Category: Uncategorized

John: It’s fine to disagree with me – and even with Jason, for that matter – and indeed everyone’s entitled to his or her own thoughts. And there’s no question the Jaguars aren’t winning enough right now. Still, just because an NFL team is struggling doesn’t mean all players on the roster are bad. As for your list, it contained by my count 12 players. All of them aren’t core players, but if we’re saying all are good, functional, building-block players … well, that’s actually a good start because most teams turn over multiple players each year. I would also suggest that Sheldon Day appears to be a player worth keeping, as are Tashaun Gipson, Prince Amukamara, A.J. Cann and very possibly Kelvin Beachum. Are there holes to be filled? Certainly. Is this an elite roster? No, but it’s not a bad one and it’s one with a lot of players who should still be improving. A major difference between this roster and many other rosters that are at .500 or better is that a lot of those rosters are getting consistent quarterback play. Consistent quarterback play can make that much of a difference, and the Jaguars simply have not gotten that enough this season. Because of that, it makes the entire roster look worse than otherwise would be the case. This is not a roster that needs a complete tear-down and rebuild. This is not a roster that is horrifically worse than any other in the NFL. This roster still needs a few impact players and some improvement, but I don’t see that road being overly long. We’ll see.

John: I don’t pretend to be well-versed enough in quarterback mechanics to give an accurate blow-by-blow breakdown of Bortles’ mechanics. I agree that Bortles’ footwork seems unstable, and that he doesn’t seem to throw from his legs all the time – but that’s usually the case for a lot of quarterbacks’ inaccuracies. When Bortles discusses his mechanics he most often talks about trying to tighten the motion and trying to get his feet and legs correct. Those are areas to watch.

John: This has been a topic in the O-Zone in recent days. First, I have no idea if the Jaguars will be in the market for a veteran quarterback in the offseason. I’ve heard nothing to indicate that that would be the case, but with eight games remaining a lot can change on many fronts for the Jaguars between now and the offseason. There’s also no guarantee Romo will be available.

John: It’s not time to give up on Bortles. It is time for him to play more consistently. If he does, then a lot of this sort of talk will cease very quickly.

John: I don’t know how simple the question is or isn’t, but yeah – a big part of coaching is to take what players do best and have them do it. That has been the frustration for the Jaguars on offense this season – is finding what this team does well and establishing that as an identity. Greg Olson in retrospect couldn’t find enough of it and Nathaniel Hackett seemed to find some more of it last week, particularly in the running game. I’ve said often in recent weeks that I think one of the most fascinating storylines for the rest of the Jaguars’ season is to find out what Hackett believes Bortles does best. If he can find a few things and start to build on it, you could see a dramatic difference in the Jaguars’ offense.

John: On it.

John: Sure, that sort of study should help. The question when deciding whether to have a cornerback cover a receiver one on one the whole game isn’t really one of preparation. Rather, it’s whether or not that player is capable of handling the assignment and whether or not the approach is best for your defense. Sometimes, it makes more sense to have both of your cornerbacks defend a side of the field. In other cases, teams prefer to double the opponent’s best wide receiver and have another corner take away the No. 2 wide receiver. As is often the case in the NFL, the approach often depends on the match-up.

John: The team that goes 10-6 wins the division in your scenario. Division standings are based on overall records. The only time division records come into play is when there is a tie.

John: She’s pretty fired up about the billionaire part. She even says she’ll visit me from time to time.

John: My answer to you: Sure, but they have to win a lot of games and they can’t lose a lot.

John: Who can the Jaguars beat on their remaining schedule? This is actually quite simple. If they play to their potential, avoid turnovers and hit plays when they are there to be made, they can beat any team remaining on their schedule – and yes, I mean any team. The Jaguars haven’t done those things enough this season, and because I can’t predict when they will, I can’t really give a good answer to your question.

John: Tim: (I know my words; I write them). Prime-time or nationally-televised games indeed have better replays because the networks send more cameras to the games. It has been this way since replay was implemented. Why? Because networks are free to determine the number of cameras they send to games – and because as of now, the league/teams haven’t been moved to incur the costs needed to change the system.

John: I’ve never compared Bortles’ mechanics to those of Rivers. I have cited Rivers as an example of a quarterback with unorthodox mechanics – and I have done so as a way of demonstrating why unorthodox mechanics don’t automatically make you an undraftable quarterback.

John: I don’t anticipate Jaguars defensive coordinator Todd Wash changing the defensive scheme. I do anticipate Wash will blitz when he feels blitzing will be an effective way to generate pressure. He did this a lot against Kansas City and it was effective against Nick Foles. It would be reasonable to think that it might be effective against a relatively inexperienced quarterback such as Brock Osweiler of the Texans.

John: Sure, it’s possible. That’s because the AFC South is relatively bunched-up – and a Jaguars victory would make it even more bunchy. But this team has lost three consecutive games and has a minus-12 turnover ratio. It has found a way to lose games in a bunch of different ways. We also spent most of last season saying things like “if the Jaguars can win this game they can get back into a struggling AFC South …” Is that statement true this week? Sure, but it’s a hard thing to keep saying until they start winning.

John: Hold on … I’m still pretending I’m a billionaire – oh, and 6-2.

John: Yes. That answer doesn’t imply that the Jaguars have decided whether or not to use the fifth-year option on Bortles. It is to imply that it’s reasonable to believe that his play over the final eight games will play a role in the decision.

John: OK.

John: You’re listing a pretty elite, Rushmore-type group there – and those quarterbacks indeed proved very early in their careers that they were elite. But there are other cases – Drew Brees and Eli Manning come to mind – of quarterbacks who appeared iffy two or so seasons into their careers. I’m not saying things don’t appear shaky right now with Bortles. That indeed is the case. But he’s done enough positive things to merit more opportunity.

John: This is among the biggest issues facing the Jaguars’ defense, with the team’s minus-12 turnover ratio a major reason for their 2-6 record. It’s simply difficult to win when you turn the ball over at that rate if you can’t offset it by forcing turnovers yourself. The Jaguars have a league-low five takeaways, including four by the defense. Why? Many factors, but I believe the biggest is lack of pass rush. The Jaguars have three sacks in the last four games after 12 in the first four games. When you don’t get pass rush, it’s hard to get turnovers because disrupting the quarterback is what most often forces fumbles, tipped passes, errant throws, etc. What has happened to the pass rush? It hasn’t helped that the Jaguars have led for only 2:49 in the last four games – the last few minutes of the come-from-behind victory at Chicago in Week 6. When you’re always trailing, the opposing offense is in fewer obvious passing situations – and that usually means fewer sacks. The Jaguars need to get leads. That would enable them to play more aggressive defensively – and in turn, get a whole more opportunities to force opponents into mistakes.

John: True that.

John: The challenge you cite is not a new one, and it’s certainly not confined to the approaching offseason. In fact, it’s a challenge Jaguars President Mark Lamping routinely has mentioned as perhaps the major factor in the team enhancing the game-day experience over the last five years. It’s common knowledge within NFL circles that teams are always competing against an advanced, modern and compelling television experience on game days. The Jaguars’ plan therefore will continue to be to provide a game-day experience good enough to draw fans away from that experience and to the games.

John: I don’t know – because I think the final eight games of the season could play into this. I believe Caldwell should remain the Jaguars’ general manager because I believe he is a capable football man with a sound plan – and I believe that plan when executed over time will give the Jaguars a good chance to win. But as for your scenario … no, I can’t pretend to know that.

John: Yeah, probably. #DTWD

John: I think Bortles should and will get more than two more games, at least in part because Nathaniel Hackett just took over as the offensive coordinator.

John: I can’t imagine the fans being this angry if the Jaguars were 5-3 or even 4-4, so while the past indeed plays a role in fan disappointment, it strikes me that most of the anger is indeed about a failure to meet expectations this season. And that’s fair. This season was supposed to be better.

John: It remains to be seen if Walters and Hurns will miss Sunday. If they do, you probably would see Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson start at wide receiver with Arrelious Benn and Greene at third and fourth receiver. At punt returner, you would probably see either Greene or Lee if Walters can’t play – and you might see Lee or Greene at punt returner anyway.

John: This indeed feels like a mid-December question rather than a mid-November question, but could this issue be pertinent by season’s end? Sure.

John: Robinson and Grant don’t return punts because their straight-ahead speed makes them more suited to the kick-returner role. They haven’t been returning kickoffs in recent weeks because Marqise Lee has performed better and better in the role since taking it over Week 6. The guess here is you could see Lee or Greene on punt returns Sunday. Some combination of Lee/Greene at punt returner and Lee on kickoff returns is probably the Jaguars’ best overall returning formula.

John: No, those weren’t questions – but they were valid points. The things you cite from the Chiefs game are indicative of things that still plague Bortles – and things on which he must improve if he is to be a winning-level quarterback in the NFL.

John: Yes.

John: The Jaguars drafted Bortles because they believed his size, potential, mobility, strength, etc., made him the best quarterback prospect in that draft. In terms of mechanics, remember: not every quarterback enters the NFL with great mechanics – and not every great quarterback has perfect mechanics, either. Philip Rivers, for example, has a quirky delivery that defies his status as an elite quarterback. Remember, too: Bortles’ mechanics for the most part were OK last season. They have slipped somewhat this season. As for what the future holds … we shall see.

John: I think you’re right – and it’s absolutely true the Jaguars looked more competitive Sunday than they had in several weeks. They for the most part played well against a well-coached, smart, contending team – and they came close to what would have been the biggest victory of the Gus Bradley Era. They indeed looked like a team that could beat a lot of teams. The offense looked productive, the defense played gutsy and sound – and yes, this overall looked much more like the team many expected entering the season. And if the Jaguars can consistently play like that, they can win a lot of games in the second half of the season. That’s one way to see Sunday’s loss. The other way to see it is the Jaguars once again found a way to lose a game. They did it by committing four turnovers – and all four turnovers were avoidable. They knew entering the game that turnovers would be a key; still, that was exactly how they lost. As a result, they’re 2-6 – and to be honest, at 2-6 with the playoffs a very long shot no one wants to hear any more about having “a chance” and looking “like a team that can beat anyone.” It’s not good enough. Being better than what we saw the last two weeks isn’t good enough. Only winning is good enough.

John: You’re right. And if Bradley and Hackett keep caking that way … look out.

John: It’s probably good you couldn’t find the sarcasm font because I don’t think it was necessary. I wouldn’t say Bortles played great Sunday and he certainly missed throws. I’m not even saying Bortles took a step on Sunday toward proving he’s indeed a franchise quarterback. But he was clearly better than he was last week. Was that all Adam Dedeaux, his personal quarterbacks coach? Was there some Nathaniel Hackett mixed in there? A little of both, probably. Bortles needs to keep improving – and he quite honestly needs to play better than he did Sunday. Still, he was better. Considering where he was the last two weeks, perhaps that’s a start.

John: I can’t say that yet, but I thought about it a while before I answered.

John: This one was easy to explain. You don’t win in the NFL turning the ball over four times when you force no turnovers. The Jaguars did that; unsurprisingly, the result was a loss. Had they lost the takeaway-margin 4-0 and won it would have been one of the oddest, most-remarkable victories in franchise history. So … now what? Now, you go play the Texans at EverBank Field Sunday and you hope you can build on the positives from Sunday. That may not save the season because saving the season is a long shot, but what’s what you do because in the NFL that’s all there is to do.

John: I thought the Ivory play was a touchdown. I also don’t think it’s ridiculous for the officials to have missed the call on the field. And while you asked that I not explain the rule, the indisputable-proof part indeed is the key part of the rule. I never saw that on the replay, so while the call was frustrating it certainly was not hometowning. Oh, and another thing: don’t fumble. If you hold the ball it eliminates a lot of the guesswork.

John: I get it, Gamble.

John: This is a legitimate question, and one I have gotten often in recent weeks – and fans without a doubt are frustrated. What’s too bad about the question is the team’s leadership has a phenomenal level of empathy and concern for the fans. Team leadership works daily to provide a first-class fan experience, and I know first-hand that the fans are at the forefront of the team’s concerns – up to and including providing one heck of a free website with a strikingly witty, handsome, charming senior writer. I kid about the last part (though only a bit), but perception aside, the organization’s commitment to its fans is off the charts. Now, it’s true that hasn’t translated to winning. That’s beyond frustrating and gut-punchingly disappointing, but the reality in the NFL is all a team can truly promise is to do everything possible to win. The Jaguars in the last four seasons have done that. Perhaps they haven’t done it in a manner with which all fans agree—and they certainly haven’t done it successfully – but I assure you they have done it. They also will keep doing it; at some point, results will show. I believe the loyalty will stay strong because I honestly believe in the fan base’s passion for this team, and I believe that when this team does win, the loyalty/passion/energy the team and fans will create together will stun people not familiar with this market. Perhaps I’m wrong. I’ve certainly been wrong before. I don’t think I am now.

John: A 6-2 record the rest of the season indeed would be cause for a lot of Jaguars-related, Jaguars-induced ecstasy. It’s extre-e-e-e-e-e-mely difficult to visualize such a record considering the results of the first half of the season – even with how the Jaguars played Sunday. Would such a record be enough for Bradley to return? Considering that sort of record by definition would entail a huge turnaround and winning performances against good teams … yeah, it probably would. What are the chances of it happening? Slim … but we’ll see.

John: I got the sense during parts of the Oakland and Tennessee games that the defense was feeling a lot of frustration. That seemed pretty normal considering how the offense had played. I didn’t get that vibe at all during or after Sunday’s game. The Jaguars produced a lot of yards and the offense Sunday had a much different feeling. That wasn’t enough for a victory, but it did seem like enough to ease some of the frustration.