Category: Football Only

Gameday: Jags @ ATL 7:00 PM EST

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

ATLANTA, Ga. – Game–day O-Zone, Preseason Week 4.

Let’s get to it …

Logan from Wichita, KS:
Teams typically sit starters in Week 4 of the preseason. But obviously we are not a typical team in that typical teams don’t have consistently horrible records year after year for seven-plus seasons. So, does that mean we will start our starters Thursday? It’s not like an injury to our quarterback or offensive line would matter at this point. I mean, we don’t want anyone to get hurt ever, but replacing an inept starter with an inept backup doesn’t exactly mean we get better or worse. Terrible is terrible no matter which way you look at it.

John: That’s the cynic’s view, and I understand many see the Jaguars only through the evil, fiery eyes of the cynic these days. The Jaguars in recent years have earned being seen that way. But remember: the people running the Jaguars can’t and don’t see things that way. They can and do make decisions based on this team – and they must make those decisions assuming front-line players are the ones that give the team the best chance to win. With that in mind, I don’t expect to see quarterback Blake Bortles play Thursday, just as I don’t expect to see players that the team sees as rock-solid starters playing Thursday. That means I see there being a chance of seeing Luke Bowanko and Patrick Omameh at left guard, and maybe a few players the team would like to see get some reps. Beyond that, I expect you’re going to see a lot of backups and reserves getting a lot of playing time.

Ryan Age 8 from Jacksonville:
Can you say “Hi” to Blake Bortles for me? I’m a Jags fan!

John: Yes.

Jeff from Keystone Heights, FL:
I’ll tell you why there is at least some importance to the “fans-trusting-the-front-office” question. Next draft, when the front office selects a quarterback that is not the majority consensus No. 1 quarterback available fans will remember the most recent apparent failure and not trust that the new guy is THE guy. If they don’t trust it, they won’t run out and buy jerseys, they won’t flock to the ticket office to buy or renew season tickets, the boo-birds will sound upon the very first errant toss and so on. Trust matters. Maybe a tiny bit. But it still matters.

John: This is in response to a question earlier this week about fans trusting the front office. A front office can’t build trust by selecting players and making moves “fans like.” It’s this way for many reasons, not the least of which is that fans – just like regular, normal people – like a variety of things and have a wide range of opinions. That makes it impossible to make decisions based on those opinions. Trust in a front office, therefore, is and always will be built by winning. That was the answer the other day. It’s not going to change.

Renee from Jacksonville:
When you play a game, including football, don’t you play to win? When listening to the radio, reading about the Jags, etc., one of the prevailing thoughts about who should be the Jags’ quarterback is that he should be safe and won’t turn the ball over … that’s playing not to lose. Aren’t we supposed to win lunch???? Go Jags!

John: Yes, the Jaguars want to win lunch, dinner, breakfast and the race to the soft-serve machine. And I’m a big believer that you can’t play quarterback effectively in the NFL if interception fear is foremost in your mind. At the same time, considering the damage done by turnovers from the quarterback position in recent seasons, it’s not hard to see why minimizing them is an emphasis this season.

Dodak from Ponte Vedra, FL:
I was at Publix the other day and ran into Brad Allen. We had a chat for a few minutes and I had a strange feeling there was something off about him. Later on, as I was strolling by the meat section, I noticed Brad in the corner of the dairy section stuffing sushi rolls into his mouth faster than my ex-wife at a buffet. I was surprised to see him stuff the empty sushi container in the trash and promptly walk out of the store without paying. I say play the kid. He needs a second contract!

John: That was Sexton.

Robert from Jacksonville:
I was hanging out with Brad (Allen, of course) the other night, and the conversation got deep. Brad says to me, “Life is like throwin’ a football, man. You aim it, toss it, watch it spiral and spiral and spiral, and then hope whoever catches it goes for a touchdown, man.” Brad explained that it’s all about helping other people cross that goal line, and this is where you find happiness. I freaked out and got the heck out of there as quickly as possible, and as I was driving off, probably two blocks from Brad’s house, a football landed on my passenger side seat. Dude, I still get chills talking about it.

John: That was Shadrick.

Daniel Since Day 1 from Jacksonville:
I understand why you rest your experienced star players, but the Jags only have maybe half a dozen players that shouldn’t play at all in Preseason Game 4. The team needs to play, because they really are not very good. Blake Bortles and the offensive line deserve a half, at least. Rest Marcedes Lewis and A-Rob, and maybe some offensive players nursing injuries, but no one else on offense shouldn’t be playing because they might get hurt. If they play they might get better… that would be cool and I’d sure like it.

John: I’ve gotten more than a few emails along these lines, and I sense a lot of people are missing some points here. First, the final week of the preseason is largely about evaluating the bottom spots on the roster. Second, the idea of holding front-line players out to prevent injuries and encourage fresh legs isn’t just for elite players. It’s to protect a team’s roster and ensure the team as a whole is as fresh as possible entering the regular season. It’s not just to prevent major, high-profile injuries that cause players to miss games and/or seasons. It’s to lessen the wear-and-tear minor hurts/aches that all players accumulate during training camp and the regular season. Plus, players realistically aren’t going to get that much better playing a series or two in the fourth preseason game. Far better to have your team healthy and close to 100 percent physically than to play 95 percent of your players in Preseason Week 4.

Frankie from London, UK:
Hindsight of course is a wonderful thing, but Mr. Oehser. Would you (in hindsight) have made more of an effort to retain Luke Joeckel?

John: Yes.

Glen from Orange Park, FL:
Just read that Cleveland traded a former first-round draft pick, offensive lineman Cam Erving, to the Chiefs for a fifth-round pick. Should this give us hope there is possible help out there to upgrade our offensive line?

John: Sure, but not much. If you’re waiting for offensive line – or any part of your team – to take a major step forward from waiver-wire cuts you’re going to wait a long time.

Chris from Houston, TX:
Big O: What a difference a week makes? Last week, my biggest concern was wondering how Blake would play in our season opener against Houston. This week, after enduring Harvey and all the destruction caused by this tropical storm, Bortles is now the least of my concerns. Don’t get me wrong: I still would like my Jags to shock the world and beat the Texans on September 10. I will be in attendance getting heckled like I am at every Jags game in Houston. Whether the good guys win or lose, it isn’t a catastrophic event. But damn: it would feel real good walking out of NRG in teal after a Jags W! Go Jags! #HoustonStrong #PrayforHouston

John: Well said.

Matt from Fernandiersailtna Beach, FL:
With what you’ve seen, what can we expect from tight end Michael Rivera? Do you think he leads the tight ends unit with offensive production? I was excited when we signed him this offseason as he had a couple nice seasons with the Raiders.

John: Rivera is a bit of a dilemma for the Jaguars entering the weekend. He has yet to play in the preseason because of an injury and yet they signed him for a reason – that he is a versatile player who can catch and block and give the position a balance it otherwise lacks. My sense is the Jaguars will keep him on the active roster, but when you don’t play in the preseason it’s not always an easy decision.

Donald from Orange Park, FL:
“The downside with pursuing a younger veteran is there is still the unknown factor that you get with a rookie.” Can’t help but think of Rob Johnson.

John: And too many others to count.
 

 

Gameday: Bucs @ Jags 7:30 PM EST

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

JACKSONVILLE – Game-day O-Zone …

Mike from Jacksonville:

Yo, O: You’re babying the guy again: 80-to-90 percent of what you’re writing sounds like you are making excuses. You have addressed it all – now move forward! You’re taking us into another Blake Black HOLE!!!

John: The quarterback is the topic until he’s no longer the topic, and I do get many emails accusing me of “babying” Blake Bortles – or not acknowledging when he is struggling. Or not being critical enough. I find this amusing because I have written for more than a year now – and throughout the offseason leading to the 2015 season – that he had serious issues that needed to be improved, and that he would not be the franchise quarterback many fans/media then believed him to be if they weren’t addressed. But whatever … people read what they want to read, and that’s fine. It’s not my job to pound on Bortles relentlessly for every practice incompletion or interception, and that’s why I haven’t gotten caught up in a daily progress report hammering on his every mistake. It’s my job to try to be as fair, accurate and entertaining as possible and give fans an informative, daily forum to read, learn and care about the Jaguars. I have said throughout training camp that Bortles needs to improve, and I have said in recent days that it’s clear he hasn’t played consistently enough to make the questions surrounding him go away. Hence, the Quarterback Issue the team faced as training camp began remains an issue. That doesn’t mean Bortles Must Be Benched or that He Can Never Get This Done – though many believe that. It means the Jaguars still have work to do at the quarterback position. Until that’s less the case, we’ll probably have to keep addressing it.

Jake from Illinois:

Week 1 can’t get here soon enough. Offseason and preseason doesn’t matter one way or another. We all know it and say it, but what else are we gonna do but analyze every pass attempt and one-on-drill? I’m worn out.

John: Jake, if you think you’re worn out …

Dylan from Tulsa, OK:

Since we’re so deep at receiver, do you think we’ll trade say, Rashad Greene or Shane Wynn, to the New York Jets, who have no receivers? Especially since Lucky Whitehead just broke his foot.

John: Let’s some perspective here. Greene and Wynn have ability. We have seen flashes. They also have combined for 25 receptions for 144 yards, with Greene having all but one reception and 19 of those yards. The duo’s trade value is, well, limited.

Brian from Section235:

It’s been a while. Just a friendly reminder to start planning your responses to the Week 1 onslaught of “I-told-you-we-should-have-picked-DeShaun-Watson” posts. If he starts (which appears to be the case) and we lose … oh boy. The bank will be an unhappy place Week 2. If we win, I’ll write back – and feel free to let me have it.

John: I suppose DeShaun Watson could start against the Jaguars Week 1. And the Texans winning that game is hardly out of the realm of possibility. While that probably would result in a torrent of emails, the reality in that scenario is we’ll still have no idea about Watson’s long-term career arch. But sure, I’ll be ready. No big deal. I was born ready, baby.

Charlie from Jacksonville:

So many fans seem to be dead set against having Blake Bortles as the Jaguars’ quarterback. This makes me wonder how much more successful the Jaguars might be if a more respected quarterback like Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers was able to be a quarterback transplant.

John: Much. This is not as much a knock on Bortles or Chad Henne or anyone on the Jaguars’ roster, but the quarterbacks you mentioned are two of the best of the best – not just of this era, but of all time. Players such as that on otherwise functional NFL rosters can make differences of five, six, seven games in a season. Now, if you dip down into the pool of just “normal-good” quarterbacks, the difference wouldn’t be nearly as pronounced. But those elite guys? They change everything.

Chris from Mandarin, FL:

Do you think Personal Fowler will be able to get his in game discipline under control this season?

John: I think Dante Fowler Jr. is focused on the issue. He’s an emotional player who tends to play in a frenzy. That often allows him to play with admirable effort and energy – and there were times last season it appeared to cause the discipline issues. I honestly do think he will get better in this area. I doubt he will reach perfection immediately.

Skippy from Winter Garden, FL:

Can’t wait to see Brad Allen shred the Bucs third-string defense. One fer Brad.

John: Play the kid.

Brian from Gainesville, FL:

Big O: if sometime after the season starts, Marrone/David Caldwell/Tom Coughlin decide to bench Bortles, signaling that the team is moving on from him, doesn’t that essentially mean the team is starting a new ground-up rebuild? The years it takes to draft, develop and then decide whether you have a serviceable quarterback will necessarily result in the successful pieces of the current rebuild (A-Rob, Lee, Linder, Smith, Jack, Ramsey, etc.) moving on, right? These players will either start to age or they will want to go play somewhere else to win now.

John: First, you don’t hold onto a quarterback you don’t like because you’re scared of losing players; if anything, the opposite is the case. Second, drafting a new quarterback doesn’t necessarily mean other players moving on. Linder, for starters, signed a long-term extension recently. And I imagine players such as Allen Robinson and/or Telvin Smith will reach new deals before the end of the season (just my speculation). And with players such as Jalen Ramsey and Myles Jack still two years from the end of their rookie deals, it’s a bit alarmist to believe they’re leaving to play elsewhere. Bottom line: the Jaguars must make their quarterback decision based on getting the best quarterback. Worry about building and maintaining the rest of the roster after that.

Keith from Woonsocket, RI:

We should at least throw an offer at Kap if all else fails he must be at least an upgrade over Henne.

John: Nah.

Frankie from the Mean Streets of Ponte Vedra:

By giving Blake Bortles more reps in practice, is it possible that the Jags are trying to rest Chad Henne’s arm for the regular season?

John: Nah, obviously.

Mike from Atlanta, GA:

How do you see the wide receiver depth chart shaking out for the season opener? Allen Robinson, Marqise Lee, Allen Hurns, then who?

John: Some of this will depend on whether or not Lee’s available for the regular-season opener. That remains to be seen. We may know a bit more after Thursday night’s game, but I would go with Arrelious Benn and Keelan Cole working at four and five after those three … if we’re calling it right now.

Glen from Orange Park, FL:

If there is no tackling to the ground in practice, then shouldn’t it be kind of expected to see missed tackles in early preseason games?

John: Yes.

Jeremy from Dodge City, KS:

How’s this scenario: If Bortles – and yes, I said “IF” not when – starts to look like he’s not a franchise quarterback this year, why not just lose on purpose and get a high draft slot next year and reap the benefits on what is being called a great quarterback draft class?

John: Because it’s August and the Jaguars haven’t played a game – and because I’m not going to write about losing on purpose in August.

Steve from Nashville, TN:

Do we really need four preseason games?

John: I believe so, but I’m starting to be in a pretty overwhelming minority. General managers/decision-makers need a game-type forum to evaluate personnel and players need a game-type forum to be ready for the regular season. Four games may get tedious for the fans, but the four games do have a football purpose.

Cliff from Jersey City, NJ:

I find it sorta funny how Jerell writes every week. It’s basically always (negative) stuff we’ve all heard repeatedly and at this point he rarely gets an actual “answer” to his input. Keep the entertainment coming, bud! Hopefully we’ll do well enough not to hear from Jerell for a while. Though, I’m not sure if such a caliber exists…

John: One fer Jerell? What?

Andy from St. Augustine, FL:

John – while we’re still in the preseason, is there any way we can have a day where all of the O-Zone questions come from Jerell? I actually look for his name on questions before I even look for my own. I can’t be the only one that wants more Jerell! Maybe he could take over the ‘Zone for one day and actually answer other reader questions…imagine it – the “J-Zone with Jerell.” Kinda has a nice ring to it, huh?

John: I sense things are careening out of control.
 

 

Gameday: Jags @ Patriots 7:30 PM EST

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

FOXBORO, Mass. – Let’s get to it …

Bill from Hawthorne Woods, IL:

I think most of us knew the Jaguars don’t yet match up equally to the Patriots. Your articles seem to indicate there is a degree of mismatch there as well. My question … how big of a gap do you sense? I’m sure less than there would have been last year. If these teams played in the regular season, would you expect a tight game or a blowout based on the last couple of days?

John: When a team doesn’t “match up” with another, there is a “mismatch;” that’s what “not matching up” means. Realistically, I would have been stunned if there weren’t a degree of mismatch when the Jaguars and Patriots faced one another this week. How couldn’t there be? The Patriots have been the NFL standard – or close to it – for a decade and a half; they won the Super Bowl last season and are favored to do so again. They have a quarterback considered one of the best in NFL history and a head coach in the same class. They have been doing things their way at a high level for a very long time. They have pedigree, talent, organization and continuity; winning and operating with efficiency is in their DNA. The Jaguars are striving to get there, but as Head Coach Doug Marrone said this week, they have work to do. They have a first-year head coach and went 3-13 last season. They haven’t had a winning season since 2007. They have a quarterback trying to ascend to a level where he is considered a good, starting quarterback – and no one knows if he’s going to get there. While the Jaguars have more talent than three or four years ago, it’s not yet proven talent. It’s also talent that will depend a lot on the aforementioned quarterback’s development. It’s not surprising that two weeks into training camp the Patriots look ahead of the Jaguars – well ahead at times. But yes, I think there’s less of a gap than there would have been last season – and certainly less of a gap than there was in 2015 when the teams played. I would expect the Patriots to win if these teams played in the regular season and I doubt the Jaguars would have the ball in the final two minutes with a chance to take the lead. But the Jaguars are hardly the only team that would be in that situation this season. The Patriots are good. Really good.

George from Jacksonville:

Logan is right: the season is over. One play, one nice move by a pretty good defensive lineman, one hit on our rookie running back who popped right back up … it’s time to pack the vans and sell the franchise. The season in fact is doomed.

John: I’ll pass this along.

Tom from Jacksonville:

There is no hope for this season. The offensive line is worse than last year, if that’s possible. There is no plan for quarterback. I guess the plan is to tank for a quarterback next draft. Tune in next year; maybe there will be hope then.

John: Have you been Facetiming with Logan?

Stephen from Jacksonville:

I’ve learned something: Us complaining to you – no matter how logical, how passionate, how obvious our arguments and complaints may be – doesn’t do anything and won’t magically make the Jaguars play better. The fact is, we’re going to see subpar quarterback and offensive line play yet again this season. The Jaguars are what they are and there will be no hope for improvements until March and May 2018. So, I don’t care anymore. Let Blake Bortles throw 50 interceptions, let the offensive line get thrown around and manhandled every week. Let’s get this over with and let the games begin. Here’s to eternal mediocrity and offseason success. Cheers!

John: Your first statement is obvious, and I’m not sure why anyone would think differently. Complaining to me in this forum has not, will not and should not affect the Jaguars’ decision-making. This is not a forum designed for Shad Khan, Tom Coughlin and/or Doug Marrone to read and think, “Well, if Stephen thinks this then … let’s listen to Stephen.” I don’t mean to be insulting, but that’s not how professional sports work. As for your second statement about subpar quarterback and offensive line play … I honestly can’t get a gauge for how Bortles will play this season; I like what I see some days and other days are a struggle. But I think the offensive line will play OK because I think the unit will pass block at least as well as it did last season and I think the run-blocking will improve. If that happens, it should be a decent offensive line. We’ll see.

Jason from North Pole, AK:

Should we be concerned about the tight-end position? Mychal Rivera, correct me if I’m wrong, has not been practicing throughout training camp. We know what we have in Marcedes Lewis, but everyone else is a question mark. For a team that wants to run all day, we don’t seem equipped to field heavy sets or play action effectively from them. Is there a tight end on the roster you think will surprise us? Do you see us addressing the position next offseason?

John: It’s way too early to know what the Jaguars will do next offseason. It’s not too early to say the Jaguars need Rivera to get healthy this season. They signed him in the offseason thinking he could be an all-around tight end capable of 45-to-50 receptions in the 600-to-700-yardish range. They would like him to be that. As for the Jaguars being able to run, tight ends Lewis, Ben Koyack and a fullback … that’s a pretty heavy package.

J4 from Jacksonville:

Hi, John.
The preseason is almost upon us.

Soon, the regular season will be here.
Until then, there will be much speculation, anxiety and general nervousness concerning certain position groups.
Can you tell us which are of greatest concern?
Center?
Kicker?
Safety?
Any information you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
Shirley, you must know something that the rest of us don’t.
Stay safe.

John: I wouldn’t put any of those three positions atop the list of greatest concerns for the Jaguars – center, in fact, might be the offensive line’s most stable position and the Jaguars like their top four safeties. I would put cornerback depth high on the list of concerns, and it’s still worth keeping an eye on various positions along the offensive line. And obviously, that Shirley thing …

Gamble from Brasilia, Brazil:

Tell the Sheriff to relax: if Blake keeps throwing ducks to the wrong team, he won’t watch him for very long. And he’ll see a new quarterback (attempt) to throw to Cats in teal this year and next. Isn’t that why we’re watching in 2017?

John: Sure.

Jared from O-Town:

Whatever the situation during training camp, is it safe to say that the staff will eventually have the best man behind center regardless of where they were drafted? Or is this a case where the Jaguars see this as the year Bortles makes his “last stand,” so to speak? If they ride him out and he does well, then good for the team. If he doesn’t, then one of those 2018 quarterbacks is suddenly within our reach come late April. Is this a valid approach?

John: Blake Bortles has to play well this season and has to show he is a quarterback capable of leading the Jaguars to a lot of victories. He has to be better than he has been so far in his career. If he’s not, I don’t think he will be the Jaguars’ quarterback in 2018.

George from Jacksonville:

Dear Mr. bOzo, I like your condescending answers; they have kept me coming back every day since you began writing the O-Zone. You can even say something condescending to me. It might be the nicest thing anybody says today.

John: Shut up.

Attila from Dunakeszi, Hungary:

Hello, O! These days everybody is speculating about the number of wide receivers, running backs, tight ends on the final roster as there are never enough final spots. Do you think that a team will ever try to hand over for example the long-snapping duties to maybe a center or a backup lineman to create an extra spot in the 53? I know long snapper is not at all an easy job and does require some special skills, but do you think it would be possible?

John: It’s certainly possible a position player could handle long-snapping duties, and it hasn’t been that long that long snappers also had a role on offense or defense. Rich Griffith handled long-snapping duties for the 1990s Jaguars and also played tight end. The trend lately has gone entirely to specialized long snappers. While I don’t anticipate a league-wide trend in the other direction, it’s entirely possible a center would be good enough long snapping for a team to have that player do it.

Required from Jacksonville:

Senior writer? More like Senile Writer!

John: What?