Join jaguars.com senior editor Vic Ketchman as he tackles the fans' tough questions.
Eric from Neptune Beach, FL:
I don't believe the Jags played their best game against the Falcons in 1996, however, it didn't seem to affect them during that playoff run. Am I wrong?
Vic: I think you may be applying the term "best football" too strictly. The Jaguars won their final five games of the regular season to make the playoffs. I think they very definitely were playing their best football when they reached the playoffs.
Wesley from Jacksonville:
Vic, 49 degrees might not seem like a lot for a football fan to endure, but when you come down with bronchitis from the team-sponsored screaming match at the Colts the week before, it's kind of hard to justify losing another four days of work. Do they air-condition the press box to simulate the temperature in the cheap seats?
Vic: The temperature in the press box is critical. If you get it too hot, the ice in our free soft drinks tends to melt too quickly and dilutes the drink. If you get it too cold, however, our free hot dogs tend to cool off and get rubbery. At this time of the year, I think the temperature should be adjusted for comfort in a long sleeve shirt and a light sweater vest.
Jason from Jacksonville:
Going into this season, I think two areas that were critical for the Jags to improve in were third-down defense and red-zone offense. Can you give your impressions and/or stats to demonstrate their strides in those areas?
Vic: The Jaguars were 24th in the league in third-down defense in 2004; they are second so far this year. They were 31st in red-zone offense in '04; they are 12th so far this year.
Tyler from Coon Rapids, IA:
Could you please post that article about the Jaguars circling Mile High Stadium for those who haven't read it?
Vic: I don't know where the story is but I can tell you it was really cool. The Jaguars just kept circling and circling, taunting the Broncos and throwing those little rolls they serve on the plane out at them. Remember that horse on top of the scoreboard in the one end zone? The pilot dipped his wing; it was like right out of the "Godfather." You would've loved it. Too bad the Jaguars didn't have Reggie Williams back then. That's the way football should be. I mean, what good is it if you can't taunt, right? Hey, Tyler, it wasn't Mile High the Jaguars circled. It was Alltel, which was Jacksonville Municipal back then. It was estimated that about 40,000 fans came to Jacksonville Municipal for a middle-of-the-night welcome home celebration. Before the Jaguars landed at the Jacksonville airport, the pilot buzzed the stadium in an extra-low, dip-the-wing flyover that left little doubt who was in that 757.
T.J. from Jacksonville:
Anytime someone tells me "perception is reality" I tell them this: Get a fan and a strobe light. Plug them in and turn them on in a dark room. Look at the fan. Your perception says the fan isn't moving. Stick your hand in the fan. Now that's reality!
Vic: All right, now what am I gonna do with these fingers?
Alex from Fairfax, VA:
Is Dominick Davis expected to play this Saturday?
Vic: Davis is listed as "questionable" with a knee injury. That means Davis has a 50 percent chance of playing.
Mark from Panama City Beach, FL:
The wife and I will be locked down and certainly not enjoying ourselves at the local pub to see this game; busy with family time. With that said, my letter to Santa is being forwarded to you: Just blog, baby, blog.
Vic: I never blogged before on Christmas Eve. I wonder what it's like.
Ryan from Jacksonville:
I was very disappointed that Stroud is the only Jag to make the Pro Bowl. I really thought Peterson was going to go, as well. Do you think the NFL should do something about the voting process because it's just a popularity contest?
Vic: I try not to comment too much on Pro Bowl selections and the fairness or unfairness of the voting process because I don't want to rain on somebody's parade. To be selected to the Pro Bowl you have to be a very good player and I want to respect that. I also don't want to comment too much on the fan balloting issue because that'll only flood my inbox and, thus, make a whole lot more work for me. Here's what I will say: My greatest concern about the Pro-Bowl is how it affects a player's chance of getting into the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is the honor I respect above all individual honors. I truly revere the men who are selected for induction into the Hall of Fame and I think the Hall of Fame selection committee does an outstanding job of identifying those men who are worthy of immortality. Selection to the Pro Bowl, however, is a major criteria in Hall of Fame selection. If a player wasn't judged to be one of the best players of his era, how can he be judged to be one of the best players of all-time? That's why I hate to see Pro Bowl selection treated as a popularity or name recognition contest. Fan voting is a wonderful marketing tool, but it must not be abused. To do so is to risk compromising the integrity of the game's history. The Pro Bowl selection process should be treated with the utmost of scrutiny and evaluation because it will weigh very, very heavily in defining a player's career.
