Category: Uncategorized

O-Zone: Stumped again

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Aaron from White Hall, AR:
I get that people are frustrated and frustration can be … well, frustrating. But it annoys me how fans are so negative and jump on and off the bandwagon so much. Have the proper perspective and realize that this is a much-improved team from years past. I would much rather have the season go like it has gone – even with the tough losses – compared to years past. This team will be OK and we will have a strong showing against the Steelers this week.

John: Frustration indeed is frustrating – and losing sucks. But while I have written and will continue to write that this is what this team is – an inconsistent team that’s improving, but still developing – it’s not realistic to expect all fans and observers to sit back and say, “Ah, yes, Zone … I see that this is an inconsistent team that’s improving but still developing … and you know what? That’s just dandy!!” Sure, the Jaguars are better than they have been. And if you’re rational you can see they’re in the middle of the AFC South chase – and the AFC chase. If you’re rational you can also see this defense is capable of big plays and being very good a lot of weeks. If you’re rational you can see the offense is going to struggle some weeks – and that those games are going to be tough gets. Heck, if you’re rational you can see most of this team’s games are going to be tough gets and that this team has some improving to do in the passing game – whether that be at wide receiver or quarterback – before it’s elite. If you’re rational you can see the Jaguars have a chance despite some shortcomings to make this a very interesting season. But who wants rational fans? Where is the fun in that?

John from Jacksonville:
Jag fans want to know why a quarterback wasn’t drafted given the lack of performance by Blake Bortles and no confidence in backup quarterback. The team and fans deserve better. Deshaun Watson was available.

John: The Jaguars selected Leonard Fournette with the No. 4 overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft. They liked Fournette more than they liked Watson at that point. Watson was not available when the Jaguars made their other selections.

Herbert from MidState Office Supply Accountz Receevableze:
Seeing as how Chris Ivory and Leonard Fournette are the same style runner, any chance they give T.J. Yeldon some carries instead of Ivory? Do you see him being active on game day anytime soon without an injury to the other backs?

John: I doubt it. The Jaguars clearly like power at running back. While they will continue trying to get Fournette on the field as often as possible while managing his work load, I can’t see them straying from the Fournette/Ivory mix unless injuries force the matter. It’s also apparent the Jaguars like Corey Grant’s speed as the third running back. That leaves Yeldon inactive except if they need him in third-down packages, which doesn’t seem likely barring injuries to the other backs.

Tsk Tsk from Jacksonville:
They’re like manic depressive schizophrenics. Right? How would you describe them?

John: The Jaguars? As a pretty normal, middle-of-the-pack NFL team. They have been bad for a long time and people became accustomed to long stretches of losses. People therefore forget that most NFL seasons are up-and-down affairs with a lot of giddiness one week and heavy frustration the next. The Jaguars this season have mixed two dominant performances with a home loss in which they were outplayed for a quarter and a road loss in which they had some strange things go wrong. Could the Jaguars be 3-1? Sure. But there are a whole lot of teams in the NFL who would take their version of 2-2.

John from O’Fallon, MO:
Besides Leonard Fournette, who on offense is capable of making a play when the game is on the line?

John: Ever? Quite a few players, including Marcedes Lewis, Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns. Consistently? Yeah, right now it’s pretty much Fournette.

Ken from Vero Beach, FL:
Where is Johnny Manziel when you need him? At least give him a tryout. I know one thing: we would not have lost the last game. He was amazing in college and with a good team in the pros he could be great again. It can’t hurt to take a look.

John: I get emails like this sometimes.

Tony from Land of Confusion:
Has there been any indication from the team about how far along Ryan Nassib is as far as learning the playbook and building relationships with the other players?

John: Not particularly, no. Bortles is the Jaguars’ starting quarterback. I have no control over whether people invest time and energy into theorizing about that not being the case, but I get no sense that the Jaguars will change quarterbacks any time soon.

Big on Blake from Philly:
It’s been a crazy couple of days, but Coach Marrone has said he’s even keeled … not too up and not too down. This has translated to a pretty even record as a head coach in the NFL. I believe he is capable of bringing the Jags to the next level, but if he keeps bringing us down after highs will we ever be able to stack wins and continue momentum into a long win streak? Looking ahead we have a lot of opportunities for wins against other middling teams. It’ll be good to see the game vs. Pittsburgh this weekend to see how we respond to a good team after a devastating loss.

John: It is the nature of saying things in a public forum that those things will get picked apart, misinterpreted and used against you at some point. Marrone indeed is even-keeled because NFL coaches must be even-keeled. The NFL season is too long with too many highs and lows to do champagne cartwheels after every victory and to shed sniffle-fight tears with every loss. Marrone did not “bring the team down” after victories in Week 1 and 3. He simply moved to the following week and again tried to lead 53 players and a coaching staff. That’s a difficult enough job without the cartwheels or tears. And yes: the evener the keel, the better the chance a team has to go on a streak and stack victories. As importantly, the evener the keel the better the chance to avoid losing streaks.

Michael from Baldwin, FL:
Zone, I’m wondering if you still don’t believe Deshaun Watson was worthy of a first round grade?

John: I wasn’t big on Watson entering the draft. I haven’t watched him closely in his three and a half games to speak too intelligently on him. He obviously is playing well. The numbers indicate as much. He has a long career ahead of him. We’ll see where it goes.

Michael from Middleburg, FL:
Tied with Tennessee and Houston … this will be the last time the Jaguars tie or lead the division for the rest of the year.

John: OK.

Tom from Charleston, SC:
You have written that Henne would throw just as many interceptions, have just as many blocked passes, have no more completions and be sacked more than Bust Bortles. If so, why you would pay a player that you give virtually no chance of playing almost $4 million dollars to hold a clipboard? I would do it for $1 million. Mr. Oehser, you seem to at least think that you have all of the answers. With that in mind and knowing that Bortles is a bust, you must surely believe this season is lost. Bortles can’t win a game where he HAS to play well and the team as a whole can’t overcome his constant poor play, so just how do you see this being a .500 or better season? A real answer, please – not your usual attempt at humor when you have no answer.

John: I’ve written often that I believe this is probably a seven-to-eight-victory team; I wrote that in the offseason and I have written it since the season began. While I agree Bortles and the passing offense have not inspired much confidence this season, I believe the Jaguars’ defense is capable enough – and capable enough of big plays – to keep the teams in a lot of games and to perhaps win a lot of the games in which the team is competitive. Oh – and I don’t think I know all the answers. I know I do, just like I know all of my attempts at humor work. I know this because someone asked me once. And I knew the answer. As always.

Bruce from Green Cove Springs, FL:
We have been very competitive in three of four games. Obvious improvements in pass rush and pass coverage, improvement in offensive line and running game, huge improvement in clock management. I still think 8-8 is a reasonable expectation. So here is my question: given our division, do you think an 8-8 team could get into the playoffs?

John: I don’t know the answer to that question. Weird.
 
 


 

 

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O-Zone: I’m so excited

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Dylan from Tulsa, OK:
I’m convinced that this team will go 8-8 and never win two games in a row. The bright side: we won’t lose two in a row.

John: This obviously is extreme, but it perhaps captures at least some of the essence of where the Jaguars are – and where they could be headed this season. This indeed could be an “inconsistent” team in that it may not reel off a bunch of consecutive victories. It doesn’t seem to have the consistency in the passing game to pull away from teams by stringing together offensive touchdowns very often. But it does appear to have a defense capable of pressuring the passer and creating big plays. It hasn’t shown itself to be a team with multiple ways to win, and it appears the primary way the Jaguars must win is to dominate defensively early, force teams to throw and take advantage of an aggressive defense. That’s a formula for some big victories, some tight games that could go either way – and some frustrating losses. But it makes sense that that’s where the Jaguars are in their development. This team went 3-13 last season. It brought in a lot of new parts – coaches and players. It probably wasn’t going to be a team that went 16-0. So, the Jaguars are 2-2 and in first place after four games. I still think the Jaguars can get to seven-to-eight victories – and if some things go right, they might be better than that. But it’s probably not going to be easy. Or pretty. Or “consistent.”

John from Jacksonville:
OK, that was no fun … but I still can’t wait to see Jalen Ramsey versus Antonio Brown.

John: I’ll click on that.

Kathy from Jacksonville:
There were costly mistakes made by both teams Sunday. It seems the game was won based on whoever made the last costly mistake. To me, the holding call was glaring. It seems holding is more of an immature, lack-of-discipline mistake. Worse, it removed the touchdown that would have won the game. Can anything be done at this point regarding discipline?

John: The fourth-quarter holding penalty on Jaguars wide receiver Arrelious Benn hurt – and it did negate an apparent touchdown by running back Leonard Fournette. Some offenses can overcome such a play; the Jaguars’ offense currently struggles to do so. As for discipline, penalties indeed often stem from a lack of it. But sometimes penalties are also unavoidable and sometimes they’re questionable. Benn said on Monday he felt the holding penalty in question fell into the latter category. After watching it again Monday, it’s hard to disagree.

Zach from Knoxville, TN:
Will the Jags upgrade since Marqise Lee was a bust against the Jets?

John: Sure. Who ya got?

Willis from Jacksonville:
I know Chad Henne isn’t as mobile as Blake Bortles, but do you think Henne would complete a few more passes than Blake if he were named the starter?

John: Perhaps. Or perhaps he wouldn’t. And perhaps Henne wouldn’t have broken a 28-yard run on Sunday. And perhaps Henne would have been sacked two or three times compared to once. And perhaps given Henne’s history he would have gotten as many balls batted as Bortles. Seriously: I wouldn’t waste much time this week thinking on this one. I’m not saying there’s no scenario in which I could see Bortles getting pulled and Henne starting for this team. I am saying I don’t sense anything in that direction right now.

Hayden from Gulfport, MI:
Zone, is it just me or does the current state of our passing game show how important Allen Robinson is to our offense? Not only because of his production, but the matchup problems he creates. Watching the Jags this year I’ve noticed that the receivers are struggling to get separation far too often.

John: You’re not wrong. It was pretty evident when he was injured and lost for the season that Robinson’s absence would hurt the Jaguars at some point. I expected it would clearly cost them at least a game or two. Sunday felt like such a game.

Steve from Denver, CO:
O – Please stop saying BB has to be a pocket passer for this team to win. When he is on the move, he can use his legs to gain valuable yardage. He would have fewer passes knocked down by defensive linemen. A smart coach would try to put his quarterback in a position to best use his best assets. Don’t you think Blake Bortles has proven he is too inconsistent as a full-time pocket quarterback?

John: S – please stop telling me what to do. It bothers me and makes me not want to answer your question. As for how best to use Bortles, no … I don’t believe you can always have him running. The offense has ways to use Bortles’ mobility. It calls for Bortles to go through his progressions, make his reads and throw if one of those reads is open. It also calls for him to run quickly if the reads aren’t there; this has been effective at times this season. There also is a healthy dose of read option in the game plan. But if you’re asking if I believe it’s better to have Bortles rolling out on every play and cutting the field in half instead of having him play as a quarterback must play in this league – making plays from the pocket – then the answer is: no, I don’t see that as the better option, and I don’t see the Jaguars going that direction.

Bill from Orange Park and Section 104:
“But in this case it wasn’t ‘play-calling’ at issue as much as miscalculating the opponent’s approach.” Um, isn’t that the definition of being outcoached? If not, what is your definition of being outcoached?

John: Um, I don’t have a definition for being “outcoached” – and I wearied long ago of explaining that most people’s definition reflects little on reality. The Jaguars called passes instead of runs on first-and-goal from the 6 in the fourth quarter Sunday because the Jets typically play hard run defense there with run blitzes. The Jets on this occasion didn’t run the defense the Jaguars anticipated. The Jaguars got their lone offensive touchdown Sunday on a red-zone pass. They nearly got a go-ahead touchdown on a screen pass. They have scored some big red-zone touchdowns on passes this season. They threw three passes for two yards that situation late in the game Sunday, which means the Jets won that matchup. The Jaguars won a lot of other matchups. The Jets won the game, so the Jaguars are going to get second-guessed. Call it what you want, but that’s what happened.

Sean from Fleming Island, FL:
A gap-control defense does not work if you don’t control the gap.

John: True that, Sean. True that. The Jaguars got out of their gap on a few too many occasions Sunday, and two of those plays resulted in 102 of the Jets’ 256 yards rushing – and 10 of the Jets’ 23 points. When the Jaguars neglected to touch Bilal Powell down in the first quarter, that resulted in about another 65 of those rushing yards. It was a classic case of a few mistakes looming very, very large and costing the Jaguars in a big way. They’re important mistakes that must be fixed, but they’re hardly unfixable.

Nick from Annapolis, MD:
I get that there were plays to be made from the quarterback position that didn’t get made, but I didn’t get the perception that Bortles was often missing very open receivers Sunday. It seemed like almost every time he threw more than five yards downfield the windows were very tight … even for NFL standards. On purpose or not, it seemed most incompletions were just a couple feet too far, but also thrown to a spot where the defender can’t get it. How much do we have to put some blame on the receiving corps for not making more plays, and how much of Blake’s struggles Sunday may have been due to being overly cautious with his ball placement?

John: This is a fair point. I re-watched the game Monday; the separation wasn’t great. A few plays stood out where Bortles could have been better – the pass that end Kony Ealy tipped for an interception in the third quarter and a wobbling overtime pass to Keelan Cole, most notably. But viewing the replay, it appeared that Bortles indeed was under too much pressure and was trying to throw to well-covered receivers. He also had three other passes batted at the line of scrimmage on plays where it seemed the offensive line didn’t do enough to get pass-rushers’ hands down. It’s hard to say Bortles had a great game when he was 15-of-35 passing, but the passing offense’s struggles seemed very much a group effort.

Dan from Ponte Vedra, FL:
I’m putting that disaster of a game behind me and trying to look forward to this week’s matchup. I cannot wait to see how our defensive backs fare against one of the best receivers in the game. How do you feel about watching that matchup?

John: Oh, downright tingly.
 
 


 

 

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O-Zone: Ugh… ouch

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

JACKSONVILLE – Sigh.

Let’s get to it …

Ken from Jacksonville:

I NEED you to answer this question for me: What pass did Blake Bortles make in the ENTIRE game that leads you or anyone to believe that he could be “the guy.” Every pass was high, not catchable – or as the announcers said, “Another wobbly one from Bortles.” Our defense is the best in league in my opinion; the 20th-best quarterback in the league makes us a deep playoff contender. Chad Henne is a better option.

John: I don’t see that move being made at this point, and neither do I believe that Henne currently is the better option. But there’s not an ideal answer here, or an ideal move. Bortles on Sunday didn’t play well enough for the Jaguars to win, and his lack of consistency hurt at times. The lack of ability to make a big-time throw 15-to-20 yards downfield at times hurt, too. But wide receiver Marqise Lee flat-out dropping a catchable, well-thrown ball in overtime hurt more. And allowing two – TWO! – touchdown runs of 69 yards or more … yeah, those hurt. Bortles doesn’t appear that he’s going to consistently win games for you right now. But my guess is the coaches feel he played well enough for the Jaguars to win Sunday had they not done some really bad things at some really bad times. And the memory of Bortles making a lot of good plays a week ago remains fresh. It would be great if Bortles was putting the team on his shoulders and winning a game such as Sunday’s. He’s not. But he’s still the best option for now and my guess is he will remain the Jaguars’ starter. And yes, I felt passionately about the two touchdown runs. You can tell because I not only described them with CAPITAL LETTERS but with exclamation points!!!

Pradeep from Bangalore, India:

Ugliest at its best!!!???

John: Or worst. But whatever.

Jerrell from Columbia, SC:

2-14? This team is a fraud!

John: I expected this sort of an email after Sunday’s game – and truth be told, I expected it from Jerell. And I’m sure this will be a common reaction from many observers. But this team is not a fraud, and it’s not one that’s terribly hard to characterize right now. It’s a team with a defense that has potential to be very good. It’s also a young defense that has played four games together – not to mention a gap defense that’s going to rely on speed and pursuit; those last few factors sometimes lead to big plays allowed on defense, which happened Sunday. Overall, though, this still feels like it will consistently be a good defense – and the end of the game and overtime again showed as much. Offensively? That’s a different story. It’s a team that can run the ball well at times and a team that is going to get some good days from the quarterback and some rough days. Sunday was a rough day, which not only makes it tough in the passing game it also makes the going in the run game tough, too. But no, Jerell: the team is not a fraud. It’s a team that deserves its 2-2 record, but also a team that with a break Sunday could have been 3-1. I suspect they’ll be in a bunch more games such as Sunday’s, and I believe they’ll win a bunch of those games. I still have a tough time seeing this team in the postseason, but I don’t have a tough time seeing this team winning and competing and looking improved over the next 12 games.

Mike from Mandarin, FL:

This team still does not know how to win.

John: Not this week, it didn’t. It has known how to win twice, and it has known how to win three times under Head Coach Doug Marrone. I’m not surprised this season has featured some highs and lows. And I’m not surprised Sunday’s game played out as it did. I believed the Jaguars would win Sunday and I wrote as much. But I also felt before the game that those who believed it would be an easy Jaguars victory or that the Jets were so awful they couldn’t stay in the game were forgetting a lot of things. One thing they were forgetting was that the Jets had played well the week before and were playing at home; the Jets don’t believe their season is over and they played like a team that believes in itself Sunday. That’s a dangerous combination. Another thing people were forgetting was despite two impressive victories this was still a Jaguars team that had lost to Tennessee in one-sided fashion. It’s not yet a team that has proven itself to have a reliable, week-to-week offense. When that’s the case, it’s hard to win comfortably on a consistent basis. This team is learning how to win. It has shown that twice this season. It also has shown it’s not yet a great, dominant team. Teams that aren’t dominant tend to lose games they should win some weeks and win games in enticing fashion other weeks. Welcome to the 2017 Jaguars.

Kyan from Lemars, IA:

Two captains, three crucial penalties. We no longer need Poz or Benn – and since we have them, we aren’t 3-1. Cut them. And Nathaniel Hackett should be close behind. End of regulation why is our best player (Fournette) not touching the ball?!?!? Not one run. We should be leading the division instead we just lost to the “tanking” Jets.

John: Yes, cut them all. Absolutely. Fire them all. Revamp the entire roster, or at least half of it. Hire my uncle – who’s pushing 90 and knows the name of maybe five NFL teams, by the way – as offensive coordinator. I’ll pass these ideas along.

Teddy from Section 212:

And that’s how a team with a losing history finishes a game. Dropped pass, can’t field a punt and taunting. Classic Jaguars …

John: It’s fair for an observer to feel this way – and a lot indeed looked familiar on Sunday. And a lot in the Jaguars’ two losses has looked familiar. But a lot about the season has looked unfamiliar, too – the blowout victories, the playmaking defense, the grit and guts to rally on the road Sunday. The Jaguars needed to close Sunday to make the grit and guts of the fourth quarter matter. They clearly believed in the locker room that the grit and guts will remain and that this is more the grit and guts team than the team that looked too familiar. They must prove they’re not that familiar team. That’s the task that lies ahead.

Justin from Toledo, OH:

John, why do the Jaguars as a “run-first” team seem to always want to throw the ball in the red zone? First-and-goal from the 5 with the game on the line and they throw three passes. It makes no sense. You run the ball in that situation and try to punch it in and eat up the clock so that the Jets have no time to respond. That’s inexcusable play calling.

John: I got a lot of versions of this question and it was understandably a major topic after the game Sunday. Both Head Coach Doug Marrone and quarterback Blake Bortles said the approach near the goal line was because they believed the Jets’ philosophy on the goal line was to not only stack the line but call a lot of run blitzes. It indeed is a low-percentage proposition to run into the teeth of a defense taking that approach – yes, even when you’re a run-first team with a No. 4-drafted running back. Now, it turned out that the Jets didn’t play that way in those situations. So, maybe the run would have worked. And those are certainly plays the Jaguars would have liked to have had back. But in this case it wasn’t “playcalling” at issue as much as miscalculating the opponent’s approach. Either way, the Jets won that one. No doubt.

Mark from Jacksonville:

I was equally frustrated Sunday by the zillion batted balls and the play calling. I hate this team. I love you John, but I hate this team.

John: Well, I suppose it’s nice to be loved.

Tim from Winston-Salem, NC:

Not one of Jaguars offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett’s best games. Where was Fournette?

John: Running 24 times and getting targeted five more times. And taking heavy contact and punishment pretty much that many times, too.

Tom from Section 141 and the QB-needy streets of Nocatee:

So can we start talking about QBs in the draft?

John: On October 2? With the Jaguars at 2-2? No.

David from Broward County, FL:

If they are so in love with Jason Myers’ leg strength, why not go for the 60-yard field in overtime? Weak coaching call, but really bad game by Bad Blake.

John: You’re talking about fourth-and-3 from the Jets 43 with 5:19 remaining in overtime. The Jaguars played percentages there. The defense was getting the Jets off the field and the feel of the game told you that if you punted you had a high percentage chance of getting the ball back in good field position. The defense did its job and the Jets punted from their 25. Where it went awry for the Jaguars was that the punt was a 70-yarder – and that wide receiver Marqise Lee misplayed the punt. And that wide receiver Arrelious Benn got called for a penalty. You don’t anticipate as a coach that you’re going to lose 70 yards of field position on a punt. That’s game-changing stuff, and it sure changed the same on Sunday.

Ughhhh from Ughhhh:

Uggghhhhhhhhhhhh. We lost … evidence that this team cannot get over a hump.

John: Ugh.

Wilfredo from Corpus Christi, TX:

The Jaguars did everything in their power to lose this game. There is too much to account for as to everything they did, or should I say, failed to do. I don’t even know why I torture myself every Sunday watching Jaguars games.

John: This one hurt. I get it.
 
 


 

 

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O-Zone: Cheese, please

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Dan from Rincon, GA:
Three games, three blowouts. The Jags seem to have a Jekyll and Hyde persona. Which do you think will show in New York?

John: I’ve gotten a lot of variations on the Jekyll and Hyde question – and “consistency” indeed has been a consistent topic around the Jaguars this week. I understand the concept on one level because the Jaguars looked good in Weeks 1 and 3 and lost by a wide margin in Week 2. Still, there’s part of me that doesn’t see the Jaguars as being all that inconsistent this season. They have started all three games playing very good defense; they have yet to allow a first-half touchdown. They were OK offensively in Week 1 and got big plays defensively to extend the lead. They struggled offensively in Week 2 and never got those big plays defensively; after a while, the defense wore down and Tennessee pulled away for a 37-16 victory that looked easier than the game felt. The one outlier game in that sense has been Baltimore, when the offense hit big plays in the first half and created such a margin that everything was a feeding frenzy after that. I think the Jaguars’ defense will show in New York because I’ve seen nothing to indicate it won’t show; that part of the team is remarkably consistent for it being so early in the season. What of the offense? Will the Jaguars hit enough big plays and score enough to get the leads they need? That may be the week-to-week question that goes a long way toward determining most games this season – and the season as a whole.

Jim from Phoenix, AZ:
J, you silly goose!

John: I have no words.

Edward from Los Angeles, CA:
Are we good? Asking for a friend.

John: Tell your “friend” that, yeah … the Jaguars just might be good. They have played three games and there seems little question this defense is at least “good.” It’s hard to call it “great” because the last quarter and a half against Tennessee must count, but the unit has turned in 10 stifling quarters. It’s hard to do that if you’re not at least good. Is the offense good? We’ll see. But are the Jaguars better? Is this team going to have a chance to be competitive against most teams on its schedule? Yes, there’s a good chance it’s at least that good.

Hank from Toms River, NJ:
Sbarro’s is not a good example of Jersey pizza. Try Route 3 Pizzaria on Route 3 West.

John: I’ll see what I can do about getting to Route 3. But nothing ever, ever, ever, ever will be as good as Sbarro’s.

Jess from Castle Rock, CO:
John, you continue to make statements that Blake Bortles probably won’t do this or that. A recent one to David from Maplewood, New Jersey, was that Blake probably won’t repeat his four-touchdown performance. Everyone wants to focus on last year and completely ignore 2015, where Blake set five franchise records and was second in the league in touchdowns to Tom Brady. Just two years ago he threw two touchdowns in six games, three in two games, four in two games, and five in one game. He has shown the ability to be the franchise quarterback. Protect him as the O-Line did in Games 1 and 3, and have a balanced game plan and he – and the team – can be as good as they’ve shown themselves to be. Bortles has shown the skills and ability to be among the best quarterbacks in the league. The college football mentality of so many fans is mind-boggling and you seem, at times, to feed their short-sightedness.

John: I was as impressed as anyone by Bortles’ performance against the Ravens. He deserved and received credit for that game, which on many levels was the best of his NFL career. But what I have said often this week is that Bortles probably won’t repeat that performance every week – and indeed he probably won’t throw four touchdowns with no interceptions. It’s the last part of that sentence that’s most notable. Bortles threw no interceptions while throwing four touchdowns – and did so in a victory. Bortles indeed has thrown for a lot of touchdowns in several games, but he usually has done that in losses. And he used to routinely mix in a heart-breaking interception or two. What’s intriguing is Bortles is reducing the interceptions. He has two in three games this season and two in five games with Doug Marrone as head coach. He has just three in the last seven games. That’s a huge reduction from his first two and a half seasons. Maybe it’s a trend. If so, that’s a major step in his development.

Chris from Norfolk, VA:
It’s funny to see us lose our heads over Blake Bortles’ one game of awesome. I come back down to earth when I remember Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers play like this nine out of 10 games. It really puts it in perspective for the younger fans.

John: There’s no question Jaguars fans are enthusiastic about Bortles’ performance against Baltimore – and with reason. He looked better in that game than he ever has looked in three previous NFL seasons. And there’s also no question Brady and Rodgers play at or near at that level every week. But guess what? Brady and Rodgers are two of the best quarterbacks ever to play. They are a rare standard and no quarterbacks play at their level every week. Here’s what’s significant about Bortles, though: he legitimately had a good game Sunday. The game came during a stretch in which he has dramatically reduced his interceptions. He also appears to be getting more comfortable in offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett’s offense. It’s reasonable to not “trust” that Bortles will play every week as he did against Baltimore; he hasn’t played remotely well enough consistently to trust that. But if you’re looking for signs that maybe – just maybe – Bortles is capable of playing at a higher level than he has reached in the past, then perhaps Sunday’s victory over Baltimore is such a sign.

Charles from Midlothian, VA:
Marcedes Lewis used to be the go-to guy for David Garrard if memory serves – to the tune of 10 touchdowns. Do we have that Marcedes back? Or was that a one-time thing?

John: Lewis showed last week he can be a factor in the offense. He’s big, athletic and for the first time in a long time the Jaguars found a way to effectively use him as a major matchup advantage. Is one standout game a sign that he’s “back?” His 10-touchdown season came in 2010. That’s seven seasons ago – and that’s a lifetime in the NFL. But consider the Jaguars’ situation offensively: a run-oriented attack, the need for a red-zone target with wide receiver Allen Robinson lost for the season, the lack of another obvious target at the tight end position … yes, there’s a strong possibility Lewis could have his biggest role in quite some time.

Tony from Richmond, VA:
Do you think with T.J. Yeldon now being a healthy scratch in this loaded backfield that the team would look to move him via trade? Not that he doesn’t have the talent but as coach said, there’s just no room for him on the active roster come game-day.

John: There’s a tendency among observers to suggest any player not in the starting lineup or playing a front-line role should be immediately traded. This tendency overlooks a far more prominent NFL tendency – that players at all positions become injured at various points in the season. The cool thing about not trading good players is you still are able to play them when other players get injured. And injuries tend to happen at running back relatively regularly.

Sage from Wisetown:
How will David Caldwell’s evaluations for a quarterback in next year’s class be different than when he was evaluating Bortles? You know, so he won’t make the same mistake twice? After all, Sam Darnold has a problem throwing interceptions.

John: It seems you’re assuming a few things, none of which may be correct – that the Jaguars will be looking for a quarterback, that they will be in a position to take Darnold and that Caldwell would be the sole evaluator/decision-maker. Remember, Jaguars Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tom Coughlin has final say over football decisions. Either way, let’s wait a few more weeks and see how this season plays out before we make assumptions about the team’s priorities in the offseason.

Chervon from the Beach, USA:
So, say a fan like me eats cheese at the same time of every game, and the Jags score on that drive, should I keep eating cheese at that time every game? Also, when planning a great tasting cheese, I make sure to use the smelly kind. May I say? I LIKE YOUR AWESOME PINK SHIRTS! Yes, I know, very Cheesy 😉

John: Yes. If you begin eating cheese, keep eating cheese. That’s a good motto whether the Jaguars are scoring or not.
 
 


 

 

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O-Zone: Eating pretty

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Josh from Pensacola, FL:
Do you think enough was accomplished in the passing game last week that the Jets will have to respect the pass and not load the box every play? If so, could this be the game that Leonard Fournette really breaks out?

John: I think teams probably will load the box against the Jaguars as long as the Jaguars scheme offensively as they have in the first three weeks of the season. This Jaguars team clearly believes in Fournette and Chris Ivory as the focal points of the offense; I doubt the Jaguars stray far from that no matter how many defenders coordinators put in the box. But even if that wasn’t the case, one game wouldn’t likely be enough for coordinators to dramatically change their defensive approach against the Jaguars. Quarterback Blake Bortles had a nice game Sunday – the best of his career to date. He will have to show he’s that guy on a consistent basis before coordinators design defenses to defend him, particularly if those schemes make life easier for Fournette. As for Fournette “breaking out,” that’s going to happen at some point. He’s too talented with too much breakaway ability for it not to happen. And yes … the more defenses have to account for Bortles, the more likely it will happen.

Rob from Duval:
Heard we had the best point differential in the league … nice.

John: It is nice, isn’t it?

Otto from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL:
John, I’m very encouraged about the Jags so far, especially the defense. I keep hearing this week that the Jags will easily beat the Jets. I hope the team doesn’t fall into that trap. I’m sure the Dolphins felt the same way.

John: I’ve heard the same concern a few times this week, but I’ve heard that only from outsiders. Coaches know better than to think Sunday’s game against the Jets is remotely “easy.” Players know better, too. What I’ve sensed this week is the Jaguars are focused on winning back-to-back games, something they haven’t done with a winning record in nearly seven years. I might be a little more concerned on this front if the Jaguars hadn’t just lost by three touchdowns to Tennessee a week after their one-sided Week 1 victory at Houston. This team is focused on proving it can win back-to-back games and proving it should be taken seriously. That focus doesn’t guarantee they will win Sunday. The Jets won last week and have confidence. And it’s far too early in the season for any team to think the season is over. Those factors make a roll-over victory unlikely. But if the Jets do win, I don’t think it will be because the Jaguars “overlooked” anything. This feels like a focused team.

Rog from Duval:
I think Corey Grant has earned carries over T.J. Yeldon with his effectiveness and speed and Yeldon should remain a healthy scratch until needed. What do you think?

John: I think Grant pretty clearly has moved into a role as the Jaguars’ third back and he has played that role the last two weeks. The “X” Factor here will be pass-blocking. Yeldon is good in that role and has value as a third-down back because of that. If the Jaguars in a given week believe a third-down package needs Yeldon’s pass blocking, they’ll use him – but likely not at the expense of having Grant active.

Dave from Jacksonville:
No question, just an observation. If you throw away the 2016 season altogether, this is pretty much what we were expecting/hoping for from Blake Bortles entering his third year as the Jaguars’ starting quarterback. He has had two very efficient games and another that could be chalked up to “adjusting to life without AR15.” Clearly the addition of Fournette has had an impact on the identity of this football team, but it still makes you wonder what might have been if these changes had been made a year prior.

John: That’s fair. It’s also worth noting that Bortles has been under offensive coordinator Nate Hackett for 10 games and he has thrown just three interceptions in the last seven of those games. It’s a relatively small sample size and the memory of a two-interception game is still fresh in the mind, so it may be hard to accept that Bortles indeed is reducing his interceptions. But maybe …

Lol from Jagtown:
Why did u wear a pink shirt? Did you get beat up a lot as a kid?

John: I can get away with wearing a pink shirt because no one messes with the O-Zone. No one. Wait … that’s wrong.

Chris from Mandarin:
What can I say? I’m a paranoid fan.

John: Clearly you can say “I’m a paranoid fan.”

Dylan from Tulsa, OK:
This question doesn’t really have anything to do with the 2-1 Jags but more to do with the NFL. The Raiders are moving to Las Vegas in 2019. The Chargers and Rams both moved to L.A. within a year of deciding to move. I know that there is a lot of speculation that the Chargers’ owner only moved to sell the team, but the Rams are a more permanent fixture in L.A. My question boil downs to why are the Raiders taking two years to move to Vegas when both L.A. teams moves in less than one?

John: The closest thing to an NFL stadium in or around Las Vegas is Sam Boyd Stadium, which seats 35,000 and is expandable to 40,000. The Rams are playing in the Los Angeles Coliseum, which seats 93,607 for football. As for the Chargers, who are playing in a 27,000-seat stadium … I can’t adequately explain that. I’m not sure anyone can.

Brent from Clearwater, FL:
This is the week Fournette goes off. The Jets will show more respect toward our passing game and Lenny will take advantage: 125-plus yards and two touchdowns.

John: OK.

Jim from Orlando, FL:
If Jalen Ramsey continues to play at a high level the next few years, do you see him becoming the highest-paid defensive player when contract time comes around? Possibly, the highest-paid on offense or defense?

John: It’s possible. Salaries tend to escalate as the salary cap goes up. That means the title of Highest-Paid Player at a respective position is often short-lived – though the former holders of that title typically can distract themselves from the emotional pain of losing the title by focusing instead on which Mercedes to drive that morning. Can Ramsey someday find himself so burdened? Sure, he’s that kind of talent.

Nathan from St. Augustine, FL:
John, two quick thoughts I would like your opinion on. If Bortles can put another game – maybe two – together hitting some downfield plays and not making critical errors, then I think you will see Fournette’s per carry average get to four or better. You just can’t stack the box if you’re giving up big plays. And I think by season’s end Calais Campbell could be the best free-agent signing in team history. He seems dominating on the field and – from what I have read – is exactly what you want in a team leader.

John: Two quick opinions on your thoughts. Yes, the better Bortles plays the more it will help Fournette. As for Campbell, he absolutely could end up being the best free-agent signing in team history. It’s also not absurd to discuss cornerback A.J. Bouye and defensive tackle Malik Jackson in the same vein. I’ve long been on record as not being big on building through free agency, but if the Jaguars’ defense continues to look as good as it has looked thus far those three unrestricted free agents will be considered money wisely spent.

Tim from Fernandina Beach, FL:
John: I lived in San Diego during the Drew Brees era. He never lived up to expectations and was inconsistent. As a result the Chargers drafted Philip Rivers. The next year Brees played better, but then tore up his shoulder. They released him and the rest is history. Do you see any similarities between Brees and Bortles? Are the Jags going to draft a quarterback no matter how well Bortles plays this year?

John: Brees was a unique situation so I hesitate to compare Bortles to him; you’re talking about one of the elite players to play the position. I see a few things in Bortles to like over the past few weeks, and I am particularly encouraged by his dramatic reduction in interceptions under coordinator Nathaniel Hackett: just three in the last seven games. Within that statistic could be the early seeds of what the Jaguars need at the position. As far as the Jaguars drafting a quarterback “no matter how well Bortles plays this season” … no, that’s not the case. Thirteen games remain this season. How Bortles plays in them absolutely will determine what they do at quarterback next offseason.

Steve from Sunroom Couch:
John, since you’ll be in New Jersey please try a slice of real pizza.

John: Absolutely. I’m hitting the Sbarro’s as soon as I drop my bags in the room. #psyched #Eatin’prettyinJerseyCity
 
 


 

 

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O-Zone: One fer Logan

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Travis from North Dakota:
Do you think this defense is elite yet or is it too early yet to tell?

John: The Jaguars’ defense is playing at a very high level through three games. And at its current pace, it would have to be considered elite. Except for the final quarter and a half against Tennessee, the unit has played nearly flawlessly. The last quarter and a half against Tennessee counts, though. Are the Jaguars an elite defense? They are at times. Not always. That’s why they play the games.

Geoff from Jacksonville:
Three and one? Dare I dream, John?

John: Dream, Geoff … dream. And stay gold.

Kyan from Le Mars, IA:
O-Man, you say often that how the defensive line matches up against offensive lines determines how the games go. Does this team have a good enough defensive line to go up against any offensive line and they just had a bad game against Tennessee? Or are they just not at that point that they can be the most dominant line every game yet?

John: We’ll find this out as the season goes on. I doubt the Jaguars’ defensive line is so dominant that it will control the last 13 games of the season the way it did in Weeks 1 and 3. Few teams – if any – dominate every game in that fashion. And I’m not sure the Jaguars’ defensive line had a “bad” game against Tennessee as much as it ran up against an offensive line that could negate some of its strengths. Remember: that Tennessee game was 9-3 in the third quarter with the defense playing very well before the Titans got a short-field touchdown to make it 16-3. The energy went out of the building and the team after that. Had the offense and special teams done a better job keeping that game even, I think the defensive line could have held its own.

Keith from Miami, FL:
I know it would be difficult to place an NFL franchise in London, but could you see the Jags or any other team play at least two games overseas in the near future?

John: Yes. I believe it’s very possible in the next 20-to-30 years you could see multiple teams do a “sister-city” concept with six regular-season games in their United States city and two home games in a foreign city. The logical teams to take this approach would be teams “non-traditional” teams in markets where games aren’t sold out years in advance.

Mike from Atlanta, GA:
Are we any closer now than we were a month ago in determining if we have a long-term answer at quarterback? Blake Bortles had a bad week against the Titans, but played well last week. He’s done all this without Allen Robinson. I think it’s still unclear.

John: We’re three games into this season. Of course it’s unclear. Everything is unclear at this point. Take a breath. Enjoy the aftereffects of that breath. This will work itself out.

Dana from Jacksonville:
In your opinion, why has the offensive line turned around so quickly? Is Cam Robinson really, really good? Patrick Omameh? Has Brandon Linder been a Top 10 center? It’s incredibly strange to see Blake look so comfortable in the pocket.

John: The offensive line is playing better than a lot of people expected. One reason is Robinson is playing well and looks like he has a chance to be very good for a long time. A.J. Cann also played well last week, and Jeremy Parnell – despite two holding penalties – played well. But don’t underestimate situations/approach here. The Jaguars have made a commitment to the run. They have stuck with that commitment even though they’re not blowing open holes for huge average-yards-per-carry numbers. That has helped the pass-blocking because defensive linemen aren’t able to play pass rush on every down. Bear in mind, too, that the Jaguars have had big leads early in two of three games. That also has enabled them to pass when they want to pass as opposed to passing in obvious passing situations. All of that helps tremendously when slowing down an opposing pass rush and helping a quarterback feel comfortable in the pocket.

Joe from Fleming Island, FL:
O-Zone. As a Jags fan, who do I root for when the Titans play the Titans. I know it is a long season and anything can happen, but the division title may come down to one game. I think the Titans are the team to beat, so for one week I am a Houston fan. Thoughts?

John: WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!!!??! I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU’RE SAYING!???!!?

Jeff from Jacksonville :
I know we should be looking ahead, but I just want to mention that if the season were to end today, the Jags would be in the playoffs with the sixth seed, the second best turnover margin in the league and the best point differential in the league. And this is against three teams that are still considered playoff contenders.

John: Down, boy.

Brian from Nocatee, FL:
What is your take on how Dante Fowler Jr. is playing this season?

John: I think Fowler is playing much better than he did last season, and I anticipate the rest of his season following the pattern of his first three games. He has had some impact plays defensively, including a play on which he returned a fumble for a touchdown. He has used his athleticism and effort to get pressure on the quarterback and register a couple of sacks. He has two sacks in three games, which works out to 10 or 11 over the course of the season; I anticipate him having eight or nine. I don’t know that I see a dominant, pure edge rusher when I see Fowler; when I say that, people tend to automatically respond with a chorus of “bu-u-u-u-u-u-ust!!!” But I don’t think Fowler will be a bust. I think he’s going to be an athletic, impact defensive lineman capable of making big plays who will get seven-to-nine sacks a season. And I think he will continue to make the Jaguars’ defense faster and more athletic.

Abe from Catonsville, MD:
I was happy to see Jaguars players finally begin to take knees and join the ongoing social conversation in the NFL and America right now. They are doing what you are supposed to do with protests, doing it in a way that is both visible and meaningful. I decided to help as well; I bought a jersey of one of the Jaguars players who kneeled Sunday and have been wearing it all week. I will continue to do so each week as long as the Jags are kneeling, until I have bought them all, the season ends, or they stop kneeling.

John: Some people have this point of view …

Scott from Ponte Vedra, FL:
It’s one thing to kneel for our national anthem, but it’s another thing to stand for the playing of another country’s national anthem at the same time. Freedom of speech and expression is fine but to make a statement like that is repulsive to me. I just want management to know as a season-ticket holder for 22 years with club seats and out of respect for my country and what it stands for especially the hard work of our military, I will no longer buy season tickets so that I can pay for players to sit during the national anthem. I hope you publish this from me. Thanks and good bye.

John: … and others have this point of view.

Jeff from Wake Forest, NC:
Looking at the schedule, I love that we will not see the Titans again ‘til the last game of the season. Could end up being a pretty important revenge game! #DTWD

John: The Jaguars and Titans are both 2-1. Twelve games remain until they play again. It’s certainly possible that game could have meaning, but it’s WEEK 3! The Colts and Texans are 1-2, which means the four teams in the AFC South are separated by one game. That basically means they’re not separated at all because they all play each other a bunch more. There’s a long way to go in this thing. Don’t worry about schedules and matchups in December yet; worry about getting to December with a record good enough that the schedules and matchups matter. That’s some heavy lifting yet to be done. And you know I’m serious because when I wrote Week 3 I used CAPITAL LETTERS AND exclamation points!!

Andrew from Atlanta, GA:
Does Jamal and Leonard Fournette being college teammates give the Jets an advantage in game-planning for Sunday as Adams is familiar with Fournette?

John: No.

Davy from Jacksonville:
No question. Just wanted to give a shout out to the Jaguars players who took the time to visit my friend’s 10-year-old son, Logan Cake, who is currently at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. He went in for a routine eye checkup last week and was referred to an ophthalmologist where they found a baseball-sized tumor. He has had several surgeries in the past few days but they could only remove so much at this point and his fight isn’t over yet. His friends and family are giving all the support they can and word seems to be spreading across the country from what I’m seeing on social networks. I don’t know much about Twitter, but people are writing #LoganStrong and #HighFivesforLogan with pictures of people wearing this slogan and high-fiving each other to show him how he means to them. So in a day and age where people are crying about kneeling or standing, it’s just nice to see people come together over matters like this. Really warms my heart. Here’s to hoping Logan beats this thing! I know most of us who read your columns don’t know each other, but you and the people that write in feel like family to me. Just felt this was an appropriate place to share a message that regardless of our opinions, people still do care about each other.

John: One fer Logan, obviously. A lot more than one, actually.
 
 


 

 

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O-Zone: Skewed perspective

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Bill from Ponte Vedra, FL:

Unfortunately, there is another explanation for the seemingly inconsistent results in the Jags’ first three games – and it has nothing to do with Blake Bortles, the offensive line or any other factors within our team’s control: Tennessee is really good, sad to say – and Marcus Mariota may be great. I say that as a true Titans hater. Any offense that can hang 30-plus on Seattle is seriously good. Your thoughts?

John: My thoughts are that Tennessee is good – and I guess I’ve never really considered the Jaguars’ results from the first three games this season all that unusual. They played big-time defense against two opponents, got leads and stretched those leads into comfortable victories. The best team they have played thus far is the Titans, a team with an offensive line capable of controlling the Jaguars’ defensive line. The Jaguars in that game were unable to get the score in their favor. That made pass-rushing tougher and penalties put the offense in difficult down-and-distance situations. Tennessee indeed is good with a good offensive line. If the Jaguars don’t play really well against good teams with good offensive lines they’re going to lose – and possibly lose big. Remember this, too: “inconsistency” is the norm in the NFL. It’s a league of matchups and it’s a week-to-week league. Super Bowl champions get blown out during the regular season. Struggling teams beat good ones. I expect the Jaguars to win some more games big when their pass rush is effective and they create turnovers. I expect they may lose some games by double digits if their defensive front doesn’t control games or if the offense commits penalties and turnovers. Fans will panic when the latter happens and draw conclusions. As long as the team doesn’t follow the fans’ lead in this area, then I think this bunch has a chance to stay competitive and maybe be better than I originally thought. We’ll see.

MrPadre from Kingslaernd, GA:

I think Shad Khan is the best owner in sports … but I also think he missed a great opportunity the other day to actually do what everyone says he did. Big headline says he “stood in solidarity” with his players. Unfortunately, many kneeled … this is not the definition of solidarity. We were the very first game of the day and I just wish Shad had told his team that they would indeed “all” Stand in Solidarity. That would have been an awesome display for an awesome team and group of young men. Imagine the talk of the sports world if we had all stood arm-in-arm and every team after had half their team kneeling! Go Jags!

John: What the Jaguars and Khan did Sunday they did in a difficult circumstance. Ravens-Jaguars was the first NFL game after President Trump’s comments, which meant there was no blueprint for handling the situation. The Jaguars chose to lock arms during the anthem, which did show solidarity. Within that solidarity, there were players who chose to kneel. I can’t speak for Khan, but my guess is he wasn’t going to “order” players on how to behave at that moment. I could be wrong, but that’s my guess. Was how the Jaguars handled Sunday ideal? Perhaps not. But this isn’t an ideal situation. No action taken Sunday was going to make everyone happy. There’s no blueprint or perfect approach on an issue so divisive.

Willis from Jacksonville:

Do you think “using a paper hammer to build a steel building” will catch on?

John: I hope not because I didn’t think of it – and only things I think up should be clever and catch on.

Tudor from St. Augustine, FL:

If you’re going to dip into the anthem-kneeling topic on the O-Zone, how about you include the points of view of both sides? You just include an ex-Marine and another person who disagrees with the acts of the players. Nothing from the other side of the fence. I personally respect why people stand for the anthem, but absolutely DESPISE the expectation that everyone does so – otherwise you’re an ass and a traitor.

John: The emails I choose for this topic will be ones that I choose to choose. The effort will be to choose ones that inform on some level. I doubt I’ll always choose “fairly.” When that’s the case, it won’t be because of a personal point of view. My personal point of view, for the record, is essentially that citizens in this country have the right to say and do as they so choose so long as they don’t harm others. And it doesn’t bother me when professional athletes speak out on issues. I don’t really put all that much stock into what they say or do off the field; I rarely consider them experts on social topics, but there’s nothing wrong with them speaking on the topic. Just as they have the right to speak or act, people have an equal right to not listen or pay attention when they do. Many people don’t share my outlook and therefore get very emotional or upset at things players do. That’s fine, but I choose not to let it bother me on a personal level. As for discussing this topic in the O-Zone, perhaps we’ve discussed it about as much as is necessary. Perhaps not. I suppose we’ll see what the day brings.

Jeff from Keystone Heights, FL:

The Jaguars are 2-1 now. To end up .500, we now must have a losing record from here on out (6-7). Do you think we are better positioned now for nine wins than you thought was possible before the season started? I can see a 7-6 or even 8-5 the rest of the way.

John: I thought before the season the Jaguars had a decent chance to return from London 2-1, so that factored into me thinking they had a chance to win seven or eight games. But the reason I think the Jaguars have a chance at nine victories is that the Jaguars are a better team than I thought before the season. The defense is significantly better and twice has shown the ability to take control of a game. The offensive line has been more stout blocking for the pass than I thought possible. While the running game hasn’t been dominant, it has been good enough in two of three games to allow the offense to function in manageable situations. The team has a formula. It’s not ridiculous to think that formula could get the Jaguars over .500 the rest of the season.

Tony from Jacksonville:

I know Mychal Rivera is on injured reserve, but does he have a chance to return this season? Sure would be nice to have another play-making receiver.

John: Rivera is a tight end, and he would be a viable option in the passing offense. But because he went on injured reserve before the Jaguars finalized their 53-man roster on September 2, he is not eligible to return this season.

Steve from Upper Tract, WV:

I think you are wrong to say NFL players can’t be compared to regular Joes when making political statements. First of all, the NFL picks and chooses when they want to allow free speech/expression. Hypocritical! Second, a segment of the NFL is subsidized by tax dollars, which means we regular Joes are paying for their show of disrespect in two ways. Third, no American employee of any industry should ever be deemed so irreplaceable that there is no limit to how irresponsible they can act. Here is to hoping the fans have the nerve to STAY AWAY!!

John: I’m not all that interested in point-by-point arguments here. They frankly make for boring reading – and what I write is boring enough without furthering the cause. My point when saying that NFL players can’t be compared to “normal employees” is correct because they’re not “normal employees” in the sense that I am a “normal employee” or that most people I know are “normal employees.” There are many ways this is true, from the fact that they have limited choice in where they play to the fact that they make exorbitant salaries to the fact that they often remain employed after incidents that indeed would be fire-able off-field offenses for “normal employees.” A lot of what I mentioned in the previous sentence may not feel “right” or “fair.” Fair or unfair, that’s the way it is. The same is true of athletes protesting. Could I protest similarly and remain employed? Perhaps not. But players can and will. That’s the way it is.

Jason from Salem, OR:

I don’t have much of a question for you John. I would like to pay tribute to your eloquent, amusing, and clever dialogue that you bequeath each and every editorial. I am a fan of you as much as I am a fan of the Jaguars. Keep up the good work.

John: Slow down. It’s not a race. You don’t have to drink all of the liquor in the house at once.
 
 


 

 

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O-Zone: Not in my house

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

JACKSONVILLE – I’ll start today on the subject of kneeling.

I’ll start there because however we got here, the national anthem and kneeling now overwhelm all else about the NFL.

It won’t be the only issue discussed in this O-Zone – and as we move forward, it may not be discussed nearly as much here as in other NFL forums.

That won’t be because of a mandate that it not be discussed, or because of a fear of discussing it. Nor will it be because of my political views, if I indeed even possess such things.

While I understand the topic’s relevance, my objective is to not have it overwhelm all else in this forum. I therefore don’t plan to answer every question received on the topic. I have no plan to go down the rabbit hole of discussing President Trump’s motives, or to discuss whether players are “right” or “wrong.”

This isn’t to pretend the issue isn’t there; it’s just doubtful discussing either side extensively here will accomplish much except to reaffirm a divide that needs no reaffirming.

I understand people are passionate about this topic, and I understand there’s no easy solution. I understand many fans are upset enough about the kneeling they plan to no longer follow the NFL or this team. I have received heartfelt emails from longtime readers saying as much.

I get this. The team gets it. No one in the organization takes it lightly.

What is the end game? Time will tell.

As for this forum, I understand people want to voice their opinions here. I won’t ignore the topic, and I’ll do my best to inform when possible. I’ll also at times post a question or a point from readers that seem to offer something unique and informative. The first one today seems to do that.

Let’s get to it …

Joe from Jacksonville:

I am a Marine Corps Special Forces veteran and have served for nine years. I have outlived more friends than I care to count and am only 32 years old. Unfortunately, there are many veterans that can say the same, and that is why so many are offended by the way many NFL players are choosing to protest. Most veterans and many Americans view the singing of the National Anthem as a way to remember all those who served and have sacrificed so much. Our friends did not serve for any specific race or gender; they served to protect any and all who call themselves an American. Sitting and kneeling through the Anthem is perceived as apathy and lack of appreciation for all who have given so much for our freedoms. I am completely supportive of the First Amendment and am adamant everyone has the opportunity to express their beliefs and opinions, especially if they are speaking out against oppression and injustice. I just want to write to give some context to why kneeling upsets so many. I truly believe most people understand the players’ cause and support the point they are trying to make. However, in the same way President Trump’s statement about firing players who do not stand for the National Anthem caused more division, the way protests have been conducted initiated the same divisive culture they say they are fighting to overcome. I could completely get behind standing arm in arm with teammates or police officers, and would love to hear about the player’s concerns in press conferences, radio and TV interviews, or podcasts. I just wanted to provide the perspective of those who do not agree with the protests; it has nothing to do with the topic and everything to do with how it is being presented. #standtogether #DTWD

John: Fair point.

Mr. Padre from Kingsland, GA:

John, it’s not that some think these players don’t have the “right” to protest. Of course they do, but not “on the job!” I can’t go to work and then stand out on the street protesting something I feel strongly about. Employees should do the job they are paid for … nothing more and nothing less. Then there’s the fact that the NFL has a “rule” concerning this … on pages A62-63. It says ALL will be present in the sideline for the anthem, standing with their hand over their hearts. It doesn’t say … “unless you feel strongly about something outside of football.” Why, in a league full of rules which are enforced, is this not only ignored, no one even mentions its existence.

John: One thing to accept in this discussion is it’s pointless to compare the work situations of players to that of “normal employees.” NFL players are contracted employees whose skill set is unique and deemed worthy of high compensation and “star status.” My guess is if your skill set at your job was deemed the same then you absolutely could “stand out on the street protesting” and not be fired. Tom Brady, for example, could stand on his head in his underwear during the anthem and insult every member of Patriots Owner Bob Kraft’s family and find himself employed the next day. I probably couldn’t pull the same stunt and have my code work when I left the field. As for the NFL “rule” regarding this, it doesn’t exist. That’s why it’s not enforced or mentioned – except in the netherworld of the internet.

Jason from Da’ Hass :

John, I believe that the “D” is – and should be – of an elite level. However, when you look at this win and last week’s loss side by side it becomes glaringly evident that it can only remain elite if the offense can be consistently average at worst. It’s amazing how different a defense looks and plays with adequate rest between series.

John: I agree that adequate rest between series can play a role defensively, and it likely played a role in the Jaguars’ Week 2 loss to Tennessee. But two major factors for the Jaguars’ defense so far this season have been matchups and situation. The Jaguars had a favorable matchup in Week 1 with their defensive line against the Texans’ offensive line. They took advantage of the matchup and got a lead. Getting that lead got them into a situation where they could rush the passer without much fear of the run – and the result was a dominant, lopsided victory. The Tennessee offensive line matched up better against the Jaguars’ defensive line, the Jaguars never got the advantage of a lead and the Titans’ offense was able to control the game late. The Jaguars’ defensive line controlled the game early Sunday, and the Ravens’ offense never gained an edge; as was the case in Tennessee, the result was a swarming, disruptive day for the Jaguars’ defense. I continue to believe a major tell for the Jaguars this season will be whether or not their defensive line matches up well with the opposing offensive line. When it does, the Jaguars have a good chance for a big defensive day. It will get lot harder when that’s not the case.

Scott from New York:

In a world where O-Zone is attractive …

John: The Jaguars are 2-1.

Steve from Jacksonville:

Have the Jaguars become London’s Team?

John: To a degree, yes. The Jaguars on Sunday made their fifth appearance as a “home” team at Wembley Stadium. I generally speaking have seen a significant increase in fan support and energy behind them in the last three appearances. This seemed particularly the case in 2015 and 2016, and it seemed that was the case on Sunday despite a pretty large Ravens crowd. The Jaguars are certainly trending toward status as “London’s Team.” It’s a process.

Steve from Upper Tract, WV:

What does the term ‘healthy scratch ‘ mean?

John: A healthy scratch is a player who is inactive when uninjured.

Steve form Nashville, TN:

I hope Marrone is able to stick to the game plan in the future as disciplined as he did this Sunday.

John: I’m sure he does, too. The thing about game plans is they’re remarkably easy to stick to when they work and when things are going well. The Jaguars stuck to their game plan in Weeks 1 and 3 because they were effective early and got large leads. The Jaguars in a Week 2 loss to Tennessee were in a tight game, then drew a rash of penalties that put the offense in difficult down-and-distance situations. The offense stalled, which eventually led to the Titans getting a lead. The game plan in that game didn’t call for a lot of second- and third-and-20s or a double-digit deficit. That’s what it faced, and discipline becomes difficult in that situation.

Matt from Union City, TN:

Wow. Three games in and they have all been one-sided games. What does this say about our team?

John: That the Jaguars are good enough to win big against teams they match up well against when they play well and they’re capable of losing big to teams they don’t match up as well against when they don’t play as well.

Chris in London, England:

Last year I stated I was 2-2 for live games and was happy to come to the US on your expense anywhere to help the Jags win. You obviously replied with a witty comment but surely now at 3-3 you have to be considering inviting me over to your home??

John: You’ll never be welcome in my home.
 
 


 

 

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O-Zone: All aboard

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

David from Maplewood, NJ:
John … classic Bortles … all garbage-time production! Seriously!

John: I wrote Sunday that Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles deserved a lot of credit for this victory. His four-touchdown performance probably isn’t one he’ll repeat on a weekly basis, but the no-interception part of Bortles’ Sunday? That was the sort of poised, mistake-free performance the team hoped it could get from him entering the season. Remember: Sunday’s game means that in five games under Head Coach Doug Marrone, the Jaguars with Bortles at quarterback have won three games by double digits and held a large lead in another (the season-ending loss to the Colts last season). That leaves last week’s loss to Tennessee as the outlier. Marrone believed strongly after that game that penalties and turnovers (not all of which were “on” Bortles) were the major factor in that loss. Is Bortles a Pro Bowl quarterback waiting to happen? We’re a long way from that. But it’s also fair to say we’re seeing why the Jaguars thought it was possible to win with Bortles playing at the level he has played in five games under Marrone.

Cody from Jacksonville:
HOW ‘BOUT THEM JAGUARS!?

John: Winning is cool. Fans like it.

Foster from St. Mary’s, GA:
Fire all players not respecting our flag. You have lost me as a fan. This is about our country, our flag and all those who have given their lives to allow us to be free. It is not black, white or police. That’s another issue. Shad Khan needs to show everyone he is the boss. He is a great example of our system and freedom. Show the fans what really matters. Winning and losing isn’t that important. Respecting our freedom is. He is the boss.

John: I included this email this morning because it would be negligent here in the O-Zone to not acknowledge an issue that overwhelmed much about everything around the NFL Sunday. And the fact that the Jaguars as a team – players, coaches, Khan, staff, etc. – locked arms during Sunday’s National Anthem (with more than 10 players choosing to kneel) indeed drew the ire of many fans. It also brought messages of support from many fans. That makes sense because this is a divisive, emotional issue; when issues are divisive and emotional, they cause emotional reactions. I’m not going to spend a lot of time discussing my personal feelings on the issue because my personal feelings aren’t particularly germane to the conversation. I will say for the record I generally support the right of people to say and do as they please so long as their actions don’t harm others, so it just doesn’t make me irate when people protest during the National Anthem. I would not do it, but I don’t pretend to know the personal experiences of all who do remotely well enough to pass judgement on their actions. I have to assume someone – players, coaches, etc. – willing to make a public gesture certain to draw criticism has thought through that decision well enough to understand the inevitable fallout. As far as fans’ reactions to this issue, it goes without saying many disliked players kneeling and some declared themselves no longer fans of the team. That’s their right, and I get why people were upset. And as for Khan … well, he was arm in arm with players Sunday and issued an eloquent, well-considered statement meant to reflect the team’s stance on the issue. I anticipate the team will follow pretty close to the thoughts expressed in that statement moving forward – and I seriously doubt Khan or the Jaguars will fire anyone for their actions before the game Sunday.

Joel from Boston, MA:
I thought we were supposed to play close games. Not that I’m complaining.

John: Marrone indeed often has said this team must win close games this season – and that likely will be the case as often as not. But the season’s first three weeks have shown a good sign for this team – that it’s a team capable of swarming, aggressive defense that turns turnovers into points, and that therefore is capable of slamming the door on comebacks and extending leads defensively. If a defense is going to carry a team – and it remains likely that this defense will have to carry the team at times – that’s the style it must play. It was fair before the season to wonder if the Jaguars had the type of personnel to be that sort of defense. It’s becoming less fair to think that way.

Michael from Jacksonville:
To all the people that hate the fact that we went for the fake punt, we knew they were going to go all out. They had nothing to lose; they are great at blocking punts. What if they would have gotten there and hurt our punter?

John: Marrone explained his philosophy on calling that play despite the Jaguars holding a 37-0 lead late in the third quarter. The Jaguars had a fake punt in the game plan. The situation called for it and so did the Ravens’ formation on the play. Marrone said if you’re going to have a play in the game plan for a situation, you need to call it when the situation arises. Besides, I get the idea it wouldn’t bother Marrone much if a team ran a fake punt with comfortable lead on the Jaguars; I get the idea Marrone would figure his team needed to stop the damned play.

Dakota from Fleming Island, FL:
I’m not going to analyze or make any more predictions for a while. This team has looked like a playoff team twice and looked like a three-to-four-win team once. I will just take the wins and hope that we can play this way consistently moving forward.

John: The Jaguars probably won’t play consistently as they did Sunday moving forward. I say that not because I thought Sunday was a fluke. Neither did I think the 29-7 victory over Houston Week 1 was a fluke. But this is the NFL; 37-point, near-perfection victories are rare. You don’t win in such one-sided fashion every week. As I wrote after the 37-16 loss to Tennessee last week, the Jaguars are both the team that lost to the Titans and the one that beat the Texans. They can lose if they play bad, and they can win if they play well. They are a team that can blow out a team if they play well – and if the defensive line dominates, and if the team turns opportunities into points, and if Bortles plays efficiently and smart. They are also a team that can lose in lopsided fashion if they commit turnovers, or put themselves in negative situations offensively, or fail to pressure the opposing quarterback. Mostly, what they are is a 2-1 team that is in first place in its division. I doubt the Jaguars will go 15-1 and I imagine they will take some more one-sided losses – perhaps even as one-sided as Tennessee. But perhaps the lesson of the first three games is that all is not lost for this team after a bad loss, just as there’s no reason to size Super Bowl victories after one victory. Perhaps fans will have perspective. Perhaps they will be even-keeled. Perhaps … perhaps … naaaaaaaaaah.

Tboy from St. Augustine, FL:
Honorable Mr. O: Your response to Ryan from Fremont was essentially the most insightfully astute, interpretatively correct, amazingly, accurate, correctly articulated analysis of the ills and chills of Mr. BB’s maladies. One big “ATTABOY” for you. It should remind all of us that “Fans gonna fan” and that’s OK…just not always correct.

John: I’m pretty good, right?

Lance from Lebanon, TN:
Well, I guess I’m back on the bandwagon! Not really … been a fan from day one! Still have my original ball cap bought the day after Jax was announced as the second expansion team awarded that go-round. Question, can we maybe see some consistency now that these players know they can compete and win?

John: Consistency typically only exists in the NFL in the dreams of coaches and fantasies of fans. The NFL is ultra-competitive league. Teams have ups and downs. The best teams usually lose big once or twice season – and scrape by in enough games to make their fans angry and nervous as often as they are elated. Win enough games however you can and get in the playoffs, then hope you’re healthy and win from there. The best thing I heard from the Jaguars in the aftermath Sunday was that players sincerely didn’t panic or believe the team was backsliding after the Week 2 loss to Tennessee. That belief appeared to be a huge reason for Sunday’s victory. Teams must strive for consistency. When they inevitably fall short, they must be mature enough as a team to respond and play well the following week. That the Jaguars did that is a very good sign.

Jerell from Columbia, SC:
15-1??

John: God love him.
 
 

 

 

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O-Zone: Answer Man

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

LONDON – Let’s get to it …

TJ S from Orlando, FL:

Run game and strong “D” versus run game and strong “D.” This seems like a more favorable matchup with the exception of Joe Flacco being in the pocket.

 

 John: I can’t honestly say Sunday’s game is an overly favorable matchup for the Jaguars, but it does appear to be a relatively even matchup of teams with very similar approaches. And I do think it’s a game the Jaguars can and ought to win. The matchup I’ll watch: Jaguars defensive line against Ravens offensive line. The Jaguars had a major edge in that area in Week 1 and parlayed that into a dominant victory over Houston. They failed to get an advantage in in that area in Week 2 against Tennessee and never took control of the game. Considering the makeup of this Jaguars team, I anticipate a pretty direct correlation between the number or Jaguars victories and the number of games the Jaguars’ defensive line is a matchup advantage against the opposing offensive line. As for Flacco … yes, he’s a matchup advantage for the Ravens. If he’s not elite, he’s a veteran enough quarterback to make a difference. The Jaguars must first stop the run enough to make Flacco throw, then pressure him enough to make him ineffective. That will be part of the Jaguars’ winning formula in most games this season.
Dave from Vilano Beach, FL:
The roster is much improved. The defense is poised to be very good. The offense has some tools in place to be effective or potentially good. With that said, the most critical position on the field will cause the entire offense to suffer if the level of play is not enough to be respected by an opposing defense. Clearly, we do our best this year, but the true turning point will be if the next quarterback we pick is the man. Oh, sorry that’s rational thinking. I must not be a true fan. One Fer Oehser!!
John: I’m sorry, I got caught up in the whole One-fer-Oehser thing. That was cool. I liked it.
Tyler from Jacksonville:
How about this, O-bro? The price of concessions is based off the previous season’s win total. So you set the scales so beers are $2 if the team has below two wins, and full price at 10 wins or more. Each win below 10, drops the prices down a percentage. I think it would be a good-faith gesture to a long-suffering fan base. We see the prices the Falcons rolled out plastered across national headlines and it is a little disheartening that they have made an affordable model work there, in a city with higher incomes, while we pay double or sometimes triple – and while our owner has seen his investment in the team triple to the tune of $1.3 billion in asset appreciation. I never said this in all the years I have written in, but I bet you won’t put this in the column.
John: Why wouldn’t I put this question it in the column? Because like a cunning sleuth, you have unearthed some earth-shaking, franchise-altering secret? Because I might get in twubble with the higher-ups for mentioning that the Jaguars have increased in value since Shad Khan bought the team? Neither is correct. It’s also incorrect to insinuate that somehow fans at EverBank Field have it worse than most others when it comes to the game-day experience. Yes, concession prices there are … well, pricey … compared to Atlanta. But ticket prices at EverBank are among the lowest in the NFL (just over $61 in 2016 compared to $78 for the Falcons, for example), and the Jaguars long have allowed fans to bring in outside food. Look, there’s little question the Jaguars’ fan base is long-suffering in terms of the on-field product. This team hasn’t won nearly enough and that sucks. But the fact that the Jaguars have increased in value is a reflection that the franchise is solidifying in Jacksonville. Is this supposed to be interpreted as a bad thing?
Bryan from Reston, VA:
I follow you every day – and have since you’ve been here – so I have a pretty strong pulse on all topics O-Zone. One thing that was brought up this week is a stacked front versus the Jags. We never really covered this completely in the offseason, but hinted on it at times. So, the question remains: What do the Jags do against a stacked front that they are certain to face every single week this season regardless of the opponent? Unless we have a solid answer to this question, I’m afraid our approach is unlikely to win many games this year.
John: The first thing you do against a stacked front is figure out a way to run at least marginally well against it. That’s because you’re going to see it a lot on first and second downs. The Jaguars have done a nice job of this so far this season with rookie running back Leonard Fournette being able to batter his way for yardage against stacked fronts. Fournette hasn’t always gotten huge yards, but for the most part through two games he has been able to be productive. The second thing you do against a stacked box is game plan against it by creating one-on-one matchups – or complete passes downfield to get safeties out of the box as much as possible. There’s not a magical scheme. You must execute.
Jason from Salem:
Okay, so I am going to beat a dead horse – aka, Blake Bortles – and ask what quarterback can Jacksonville draft or pick up via trade or free agency this upcoming season. I have been a faithful fan since 1995-1996 and I have had enough of terrible quarterback acquisitions. Let’s step it up, just like the Jaguars have done getting premium players on the defensive side of the ball and some offensive players. C’mon mannnn. Enough is enough.
John: There’s a reason the Jaguars haven’t found an elite quarterback while they have been able to find front-line players at other positions: Quarterback is the most premium of all positions and teams typically don’t let great ones – or even good ones – leave. I don’t know what the Jaguars will do in the offseason at the position because we don’t know yet who will be available. Alex Smith? Someone else? I do imagine they’ll do something, and that something might be a veteran. Stay tuned.
Brian from Gainesville, FL:
Big O, you said for a while that there was no real downside to the Jaguars signing Bortles to the fifth-year option, but there is for us fans. As you state, there could come a point in the season where the team sits Bortles to avoid the risk of paying him the 19 large. If that time comes, though, it would be a pretty big signal to the rest of the team that there is no reason to continue to play hard this season, no reason to allow fans to enjoy even otherwise meaningless wins the risk of getting injured, and that it’s best to just phone it in and hope that next year is different. That would stink. Why would anyone even bother watching or attending a game under those circumstances? It can’t be to watch Chad Henne or Ryan Nassib carrying a team they can’t carry.
John: I don’t know that this is as much of a concern as your email indicates. Firstly, there’s no guarantee this scenario comes into play. Secondly, if it does come into play, it would only happen once the season was lost to the point that everyone knew it was lost whoever happened to be playing quarterback. Any season risks getting to that point if losing gets out of hand. Fifth-year options have little or nothing to do with it.
Jimi from Bondo to Philly:
Yo, pour some sugar on me… Since it’s London week … Def Leppard: Discuss … And what are your fave UK bands?
John: I can’t say I’m overly passing about Def Leppard one way or the other. UK bangs: Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Beatles, Clash, Housemartins, Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, Smiths.
Jackson from St. Augustine, FL:
WHY THE HECK IS BORTLES STILL THE STARTER?!!?! Chad Henne could indeed throw the ball with accuracy with around four-to-five of protection from the offensive line. I was at the game and the only passes I saw were screens and slants. It doesn’t matter how great the defense and run game are, if you can’t pass the ball, you won’t win games! Thoughts?
John: Why ask my thoughts? You not only used CAPITAL LETTERS, you used exclamation points and question marks !?!?!?! You have it all figured out.
Ryan from Fremont:
It seems like Blake Bortles has had a lot of his interceptions due to tipped passes, or weird bounces off of people’s feet, hands, etc. Is there a specific reason for this, or is it simply coincidence?
John: I won’t argue the fact that Bortles has a lot of weird interceptions, and that somehow his mistakes turn into tragic mistakes at a weird rate. Why? This, I do not know. What! Ask Jackson, doesn’t he have all the ANSWERS!?!???!
 
 

 

 

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