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#DraftDalvin – regardless of what the coaching situation looks like next year. Most importantly, he is what this offense needs. He’s also what the fans want to see. Why not have three good backs? His game translates well to the pros, and he provides a missing element that a lot of us thought we’d see more of from T.J. Yeldon. Big-game player, reliable, durable … and with what Zeke is doing in Dallas, prime-time backs may soon be back in high demand. It looks like an easy decision to me.

The Jags’ defense actually has been pretty dominant when you look at it statistically minus the Oakland and Tennessee games. But while the offense is getting better under Nathaniel Hackett, it’s still a work in progress. The root of that problem seems to be generating from Blake Bortles. Do you see next year’s coach (whomever he may be) drafting a quarterback early? Not so much in the first round but early third round.

Mr. O, why not give our third-string quarterback some love and rest Blake Bortles’ shoulder a game or two? Brandon Allen has a rocket arm. Thank You.

But possibly, maybe when it’s this many players with issues it’s the coaching.

Next year we spend 12 draft picks on O-Line. 2018 Super Bowl for the win.

In your opinion, does the organization realize that this is the true sentiment of the fan base? It’s a busy month, so the wife and I are working out the family calendar. I just sent her the email below regarding our season tix for the upcoming December home games. “I’m going to Denver but putting the last 2 games on StubHub. The whole tailgate group is sort of in the same boat. The team is so disappointing that none of us truly want to go if there are other options. Personally, I’m having fun playing golf on Sundays. If the team were playing for something, we’d all be dying to go. But watching them is just too frustrating for the effort/$ that goes into going to the stadium.”

John, after many, many years of reading and writing I have never stated this before but I … I dare you to print my comments because I doubt you want your pal Duval Doom to look bad. I’m just done with misguided passion and ignorance: Earlier this week the O-Zone had one of the most idiotic questions I’ve ever read in this column. … Doom guy questioning Mr. Khan’s ability as an owner?!?! To say the rebuild isn’t working at all just based on the current record is closed-minded at best, ignorant at worst. Mr. Khan is doing wonders for the city and the stability of the franchise. The NFL turns over 20-to-25 percent of its head coaches each year, so does that mean that most of the owners are unfit to own? Why not let the self-made multi-billionaire stick to his plan and decide what to do at season’s end instead of looking for more things to question and criticize? Oh yeah, it always comes to m … emotional “fans” are going to fan ignorantly!

It looks like there are going to be seven-to-nine teams looking for new head coaches next year, which means there is probably going to be a shortage of qualified people. I don’t think changing coaches is going to fix Blake Bortles – in fact, it most likely give us another excuse for a losing year (having to learn a new system again). I think we should stick with Gus Bradley and try to find a quarterback that has a couple of good years left and let BB play behind them. What do you think?

It’s fitting that it’s Christmas time, because any win the Jaguars get this month will be a gift. Yes, they have been close in the past few games, but the real hallmark of this season has been the team’s ability to consistently find new ways to shoot itself in the foot when the game is on the line. I don’t believe this team can make a play when it matters most. It is possible, however, that an opponent will make the kind of critical, late-game error that the Jags are famous for. And if so, thank you Santa!

I have heard a lot of talk about Gus being a “players coach” and nice guys finishing last. Before Jack Del Rio was fired he received complaints of the same, yet he is doing fine now. You played in the NFL so tell me what you think about the validity of this argument. I think it’s silly! Players gotta play or coaching doesn’t matter.

Here’s an interesting stat: the Jaguars are 11th in the NFL in plus/minus total yards. It’s extremely hard to be 2-9 with those numbers.

John, since you are so adamant about the Jaguars being able to add “multiple wins” by the end of the year, please name the two opponents left on the schedule you think the Jaguars will beat.

John, at this point with nothing to play for – i.e., playoffs, winning record and with the coach and general manager being fired at the end of the season – the Jags should continue to lose to set up a high draft pick. What’s your thought?

Don’t beat yourself up, Zone. That’s what we’re here for.

The Broncos will contain Blake Bortles and take away the short routes. … GO LONG!!!

I get that people question a lot about a two-win team. But Dave Caldwell has done a great, admirable job at building up the roster thus far. Consider the wide-receiver position as a good example. After Keenan McCardell left, we began trying to find a good complement for Jimmy Smith. Then Smith retired and we went through a huge rotisserie at the wide-receiver position for a decade. We had draft miss after draft miss and high-profile free agents. But in one offseason, we got Marqise Lee, Allen Hurns, and Allen Robinson. That’s what Caldwell does.

Most of a team dragging around on defense, improper route-running offense … who is to blame?? Head coach takes blame for team loses.

Do you think Coach Gus Bradley keeps his job if he wins the remaining five games?

Enough of the “what-can-we-do-to fix-this” commentary or questions. So to make lemonade, I think it’s time take the spoiler approach and it’s time to take out all our frustrations on the next five teams. Don’t care about their records or who their quarterback is or what their defense is ranked or not ranked. It’s time to come into these last five games like rabid, feral dogs with rabies and every team we bite poisons their playoff push. The best revenge is massive success. No more woe is me.

I asked you a couple years ago with the quarterback position SO important, why we didn’t go ahead and draft another top quarterback prospect high in the draft to basically “hedge our bets.” You said it won’t work because there just isn’t enough practice time to go around. I didn’t get it then and I still don’t. I understand they can’t both/all practice with the ones at the same time but if the quarterback means the difference between competing and 4-12 every year I still think it makes more sense to keep drafting them until you find “the guy.” We have three quarterbacks on the roster right now, anyway. If the roster is pretty much built now then we need to find “the guy” for this team. Either way … this four-year cycle could be shortened if we didn’t keep waiting four years to see if the guy we took was the right guy and then started all over again. #frustratedjagfan.

I seem to have misplaced Shad Khan’s phone number. Will you let him know I’m OK with guys staying another year? I’m sure he’ll want to know.

I’ve seen Blake Bortles, Gus Bradley, Dave Caldwell and Shad Khan all blamed for our unsuccessful run in 2016. I propose it’s your fault. With your power naps, stealing from the fridge and leaving early constantly … these set a bad example and break down the foundation of the organization. I’d send a strong worded letter to Shad, but I’m afraid he wouldn’t know who I was referring to.

2-14 or 3-13 or 4-12 … who cares? All those records stink.

Ok, John: I’m biting. Which teams do you think we match up well enough with that gives us a good chance of winning?

What is the most disappointing and/or unexpected thing this year that you did not foresee prior to the opening day?

In a league where collective bargaining determines salary and player movement, and with the player’s non-union as weak as ever, how can you characterize signing unrestricted free agents as overpaying? Free agency is actually the most accurate player valuation available. To say otherwise is to be spoiled by all the salary structures that grossly underlay player’s.

I admire you Zone.

Mr. O, Allen Robinson is getting mugged this year, but isn’t getting the pass-interference calls. Do you have a theory as to why this might be?

Almost two years ago on my birthday the Jags came back on the Giants. Good times.

Does anyone else see the stark difference in Blake Bortles‘ mechanics and passes now compared to earlier this season? The results are marginally better, but he isn’t losing games singlehandedly. He still needs to complete more passes and make better football decisions, but he is now a quarterback a good team can win with. No matter how good they were earlier in the year, there was no way they could win with him, and that was due to bad passes caused by poor mechanics. I think the improvement is Yuuuuuuuuge.

So, what’s the deal with Julius Thomas? Is he really injured? Is his blocking that atrocious? Does he just not fit into what the Jags are trying to do?

Can we blame the recent run of poor seasons on our helmet design? We need some scapegoat, and you seem to poo-poo every other idea the fans are suggesting.

A 7-9 record is still possible. If the Jags win out, does Gus get another season?

Will you and Jerell be exchanging Christmas cards?

Is there any logical reason why Mike Mallory still has a job or is it a foregone conclusion that there is zero accountability on this team?

Don’t give up on Bortles quite yet. It is imperative we draft a power running back and firm up the offensive line to take the pressure off Bortles. I believe he thinks he needs to do it all and as a result presses and makes poor decisions. Give him a power running game and you will see a better Bortles.

Hi John, as we close on this terrible season, I can’t help but reflect back. What actually happened? We have as much talent as the Titans, Bucs and Raiders. All rebuilt their teams at the same time. We have young studs on both sides of the ball. Yet, we suck and those young teams are fighting for the playoffs. What did the #DTWD movement miss going into this year?

O, you haven’t answered me in a while and I’m getting worried. Just hope you are OK. Please get back to me whenever you can just so I know you are alive. And also maybe you could give me some advice to deal with Bucs fans mocking me for being a Jags fan right now.

How do you think this year will impact Mr. Robinson’s contract situation? Do you feel the emergence of Mr. Lee will also have an impact? Also, do you feel that Mr. Lee’s performance kind of makes Mr. Caldwell wish he held off a year on Mr. Hurns contract? It seems a difficult decision will need to be made at the wide receiver position due to financial/contract implications.

Sammy Watkins got away with a push off on that long ball against Ramsey. The coverage was terrific, but there is a reason the ball was just out of Ramsey’s reach when it arrived. Just sayin’.

Zone, what do you think of Dante Fowler’s development at this point in season? Do you think he can develop mentally and become a productive player in this league? Is there absolutely no hope he becomes a competent long-term starter at this point? Is Yannick Ngakoue starting more of a testament of how good he is or how much of a liability Dante is? Thanks, moodachay.

Do you think there is any chance we will see a regular-season victory at EverBank Field this year?

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Okay, so I get you say “No” to 2-14. But if we don’t win another game this season, what do you say then? From the fans’ perspective, we don’t look like we can beat anyone except ourselves – and we are REALLY good at beating ourselves. Stupid penalties, mental mistakes and blown assignments all make for a 2-9 record. So, what do you see that will make this team come together all of a sudden and get a win in these last five games? It would really help if you explained your reasoning to us fans who have lost all hope.

Buffalo Bills Head Coach Rex Ryan mentioned last week that the Jaguars could be the most talented 2-8 team in the NFL. Could this year’s Jaguars be similar to the Chiefs of 2012? That team went 2-14 and had the No. 1 overall selection in the 2013 NFL Draft, but most people would have said that team underachieved and had good individual talent. The next year they got a new head coach (a proven head coach in Andy Reid) and went to the playoffs and have now have had a solid run for the past four years. Will next year be the start of something? I’m ready for things to turn around!!!

You told Duval Doom the expectations for this season “were so high.” Shad Khan said in the offseason that .500 was a reasonable expectation, and most media and fans alike believed .500 was reasonable and expected. When did going .500 become such a high expectation? That’s a sad commentary for exactly where this franchise is. Del Rio was run out of town for going .500 and look at us now.

Big O, I agree with the general sentiment that bad calls/missed calls work themselves out in the wash, but – as has been noted – it’s not balancing out for the Jaguars. That is both ridiculous and disheartening. What can be done about this besides just sending calls into the league for postgame review? That’s not fixing the problem. The Jags are being treated terribly by the officials. Shad Khan is an owner, too. What can be done?!?! And please don’t say “winning” or “having more Pro Bowl players” or some such nonsense. I’m ready to sue or have Yannick bum rush a ref or… something!

I read an insightful article the other day about sports writers who have covered NFL teams with the worst records. It included Cleveland, Buffalo and the Jaguars. The writers spoke of the four-year perpetual cycle of doom and rebuild that occurs when teams have losing records each year – i.e., start over …lose, start over … lose … start over … lose. Some blamed coaches, Some blamed general managers. Others blamed owners. I do not understand why this continues to occur to the same teams. How can this horrible cycle of doom be broken for the Jaguars??

What will be the keys to Jaguars winning this weekend against the Broncos?

You can’t call Davon House a miss. We had money we needed to spend and holes we needed to fill. He was the best cornerback on our team last year and provides solid depth this year. That’s what we (over)paid for, but free agency means overpaying. Even Julius Thomas took some attention away from Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, which helped them both break out in 2015 – though I would have liked to see more out of JT for longer. He got over-overpaid. Dan Skuta was never meant to be anything more than a solid, experienced body to help hold down what would have otherwise been a weak and shallow linebacking unit. It’s OK to spend free agency money (when you have it) on bodies like that (when you lack them).

John, I am probably in the minority but given the team they have and lack of playing time together and Blake Bortles’ regression, I just don’t see why Gus is taking the blame for all of this. I think he is a fine head coach who has the team’s respect. Would I like him to be a bit tougher with guys? Yes, but I think he is as good as they come but needs time to put a team together. Disagree?

John, do you realize that Gus will not have won a full season’s worth of games after four years? That is pretty fascinating. One has to think part of that is attributed to the curse you bring to this franchise.

At this point I firmly believe you’re correct: Shad Khan won’t be making a mid-season coaching change. At what point do you feel it’s appropriate to begin questioning Shad’s ability as an owner? We’ve seen a rebuild that has not worked, a decision to cater to opposing fans because they can’t get any more Jags fans to show up and the worst record of any team in the last few years. Making changes to make changes may not yield results, but this has not, either.

Hey, Zone. I understand for obvious reasons why Gus Bradley is on the hot seat. But why does Dave Caldwell get a pass? His first three picks were all top three picks and looks like none of them have worked out – Luke Joeckel, Blake Bortles and Dante Fowler Jr. How can a general manager be considered good if he has that poor a record with three Top 3 picks? Shad needs to clean house, including Dave. Agree?

I think Sunday was Jalen Ramsey‘s worst game this season. He has been a bright spot on an otherwise terrible team in a dismal year. While his performance wasn’t terrible, he was beaten on both of the Bills’ big plays. He took a bad angle and LeSean McCoy blew by him on his long touchdown run. He was also beaten by Sammy Watkins on his long reception. At the end of the day, he is still a rookie, although he has played like a Pro Bowl cornerback for most of the season.

2-14???

The past few weeks there has been considerable drop off in the run game once Mr. Ivory leaves the game. This was very evident this past game. Did Mr. Caldwell miss on Mr. Yeldon? It does seem that he is more of a No. 2 change-of-pace back than a true No. 1, does it not, Mr. O?

You are your record and if your record says you’re not talented then you’re not talented; 2-9 and zero wins in November means you’re not talented.

Johnny O. It does not matter how talented this team is. All that talent is not coming together into a winning team. That’s got to fall on the coaches. How can it not be time for a change at the top? Just asking.

Did it seem to you that Blake Bortles appeared to have a little more zip on his passes Sunday? I noticed fewer ducks and – dare I say – a spiral or two.

Of course you re-punt: that’s the smart move 95 percent of the time in that situation. You gave up a 15-yard return. Now, you gain five yards and have a shot at a turnover or pushing them back a good 20 yards and eating up another 10 seconds on them by re-punting. The problem wasn’t the decision; again, it was execution. Line drive punt and weak coverage.

Since Tyson Alualu has been comparable to Jared Odrick, it seems like Odrick will be among the veterans who are released at the end of this season. Other candidates appear to be Julius Thomas, Dan Skuta and Davon House. Do you see any of these players remaining on the 2017 squad? P.S. All of these players were major free-agent additions brought in by David Caldwell. Seems like he deserves some criticism for not getting bang for his buck in free agency.

Why would the team spend $90 million on Malik Jackson, only to have him start over a near equal Sen’Derrick Marks? Seems like an awful large waste of money when there are so many other spots needing to be filled with “superstar” unrestricted free agents.

I agree with Blake: there was a crucial call missed; however, refs do not make or break a game. Plenty of opportunities were presented to pull away in the first half. Our Jags failed us once again. As [Bills Head Coach] Rex [Ryan] said, they are the most talented 2-8 team in the NFL. On the upside, when they start meshing as a team, it could look deadly.

How can you say Bortles played one of his better games? He threw for only 126 yards. You are not going to win many games throwing for that many yards. Check Sunday’s stats and see how many winning quarterbacks threw for that fewer yards. I guess because no interceptions makes it one of his better games. Just sayin!

I am starting to think that everyone who said before the season started that “this is a talented team” is an IDIOT. This team is worse than mediocre talent-wise and 2-9 proves that. With this losing environment and lack of ACTUAL talent, we won’t win another game until 2019 or later. I’m sick of this.

Just punt the ball out of bounds. Ridiculous.

So sad … better in several areas, but still not good enough. I have never understood why we have a nose tackle in a hybrid 4-3 defense, but Abry Jones did a great job the last few weeks and I certainly didn’t think that it hurt us. Sunday, no nose tackle and I certainly didn’t think it hurt us … in fact, it helped get more sacks on a highly mobile quarterback?

Tyson Alualu is better than Jared Odrick.

How do you compete when three possessions are taken away from you? That’s the equivalent of three turnovers – “forward progress”, “DPI”, and a no call on A-Rob.

I feel this needs to be said, so here goes. We aren’t good enough to clearly beat average teams. We need to be better (execution, coaching, players, all of it overall) so we can beat these teams. But this season the officiating in these close games has been brutally against us. The Green Bay game was bad, there were some very questionable calls in some close games early in the season and Sunday may have been the worst. From the supposed non-fumble early on all the way to LeSean McCoy clearly stepping out of bounds on his own in the last drive and them running the clock. … We probably didn’t deserve to win but the officiating has not been anywhere near fair towards both teams and has taken away opportunities that we needed for us to win close games.

I have never seen such a blatant showing of bias by a referee crew in all my years of watching the sport. This is not the first game this season heavily influenced by the refs, but it seems to be the most obvious. What can we do when the integrity of the game seems to be in question: bad ball spotting, the missed PIs, the clock moving while McCoy is a yard out of bounds, all favoring the home team? Is this what we can expect for the remainder of the season?

Time for another rebuild. Only way this pathetic excuse for a team gets better.

We are hard on Blake for his decision-making in Year 3 and rightfully so, but how about good ‘ol Gus? Let’s have them re-kick a punt when our punt coverage has been horrendous and are now gassed when we had them on about their own 40 with our defense playing great. Or how about calling a timeout on fourth-and-1 while they are sending their kicker out for a field goal with less than a minute to go in the first half. Or how about not calling timeout in the crucial fourth-and-4 on our last drive in which a coach with any clue would have done in such a critical situation!! Seems like our fourth-year coach still can’t get some of the basics down yet, either. But Wow: we have a great culture with Sen’Derrick Marks celebrating he didn’t actually jump offside on their late fourth-and-inches. Wow. What you think?

Hi, John. Do you believe if Nathaniel Hackett had started the season as our offensive coordinator that our running game would have been better earlier in the season and led us to some more wins? It just seems to me that our offense has been way better or more competitive since he’s taken over. Do you agree?

Blake actually looked like a backup quarterback or once this year. That’s a major step in the right direction for him.

I find it very interesting how teams are labeled very good versus very bad by the simple measure of who makes one or two extra key mistakes in the course of 60 minutes of action. It’s quite a generalization for such a fine line of difference between two opponents. Yes, some teams have a knack to win the close games more than others but, to me, defining a team as good or bad lies more to the full body of work/effort versus the fortune of getting that edge of the extra good play to win. Losing so much like the Jags have done this season sucks, but I don’t place them in the category of being a “bad” team this season. They are about 10 total plays of being in the chase for the division lead, but that’s the price of having a young team trying to get playing time together.

John, what is the eye problem precisely that keeps Chris Smith inactive? Did it happen in practice/game or off the field? Do you think he will be with the Jags next year?

I liked Jack Del Rio, and never thought he was a bad coach. He just gave up on the dumpster fire in Jax and got out of dodge.

O-Man, I completely understand those who want Blake Bortles to be benched. I don’t agree, because I think he can overcome at least some of his issues. But how can ANYONE believe Chad Henne is a better option?

Why is it that you are always right and the paying fans are always wrong? When was the last time you paid to watch the Jags lose? Whatever happened to the old saying “the CUSTOMER is always right?” It seems you treat your readers’ thoughts as irrelevant and sometimes ignorant. I will admit that some of the comments are just that, but many of the fans have very good points to make and you just brush them off with either the company line or some other pointless response. Remember when the fans feel as if they don’t have a voice, they will just lose interest as many already have. Help us out, John, with some true candid answers.

It is said that football is a game of inches; I’d say it is also a game of split seconds. One consistent trait of very good quarterbacks is all have very quick releases. Philip Rivers with the wacky mechanics gets the ball out in the blink of an eye. Russell Wilson is a bit short but he releases the ball superfast. Ben Roethlisberger is built more like a linebacker – but bang, it’s gone. It seems true of them all. So much has been said about Blake good and bad, mechanics, desire, on and on … I’m afraid his slow release is going to hold him back no matter what he does. It doesn’t matter if he makes a great decision if the window closes. Do you think this is something that can be coached and drilled or is it just something the great ones are blessed with?

Okay, hear me out. A team practices special teams and field goals and various other situations which happen only a couple times a game. Is it time for us to start spending more time practicing tackling after an interception? With the near guarantee of this happening a couple times a game now we might as well start practicing keeping them from being touchdowns, right?

Be the spark, John. This team hangs on your every word. They look to you to lead. So lead.

O-Zone, in Blake’s first season, due to his bad mechanics, he was an arm thrower (not using his body in his throws), which led him to admit that his arm was tired at the end of the year. With the mechanics regressing and the high number of passes that he’s thrown this year, I’m afraid his arm is only going to deteriorate the rest of the season.

How long before Lee overtakes Robinson as WR1? That guy can play!

I don’t understand why no one is talking about Prince Amukamara. The guy has been playing lights-out the last few weeks and has done exactly what we brought him in to do. He was definitely worth the big contract. Do you think he earned a long-term contract and is on the team next year? Thanks.

If I held your hands to the fire and asked you if Brandon Allen sees playing time at all this season what would you say?

O, man … they are roasting us right now. Blake Bortles, Gus Bradley – and now Shad Khan is being accused of keeping Yes Men around. I don’t think he became a billionaire by employing Yes Men. This is BB’s fault. He has to know he’s killing the entire team. I saw a gentlemen point out that our last two coaches were called bad when losing. Now, both coaches have winning teams that improve every week. The point, again: it’s the players. And more focused, it’s BB. He is a literal Franchise Killer. He should have the decency to step down as the “Man” because he knows he’s the reason the record is as bad as it is. His teammates are fed up with his performances. Jalen Ramsey is in tears because he doesn’t like losing. So you lose Ramsey’s desire to play here – and what now? He needs to do the right thing. He needs to step down before he ruins the careers of others.

I have not lost faith in the Jaguars. I do, though, have reservations about David Caldwell. Many people blame Gus Bradley for Blake Bortles, but didn’t Caldwell pick Bortles – or was that a group consensus pick?

Since this rebuild has been a total failure, do you think a team will ever do it the way the Jags did? It’s a reason a rebuild like this wasn’t tried before.

I am tired of hearing that Bradley’s first two or now three years should be discounted because the roster was poor. We were posting historically bad numbers and performances over and over. He NEVER gets his team no matter the roster to play better than the sum of the parts and without mistakes. A competent coach would have stolen more wins, surprised a few times, and lost way more close ones. We will never get to .500 with him as head coach.

What’s this nonsense that the Jags still believe Blake is the guy of the future????? I hope Shad Khan cleans house. That way new general manager and head coach won’t hitch their wagon to THE PICK MAGNET – aka, Blake “The Pick Six” Bortles.

A wise man once said, “Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you.” This is how I feel about the Jaguars now. I embrace the fact that they are terrible. I wear my jersey in public and laugh along with people when they make fun of my team. It hurts less, and is the only way to hold onto my sanity when this was supposed to be the year we could be proud to be Jaguar fans again. We just need a pathetic nickname like The Bungles now.

I may be in the minority here. In fact, I’m pretty sure I am. But I say give Bortles another offseason to work on his game. I just feel like we haven’t seen what this man is capable of just yet.

Hi, John. People seem to be down on Chris Ivory, especially after last week’s fumble, but he took a hard, direct hit directly on his ball-carrying arm. Even if he had both arms on the ball that hit could still have caused a fumble. Fumbles aren’t always caused by careless running backs.

Hey John, Krimma?

I understand how easy it is to blame the head coach for everything going wrong with the franchise right now, but if you could go back to the beginning of the year and swap Gus Bradley for Bill Belichick – or swap Blake Bortles for Tom Brady (assuming no suspension) – which move would have the biggest effect on the Jags’ record right now? I’m not trying to absolve Gus of his responsibility for our record nor am I blaming Blake for all of our ills, but it’s probably an easy choice for most people. Having said that, if Tom Brady had been our quarterback for the last four years, I would wager that nobody would be talking about firing Gus Bradley right now. Your thoughts?

When I watch Russell Wilson, Dak Prescott, Kirk Cousins, Sam Bradford, Matt Stafford, etc., etc., they look so smooth and throw accurate passes. Then, I look at Bortles. The Jaguars organization really thinks Bortles can still be the future? That seems absurd to me, am I wrong?

It’s hard to watch NFL football because all it does is remind me of how far behind the Jaguars are. How far behind they are from average NFL football. Shameful/painful.

The Jags are going to win the remaining games and win the division and shock the world! Go Jags!

Since Myles Jack has been a starter for several weeks now, I haven’t heard his number called much for big plays. Is he just not in the correct position to be noticed or is he just not ready yet to make a big splash like we were hoping?

John, how can you not laugh at this point? It’s like watching the follies every week! CMON, MAN!!!

I like Gus a lot, and I’m going to be sad to see him leave. His first three years were very tough, but the definition of success during those first three years would be for this fourth year not to be dominated by errors all over the field like we have. The fact is, we’ve got better players and lots of talent, but no results. We have not gotten better every day. The goal may be valid, but the execution of the plan to achieve that goal has completely failed. Ultimately, the buck has to stop somewhere.

Scouts should be on hand for the Iowa-Nebraska game. Desmond King and a few power runners.

I am thankful that the Jaguars’ season is almost over. I will be so damn happy when I can say “I am thankful the Jaguars are above .500 at this point in the season.” Go Jags!

You said recently concerning Blake Bortles, “There is every possibility that they will need to bring in competition for him in the offseason. And if they do that, that competition needs to real.” Could you elaborate on that? The upcoming draft is weak at quarterback, and Tony Romo will probably want to go to a contending team and – is old. The only viable option seems to be Jimmy Garoppolo and Dave doesn’t like to part with draft choices. I think you are spot on that Blake needs real competition. I just don’t know who or how that would happen. Any ideas?

I am thankful we have a team and that we have a talented roster after years of disgraceful performances. It feels like if we just had decent play out of quarterback we wouldn’t stink so bad, and that is a lot better than we have been in a long time!!

People that don’t understand giving Blake every chance are missing the point: the 20 teams that have starting quality quarterbacks significantly better won’t give them up; and spending another first-round pick on a quarterback that hasn’t graded out means we’re missing out on a game-changing pass rusher or offensive tackle for another year. Why wouldn’t we give him every possible chance to be even a mid-tier quarterback? Sure, bring in legitimate competition, but there’s no reason whatsoever to kick him to the curb during his rookie contract.

It seems in the last couple of weeks of the season the interests of the coaching staff and the Jaguars organization will inevitably diverge. The coaching staff’s goal will be to win at any cost. But, if this team has only two or three wins heading into the final few weeks of the season, the team would likely benefit by playing less-experienced players to better evaluate them going forward (e.g., Sheldon Day, Josh Wells, Chris Reed, Chris Smith, etc.) – not to mention draft position.

Do you think we will ever see Marcedes on the field again?

I agree with Bortles regarding a lot of good stuff overshadowed by the losses. When referencing that Bortles has accounted for 16 of the team’s 22 giveaways, I think it’s somewhat misleading as probably half of them were a combination of either tipped balls, fluke plays, or last-minute Hail Mary passes. The receivers get good money to catch the ball even if it’s thrown a little off. Bortles will never admit this because he is a leader, but the eye test does. Do you agree?

Setting aside Gus Bradley’s win-loss record as a head coach, I find it hard to trust someone who has fired two offensive coordinators and two defensive coordinators in four years. Who wants to come work for this guy? Shad has been exceedingly patient in letting Gus Bradley finish out the season; can’t understand why Gus couldn’t at least do the same for Olson.

OK, I get it losing suuuuuucks! I’m not sure what team most people are watching, but I see a team that for the last three games has crept closer to winning. Nobody ever said it was easy to win. Every Sunday we huddle around the game and cheer for the Jags. I’ll never stop cheering, because we as fans need –no, must – let the team know we are behind them. So here’s to the Jaguars, from at least one of the faithful. You guys are going to #SHOCKDANATION – and yes, you heard it here first …

You have stated over and over that we need to give Blake Bortles more time – that he needs to have a fair period to be analyzed and evaluated. He has had several years to prove himself. How much longer do you think he deserves before we move on? Please don’t throw last year’s stats at us again; we all know that garbage time stats are not real-game stats.

I’d like to see a Venn diagram of people who shout loudly for big money to be spent on high-profile free agents in the spring and people who complain high-profile free-agency signings aren’t worth what they were paid in the winter. I suspect there would be a pretty large overlap. Are you any good with Venn diagrams, John?

The season is lost. Why not give Chad a chance?

I tried to come up with a good question, but I got nuthin. I hope everyone has a nice Thanksgiving!

Yeah, John: if only Gus Bradley had not created a culture where losing is fine, the Jaguars would be on a 38-game winning streak right now. Now, all of those professional athletes think they are being paid millions of dollars just to show up. If only they had another head coach, the players would understand that they are there to win games. Free advice for Mr. Khan: Don’t hire coaches who are bad and like losing. Hire coaches who are good and like winning.

Had James Stewart remained a Jaguar do you think he would’ve been better than Fred Taylor? I mean, five touchdowns in a game is no easy feat – nor is scoring 30 points. Shame he went on to the Lions and got his shoulder destroyed by Bills’ Coy Wire, who coincidentally was coached under our future defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

Can we use the first three picks next year on O-line?

I keep hearing about Bortles and his problems. But I hardly ever hear anyone discuss our offensive-line play and lack of a running game attributed to that. We, generally speaking, cannot run the ball against most of the league’s base defenses. This has a domino effect. It’s just not Bortles; none of our tight ends and receivers are producing at the same level, either. Could this be due to our sheer inability to manufacture a consistent run game, the differences in adjusted coverages and basically a year of film on the offense and a lack of adjustment? The last two seasons, we have gone into the season “fine” with our offensive line. We are not fine. Minus Linder, and possibly Cann, the rest of the line needs to be upgraded significantly. If I had to focus anywhere in free agency and the draft, O-Line would be it. Thoughts?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

In all your years of covering the NFL, have you ever seen worse special-teams play? It is beyond ridiculous at this point.

Seattle had an elite defense when Gus Bradley was the defensive coordinator. He leaves to become the head coach here and Seattle continues to have an elite defense while our defense is bottom five in points allowed the last four years. Maybe Gus Bradley isn’t a defensive guru after all.

“I don’t know that he’s taken a step back…In some of the categories we look at, he’s improved.” Gus Bradley on Blake’s play in 2017. Welp! We’ve done it, John. We’ve reached peak delusion. The HC either won’t admit or can’t see that Bortles is clearly worse than last year. How can you continue to defend Bradley’s ridiculous comments? This isn’t some out of context quote; he legit thinks Bortles is better this year than in 2015. I’m so done with this man. Thanks! Go Jags…I guess. (sigh)

Years ago, fans bashed Jack Del Rio for being a bad coach. I don’t think they can say the same thing now. Now, fans are bashing David Caldwell and Gus Bradley. Caldwell has been reported in NFL circles as having great drafts and some quality free-agent signings. Bradley’s ability to head coach effectively is in question because Jacksonville was his first assignment in this capacity and – even with a better talented team – we continue to lose. I think a more experienced coach would have generated better results more quickly (especially this season) but much is contributed to these players working together to the point of starting to win. Once that occurs, the problems will quickly go away. The question is how much longer? We are losing close games against good teams now and need to find that edge to build confidence in how to start winning them. We have been better than some of these good teams, which doesn’t make us a bad team, except for that final most important “L” at the end of the game.

Happy Thanksgiving to the Great O and his kith and kin! May the bird be tasty, and the pie … oh, wait …