Ask Vic: It's not Gronk, it's Brady & O-Zone: Good, cruddy feeling

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com Follow John on twitter Like The O-Zone on facebook

JACKSONVILLE – We usually look ahead on Wednesday. We’ll allow a little look back today. There’s time for that. That’s not a fun fact, just a fact.

Let’s get to it …

Jeff from Jacksonville:

Philip Rivers, J.J. Watt, Jason Witten, Eric Berry, Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald, Joe Thomas. Just some of the borderline Hall of Fame players who have been in this league for a long time who never have played in a conference championship game. I’d say the Jags did pretty good and got a ton of playoff experience this season.

John: True, true, true. What the Jaguars did during the 2017 season is hard. Really hard. They got closer to the Super Bowl than at any other time in franchise history in this sense: never before had they led the AFC Championship Game in the fourth quarter. They trailed the entire game when they lost to the New England Patriots in 1996 and never led in the fourth quarter when they lost to the Tennessee Titans in 1999. The fact that they reached higher than any previous Jaguars team this past season doesn’t mean you shouldn’t feel disappointed, heartbroken and even angry that they fell a few minutes short of the Super Bowl. It darned sure doesn’t mean what happened Sunday didn’t hurt. It does mean that the Jaguars had a hell of a season that won’t soon be forgotten and one that should stand out as special for a long time – and a season that a lot of other teams and players wished they could have experienced.

Marshal from Palm Coast, FL:

O-Man, how beneficial do you think it would have been on that last drive to have someone the caliber of out there for BB5 who can just go up and get it when we needed it most?

John: Very.

Julio from So Cal:

I will give you three reasons why the Jags lost the AFC Championship Game. Kneel with 55 seconds remaining in the first half, delay of game on third down, not blitzing on third-and-18. We talk about holding players accountable, how about coaches?

John: I would have liked to have seen perhaps a draw or a screen at the end of the first half Sunday, possibly to – just to see if his speed could have created something. I think you can make the argument that the Jaguars got a touch too conservative there – and yes, the delay of game shortly before that that negated a first down to tight end was a killer …. the second half may have played out far differently had the Jaguars gotten a field goal there. I didn’t have a problem with the Jaguars not blitzing on third-and-18 in the fourth quarter; this team has been a pressure-with-four, cover-with-seven defense much of the year. If blitzing was the automatic solution to all defensive problems, all teams would blitz every play and no team would ever lose. As far as holding coaches accountable, the Jaguars lost in the AFC Championship Game; the hurt everyone feels is real. I think coaches did too good a job this season to expect firings, so I suppose I’m asking what should happen to hold the coaches accountable? Flogging? Public shaming? Beaten about the face and neck? I’ll check to see if these are options.

Alan from Aurora, IL:

Is the Pro Bowl roster finalized now? How many Jags will be participating?

John: Five Jaguars players are expected to participate in the Pro Bowl in Orlando this week: Cornerback , cornerback , defensive tackle , linebacker and defensive end . Defensive end opted out of the game Monday. Ramsey, Bouye and Jackson were originally voted into the game, with Smith and Ngakoue being named on Monday.

Jeremy from Rhode Island:

John, this one stings and will sting for a while not because the Jags lost a great battle to a great team but because the manner in which the officiating aided the Patriots win. When you take away the fairness of a sport, you don’t have a sport. You have a con.

John: A few calls went against the Jaguars Sunday. I thought the interference against Bouye at the end of the first half was an incorrect call, and there’s little question linebacker ’s fumble recovery should have resulted in a touchdown. I also think it slightly defies logic that the Patriots committed no penalties offensively or defensively. I won’t call what happened Sunday a con, because it’s not my belief that there was a categorical conspiracy to help one team or the other, but those calls were unfortunate.

Ryan from the Pit of Misery:

John, how is it that in consequential games, the Patriots always get the benefit of the doubt on 50/50 calls? How is it possible that this is the only game all year that Jags’ defensive line doesn’t force at least one offensive holding call? How does a secondary that only drew five pass-interference calls all season were flagged for two in Foxboro? Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola not flagged for blatantly head-butting Jaguars safety right in front of a ref? How is Jack whistled down with nobody touching him? I’m sorry, but I just need to vent O-man. What recourse is there for the rest of the NFL World that feels year after year that the Patriots are in cahoots with the NFL and their referees? I know who I’ll be rooting for in the Super Bowl – Philly Philly.

John: All of those are fair things to feel, and I will tell you the non-call on Amendola head-butting Gipson was a major topic in the Jaguars’ locker room after the game. I can’t disagree with the pass interference on Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey. The call against Bouye … well …

Mike from Jacksonville:

The Jaguars’ defense this season must hold the all-time record for defensive touchdowns egregiously nullified due to the quick whistle. Even more shameful is that there is a chance it directly altered who is playing in the Super Bowl this year.

John: The call that negated Jack’s potential hurt. It changed momentum. One thing that should be remembered, though: The Jaguars got possession at their 33 after the play and did not get a first down. They had the ball and a chance to do something with it – and went three-and-out. As angry as people want to get with the Patriots winning all of the time and getting breaks, it should also be noted that they are good enough to take advantage of the breaks once they get them. That’s a far more significant a part of their success as any good fortune. There was no rule that the Patriots had to score a touchdown after interference call on Bouye. There was no rule that the Jaguars couldn’t get a first down after the Jack fumble recovery. There was no rule that the Jaguars couldn’t have made a few plays at the end of the game when the Patriots had momentum. A lot of teams get breaks and don’t turn them into victories. The Patriots are good enough to take advantage of them more often than not.

Pedal from Farnborough, Hampshire, UK:

Oh Mighty ‘O,’ I spent Monday in a stunned daze. Even my wife was sympathetic as I stared into space and, “We were SO close;” she usually hears white noise when I mention the Jags. For the last seven days, I had hope and belief we could go all the way. This year was going to be OUR year. I was in the Jaguars UK Pub watching the game with friends I had made since the Jags started playing in the International Series. For years, I thought I was the only Jags fan in the UK. We cheered every first down and celebrated every score like lunatics. Our hearts were broken with 2:48 left. As I stood there fighting back the tears, a few fans were saying, “What a great year it was for the Jags.” We won the division. We hosted and won a playoff Game. We beat the Steelers – again. I’m not there yet, mighty ‘O.’ It might take a week or two before I look back and smile. You fall seven times, you stand up eight. DTWD!

John: You don’t have to smile yet. People aren’t smiling here. Players aren’t smiling. Coaches aren’t smiling. Sexton is smiling, but it’s because his stylist told him it was OK to wear a kerchief on camera, so that’s not all that pertinent to this discussion. Point being, you get over emotions and heartache at your own pace. Grieve if you must, but remember: this is sort of a good, cruddy feeling – and this cruddy feeling is so much better than the cruddy feelings of the past five or six seasons. There’s legitimate hope that the good feelings will continue to outweigh the cruddy ones around these parts for a while.

VIC:

Nathan from New York, NY
The Eagles defense gets better when Carson Wentz gets injured, while the Packers defense gets worse (twice) when Aaron Rodgers gets injured. How do you explain that?

The Eagles defense has true headliners, led by Fletcher Cox, who I believe is right behind Aaron Donald among defensive tackles. That’s not a scheme defense. The Eagles have the personnel to line up and whip you.

Steve from New Britain, CT
Did you agree with the review of the Lewis fumble? I didn’t because at the instant his knee touched the ground, the ball was still pinned to his thigh and not loose or out of his control.

I’m OK with the call because the ball had moved, but I’m not OK with the wimpy “call stands” ruling by Al Riveron; I’m assuming it was his ruling. The replay provided a perfect view of the ball, Lewis’ grasp of it, his knee and the ground. Come on, Al, it’s got to be either reversed or confirmed, not stands.

Dan from Madison, WI
How did Minnesota’s defense get beat so bad?

It ate the pizza. I thought the Jaguars defense did, too.

Brandon from Jacksonville Beach, FL
Vic, please explain how Bouye interfered with Cooks running out of bounds of his own volition.

There was too much contact by Bouye. There is no more bump and run. Maybe the call should’ve been illegal contact. Either way, the Jaguars secondary allowed 310 yards passing (gross) and collapsed at crunch time. No. 1 pass defense? It gave up 779 yards and seven touchdowns to the Steelers and Patriots combined. I think the Jaguars defense needs to stop talking and start playing.

Dan from Sebastopol, CA
Vic, which team impressed you the most Sunday?

Does Tom Brady count as a team? Where are the “it’s Gronk, not Brady” people today? Brady wins with Gronk and without Gronk. Gronk is a Brady creation, just as Deion Branch was and Charlie Weiss was and maybe even Bill Belichick is. Brady is the greatest football player of all time. Take air out of the ball or put air in the ball; it doesn’t matter. Stitches in his passing hand? No problem.

Ryan from Mukwonago, WI
Vic, just watched Coach Belichick’s Friday press conference. He is pretty disrespectful to the media. I don’t know how those guys even show up and ask questions, knowing what the responses are likely to be. Did Coach McCarthy, Coughlin or Noll ever behave like this?

I’m not a Bill Belichick fan for that reason. I was fortunate to grow up covering pro football when its coaches accepted their responsibility for promoting the game. Baseball was the national pastime back then, and football was the college game. Coach Noll tolerated me because he knew it was good for the game, and I am eternally grateful to him. Back then, coaches conducted something known as the “five o’clock” club, at which coaches and media enjoyed a late-day beer at training camp. Information was passed. A coach would say, “Keep an eye on the kid from Kansas; he’s making a move.” We developed relationships that lasted throughout our careers. Those days are gone. Now, coaches do everything they can to avoid the media. It’s that way because pro football is so popular it doesn’t need the every-day media anymore, only its TV partners. Coach Noll wasn’t a tell-all kind of guy, but he’d throw out a nugget and then give you that look that let you know you just got something good. I remember covering a 1987 replacement players game in Atlanta. Mike Webster had crossed picket lines to play in the game, which shocked me. Away from other reporters, I asked Coach Noll why Mike would cross picket lines. Coach Noll explained Mike was retiring at the end of the season. He trusted I would use that information responsibly. As it turned out, Mike played on, which was an indication of his financial difficulties. Tom Coughlin always worked at being good with the media. I liked that about him. I think Mike McCarthy could be the best in the business at working with the media. He would’ve been a perfect fit in the “five o’clock club” era. I think it’s unfortunate he feels a need to keep a distance from the media and maintain an edge in his press conferences. I guess it’s a sign of the times. I like the old days better.

John from Logansport, IN
What are we doing for “Ask Vic Day” this year?

If I hosted an “Ask Vic Day” in the area under my house known as the party pavilion, ambulances would have to be parked on site to transport all the Wisconsin types who would succumb to the heat and bugs. The mosquitoes would thank me for such a delicious meal.

Dolly from Madison, WI
There are two good storytellers out there: Vic and Lt. Joe Kenda.

My first newspaper job was in a town just a few miles from where Kenda lived. It was a gritty coal-mining town, a most unlikely place to produce a TV star. I guess you find TV stars where you find TV stars.

Michael from Fernandina Beach, FL
It hurts, Vic.

Joy feels like heaven. When you hurt, you know you’re alive.

Mark from Ventura, CA
Does the large number of underclassmen declaring for the 2018 draft create a drought of premier choices for the 2019 draft?

It’s like bitcoin. Somebody’s going to pay for this madness.

Alex from Brooklyn, NY
I haven’t seen anybody else mention the salary cap advantage the Jaguars have. Can you tell me exactly what happened?

As a result of the uncapped year in 2010 and stripping the team for sale, the Jaguars got so far under the salary cap minimum it was impossible for them to quickly become cap compliant once the league had a new CBA in 2011. The league structured a long-term plan for the Jaguars to regain cap compliance; it involves two four-year bands (2013-16 and 2017-20). Effectively, the Jaguars have had and will continue to have more cap room and maneuverability in using it than the teams in the league that didn’t salary dump in 2010. The proponents of cap spending tell you about Malik Jackson and A.J. Bouye, but they don’t tell you about Toby Gerhart and Davon House. Most teams couldn’t have signed Jackson and Bouye if they had signed Gerhart and House; there are other busts, too. What surprised me when this plan was announced is the Jaguars suffered no loss-of-draft-picks penalty for non-compliance.

Daniel from Los Angeles, CA
I respect your opinion very much on all things, but you’re dead wrong about Blake Bortles. He is the Jaguars’ future starting QB.

Will they continue playing scared, as they did when they took a knee with 55 seconds to play in the first half? That doesn’t work in today’s game.

Brad from Parker, CO
What personnel group would Coach Vic employ in the “Ketchman 0-0-11” defense? Is it all defensive backs or do you throw in a couple of wide receivers and linebackers for hands, size, etc.?

I employ my best defenders and tacklers. Hey, there were 10 seconds left to play and the Vikings were out of times out. Why were the Saints rushing Keenum? You don’t want to rush him. You want him to take his time, right? I can’t help but think of George Perles, who was fond of saying, “That’s why MIT doesn’t have a football team.” These days, MIT has a football team. What does that say about MIT?

Pete from Minneapolis, MN
Nick Foles is lighting it up. What do you make of his plight?

He has the size and skill set to be “The Man.” So what’s holding him back? If I needed a quarterback, I’d take a long, hard look at Foles. Is there any chance he’s a late bloomer?

Steve from Pueblo, CO
Vic, wanted to say thank you for your “memories make us rich” line. I was terminated at my job last week. I just got back from taking my lovely nieces to the park. I have struggled with feelings of worthlessness and being a complete failure. Then I thought about that line and realized I will not be defined by a job, an extremely stressful one at that. I have my health, my faith and my family to get through this. But what makes me most happy is I have some time to make memories with my family. Thanks for sharing with us your memories.

Be thankful you have bootstraps. Pity the poor people who don’t.

Sam from Jacksonville, FL
Do Patriots fans realize how good they’ve had it? I can’t wait for the day Tom Brady retires so New England fans can finally feel the hurt I’ve felt for the last 10 years.

No, they think it’s Belichick or Kraft or the will that is the great spirit of New England. One day, age will claim Brady’s career, and Boston will go back to being the bad football town it always was.

Eric from Appleton, WI
Was Mark Brunell ever “The Man” in Jacksonville? If so, when was he no longer “The Man?”

He had the talent, the stats and the contract befitting “The Man.” In 1996, he was a star. He’s the best scrambler I’ve ever covered. He was better than Steve Young. Then came a knee injury in the following year’s preseason. Mark was never the same again. He continued to develop his skills as a pocket passer, but the big-play scramble he used to upset the Broncos in the 1996 playoffs was by and large gone. Mark was “The Man” until the Jaguars drafted Byron Leftwich in 2003. I think Mark’s career at the top was greatly shortened by the knee injury.

Frank from Prosper, TX
Does CBS pay Romo by the word? I am forced to watch with the sound off.

No network could afford to pay “Chatty” by the word. By the way, what was with the Todd Wash obsession yesterday? “He has great schemes,” Chatty kept saying. Hey, Chatty, those great schemes gave up 552 yards and six touchdowns last week, and played ole with the game on the line yesterday.

Reese from Wappingers Falls, NY
Why are some successful college coaches such flops when they move to the pros, such as Dan Devine, Lou Holtz, Steve Spurrier and Nick Saban, while others like Jimmy Johnson, Tom Coughlin, Don Coryell and Pete Carroll have such successful pro coaching careers?

Bud Wilkinson, Tommy Prothro, John Robinson, Bob Petrino, Butch Davis and Chip Kelly were also flops. Why so many flops? Because there have to be losers. The inverse draft order system demands it. You can’t recruit your players. You have to get in line and pick your players. That’s the difference.

Brian from Yakima, WA
Is Tomlin guilty of allowing his team to look forward to a Patriots rematch?

In my opinion, Tomlin is guilty of not having done enough to cope with the loss of Ryan Shazier. Move Watt inside and play Harrison at his regular spot. Play a four-man front with Alualu at defensive tackle in a gap-control look. Bring Sean Davis down in a Polamalu-type role. Do something! Tomlin did nothing.

Lee from Marshfield, WI
How many players do you think it will take to really turn around the Packers defense?

One great player can do it; two will do it for sure. Dom Capers got the one great player he needed when the Packers drafted Clay Matthews, but Capers never got another one.

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