's a good roster in a lot of spots. But the early results of this season indicate that it's not a great roster. Great rosters have big-time players who make big plays in big moments and take over games. That doesn't happen enough to call this a great roster.
Kevin from Richmond, VA
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence and defensive end Travon Walker are both No. 1 picks that are total busts.
This may be nitpicking but they're not total busts and they're not close. They're not yet great, elite players. But they're not total busts. They're just not.
Mike from Lakeland
Said it last week, but this secondary needs help, bad.
Fair.
Scott from Jax in De
Embarrassing O-man. You think Khan will be making a statement after this embarrassing loss??
I sincerely doubt Jaguars Owner Shad Khan will be making a statement after Sunday's loss. This would be unusual for any owner in that situation.
Tony from Johns Creek, GA
O, there's nothing a coach could do to avoid this latest debacle. This loss is solely on the players.
A loss such as Sunday's is rough enough that there is no "solely."
Mitch from Jacksonville
Hello apathy.
It's fair for fans to be apathetic after Sunday. I admire a fan who's not apathetic after Sunday. It's not the fans' job to be enthusiastic about a team that plays as the Jaguars did Sunday. It's the Jaguars' job to give fans a reason to not be apathetic.
David from Eau Claire
One for you for sorting through all the angry questions this week.
I am the king of all funk.
Lance from Lebanon, TN
Too early for the draft now? This "team" is picking in the top three. AGAIN!
I don't dig deep into the draft – or answer many questions about it – until after the regular season. That's true whatever the Jaguars' record. I have mentioned this often over the years. It seems a good time to mention it again.
Fat Pat from St Johns County
Can we get one fer Marcedes Lewis? Still rocking it in the NFL at 40. One of the Jaguars best tight ends of all time and was released by the team way too early.
One fer Lewis? No doubt.
Andrew from Los Angeles, CA
This defense needs a change Ryan must go, very bad coached team.
We're six games into the season. The defense has had a lot of rough moments in those six games, and the performance hasn't been good enough in three of the past four games. I don't expect defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen to "go" anytime soon.
Season Over from Sadville
Back to the sad reality of being a very bad team. Is three wins too high of a hope for the season?
I believe the Jaguars can win more than three games this season.
Frank from St Augustine
Johnny. It appears that when given six days to prepare for our game, our offensive geniuses can put together one great drive. Once the defense adjust were unable to do anything. As other teams adjust their schemes offensively and defensively mid game why are we not able to?
Sometimes when a team does well early in games and falters late it's because the opposition figures out what that team can do well, adjusts to that and the team in question isn't good enough to adapt to the change. I thought entering the season the Jaguars would be good enough to adjust in that situation. They didn't look good enough to do that Sunday. That doesn't mean they can never do it. That doesn't mean that observation is correct. It means that's how it looked on Sunday.
Art from Glassboro NJ
It wasn't Mike Caldwell, was it?
It's always coaching in the NFL.
Dave from Jacksonville
The Jags are truly consistent and elite in one area. Finding ways to lose.
The Jaguars are 1-5 this season and 2-10 in their last 12 games. It's difficult to disagree with your assessment.
Mike from Lakeland
Embarrassing.
It sure wasn't good.
Rob from St Augustine, FL
A generational QB, 2 talented RBs, an all-pro TE, 3 great WRs, and a veteran OL. Why is it so difficult for this offense to score points???
Because not everything in your statement is true. Lawrence is not yet a generational quarterback, Evan Engram is a good tight end but not an All-Pro and the Jaguars have three starting-level receivers – and that is not the same as three great receivers. The Jaguars have a lot of good players on offense – and on defense. I don't know that they have elite players. And if they do, they're not playing like elite players consistently this season. Or very often at all.
Sascha from Cologne
Hey John, can we agree that even though it's early in the season this free agent class is not what we all hoped for to say it nice. Will there be a point where someone will be held accountable for these decisions?
All will be evaluated at the proper time. What action will be taken at that time will depend on evaluation. Beyond firing people, I don't know what accountability means in the NFL and I don't sense firings are imminent.
Scott from Jax in De
I feel sorry for you, O-man. Too bad your salary isn't based on the amount of hate mail you receive. You'd be able to retire by season's end. Or pay off your therapists, at least.
Don't cry for me, Argentina. The truth is, I never left you.
