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John: Your feelings are understandable. That doesn’t mean they’re enjoyable, or that they’re anything positive for the Jaguars, but considering the expectations for this season, considering the long run of losing … yes, absolutely the brink-ness feelings are understandable. I can’t control those feelings. I also can’t control what you wear to the game. I can tell you that I have this weird feeling the Jaguars are going to win Sunday. Part of that feeling is I just don’t believe this team is far from winning against some legitimately good opponents – and yes, the Texans fit that category – and part of it is I believe that there are a lot of good things offensively and defensively about this team. Part of it, too, is that I just don’t believe this team is going to go on a long, downward spiral – and considering the Jaguars have lost three consecutive games, they need to win soon to avoid such a spiral. As for apologizing for the rant … hey, if you’ve held season tickets for 15 seasons you’ve had a lot of frustration and you darned sure had the right to expect better things from this season. So, no apologies necessary. Rant away.

John: True that.

John: The roster is solid for the most part. It’s not great, but it’s functional. I don’t know if an influx of talent is needed or just improved consistency/experience/play, but the Jaguars need to get better quarterback play, they need to get pressure on the quarterback and they need more production from the tight-end position. They also could use more deep production from the wide-receiver position. It’s difficult to determine how much of the tight end/wide receiver issues are because Bortles is struggling, but bigger impact is needed in those areas this season. The running game obviously needs to be better, but Sunday’s effort against Kansas City was good. Let’s see if the Jaguars can repeat that before we revamp the offensive line.

John: It would take them to the point where they trail the AFC South by two games instead of three. Would it take them further than that? Would it be a game that gave them momentum for a dramatic late-season run? Is that possible? Sure, but we’ve said that a lot in the last season and a half. I can’t say it again. At least not yet.

John: There’s a while before this plays out, but yeah … it appears there’s a chance Lee could look very much like at least the Jaguars’ No. 2 receiver by the end of the season. That doesn’t mean locking up Hurns was a bad move. Also, remember: the Jaguars are only really committed to Hurns for two seasons under the contract he signed last offseason. There is no dead money involved for the 2018-2020 seasons if he is no longer on the team at that point. That made the Hurns deal a two-year contract worth $16 million guaranteed if the Jaguars want that to be the extent of the contract. I don’t see that being an issue at this point, but it does give the team options.

John: I do think Jack eventually could fulfill such a role. I think such a role is very difficult to play eight games into an NFL career.

John: It’s hard to answer this question specifically without knowing the theoretical future scheme. The Jaguars have a lot of good players on the front seven, and there’s no real reason players such as Dante Fowler Jr., Paul Posluszny, Yannick Ngakoue, Tyson Alualu, Abry Jones, Sen’Derrick Marks, Telvin Smith, Myles Jack and Roy Miller couldn’t return next season and play effectively in a different scheme. As for how much the offense would be set back in the scenario … no, it wouldn’t be ideal. There would be an adjustment. That’s always the case when you change schemes. The decision that must be made is whether the benefit of a change would outweigh the negatives of a transition.

John: This question like so many others in the O-Zone these days is impossible to answer because it depends on so many factors that have yet to play out. Yeah, I think Tony Romo’s really good. Do the Cowboys want to trade him? Do the Jaguars want to trade for him? Those questions are a long way off.

John: I have heard this a lot, and while it’s possible I’m wrong, I just don’t see this great decline in the quality of the game. My guess is that the decline in ratings is far more from a change in viewer habits, particularly people being more highlight/Vine driven than long-event-viewing driven. I also can’t help but think people streaming on Roku, tablets, smart phones, etc., has more to do with it than many believe. I’m not saying the NFL will be as popular forever as it has been the last two decades, but I think the stories of its immediate decline are being greatly exaggerated.

John: No, it’s not wrong for you to feel that way. Bortles’ future has been discussed enough here and in pretty much every other Jaguars-oriented forum that it’s easy to think it’s the only story around the organization. And indeed, it is a huge issue; the Jaguars absolutely must come out of the season with a clear picture about his future. Still, that’s not how players and coaches view the rest of the season – and it’s not how they should view it. Players and coaches want to win games, and that very definitely remains their focus. One thing regarding your email, though: I don’t think it’s right to say the best quarterback option isn’t playing. Bortles obviously hasn’t played well enough for this team to be above .500, and his season by any measure has been disappointing, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be starting. He’s maybe not as clear-cut a choice as would be ideal, but he’s still the best option.

John: I thought about it – and I’m probably not going to change the name of the O-Zone. What I probably will do is continue to answer questions people ask. There may be times those answers point out that the Jaguars’ record would be better if they hadn’t committed turnovers or if they had been just slightly more efficient offensively in some games. When that is the case, those answers won’t be making a case that it’s OK that the Jaguars aren’t efficient offensively, and it won’t be making a case that the Jaguars are good “except for turnovers.” It also won’t be making a case that losing is acceptable. It will just be answering a question, which last I checked is one of the points of this forum.

John: I have no idea if Bradley will be retained after the season. If he is, then yeah … I think playoffs would be the expectation next season. As for your second question … no, I do not think Bradley will be on the Jaguars’ coaching staff next season if he’s not the head coach.

John: If the defense forces turnovers, the Jaguars indeed have an outstanding chance of winning. If they have a positive turnover ratio, I absolutely think they will win. There have been a lot of things ailing this team the last two seasons, but committing too many turnovers and not forcing enough may be the biggest reason they are 7-17 during that span. It’s not that the minus-22 ratio over that span is hard to explain. It’s not. Defensively, the Jaguars have struggled to create pass rush, and when you struggling to create pass rush turnovers are often scarce. Offensively, Blake Bortles has thrown 28 interceptions in 24 games; when your quarterback throws that many interceptions you’re probably going to have a negative turnover margin. Still, whatever the reasons, it has defined the Jaguars in recent seasons and the team probably won’t improve until the definition changes.

John: OK.

John: I absolutely believe those things will help. They sure can’t hurt. I also believe Blake Bortles needs to play better than he has for the most part this season to be the team’s quarterback.

John: I say I never know how to predict interceptions. That’s because far more often than not interceptions happen either because of mistakes by the quarterback or because of pressure created by the defense on the quarterback. That pressure usually leads to … mistakes by the quarterback. My point here is while interceptions are important, they are usually not very indicative of how a defensive back is playing on a given day. Ramsey might play extremely well and get a few pass breakups in situations where interceptions were nearly impossible. If the quarterback throws a ball that’s intercept-able or the defense forces an errant throw then he might get an interception. We’ll see.

John: I’ve always told the truth when it comes to the Jaguars. The problem is that the truth in the NFL very rarely is about “one common denominator.” Rather, it’s almost always many factors. Blake Bortles has struggled this season; that has been an issue in a few losses. There have been discipline issues that certainly must be attributed to the head coach. Have those contributed to losses? Perhaps, but not nearly as much as other factors. Could Bradley have moved more quickly in regard to offensive coordinator? Was Nathaniel Hackett the long-term answer at offensive coordinator? Time will tell. Could Dave Cadlwell have drafted better in sports? Sure – and that’s true of nearly every general manager. That’s a lot of denominators and all may have played a role in 2006. What does it all mean? What’s the end game? Nothing is set in stone because eight games remain. If things don’t improve I doubt this coaching staff will be in place next season. If Bortles doesn’t improve, I don’t know what the future holds. If the team doesn’t improve, what does that mean for Caldwell? I don’t know. None of that sounds very optimistic. Maybe the truth is I don’t know how to define it.

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: Wow, not exactly Petey Positive this morning, are we? But you know what? I felt pretty much the same way Sunday and Monday when looking ahead to the rest of the 2016 regular season in the wake of the Chiefs loss. I sense a lot of other fans feel the same way because 2-6 stinks and it’s not easy figuring the motivation moving forward. The Jaguars need to win a whole lot more games with hardly any losses to salvage this season. Can they do that? Sure, but considering their recent history it’s very, very difficult to predict they will. Such a turnaround would entail an incredible upgrade in consistency – and until it happens, it’s not prudent to predict it. Because of that, I agree wholeheartedly that the No. 1 Priority the rest of the season is answering the Bortles Question. If that gets answered to the positive, then the second half of the season will look much better and be a lot more enjoyable than the first half. If it goes the other way …

John: I don’t think that’s going to be all that forgotten much longer.

John: Replay officials actually do have the ability to use freeze frame, but in this case – the case of whether or not Chris Ivory had possession Sunday when he extended the ball across the goal line in the fourth quarter – the freeze wouldn’t have helped officials get the call right. That’s because the frozen shot that has made the rounds on Twitter doesn’t clearly show Ivory having possession. Only a moving replay shows that. Unfortunately for the Jaguars, the moving replays in this case weren’t conclusive.

John: I agree Carson Tinker has done a fine job this season, but I wouldn’t say he’s the Jaguars’ “best player.”

John: That’s a fair way to feel because anything is fair and understandable at 2-6 – and because Bortles hasn’t played well enough consistently enough to cause you to feel differently. He’s going to get the chance. I believe the final eight games of this season are critical. There were enough positives Sunday to give reasonable, objective people hope. There also were enough “oh-no” plays for those same people to remain concerned. Bortles seemed to improve in his first game working with new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Where will that take him? That’s what is known in this here sportswritin’ biz as an “important question.”

John: He is right now. That doesn’t mean that will always be the case.

John: I don’t disagree very strongly with your assessment of Bortles Sunday. Not only was the play you cite nearly a bad interception, he was really close to throwing several others. He didn’t play well in some critical spots and he hasn’t played well enough this season. But I still believe you must give him the rest of the season. You must learn the answer to the Bortles Question beyond reasonable doubt.

John: More than good enough to win.

John: OK.

John: The end of the game quite likely would have been different had Jason Myers converted the 54-yard field goal he missed in the third quarter. I also agree that in this day and age kickers need to convert 50-to-55-yard field goals more often than not. But considering how Myers has kicked through the first eight games of the season, I’d be hard-pressed to say the Jaguars should change kickers.

John: That’s quite often the case. Entering the game it was quite obvious that the Jaguars’ minus-eight turnover ratio compared to the Chiefs’ plus-nine turnover ratio was the key difference in the two teams. The statistic basically defined the teams’ seasons to that point. In that respect it really wasn’t a surprise that the Chiefs won Sunday because they forced four takeaways and the Jaguars forced none. The upset statistically would have been had it played out any other way. The Jaguars currently are minus-12 turnovers after eight games. Until they show differently that means they are a team prone to turnovers and a team that that does not create turnovers. That’s a formula that usually loses in the NFL.

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.

John: I don’t think we can definitively say Bradley has “lost the locker room,” although there’s no question there’s more frustration this season than the past few seasons. That frustration seemed to show up on the field in the fourth quarter against Oakland and the second quarter against Tennessee. If it continues in that vein, then it’s indeed not a good reflection on Bradley and the coaching staff. But for now my sense is it’s not as much about players not listening to coaches as an overall frustration with losing – and with an offense that is struggling to get first downs. When that happens, frustration is a logical end – though it’s still disturbing to see it manifest itself in the manner we’ve seen in recent weeks.

John: I will not be stepping in as offensive coordinator.

John: The odds are from any objective point of view are small – very, very small. Arrowhead is a brutally tough place to play. That’s one issue. Another is the Chiefs are playing very smart and mistake-free – as evidenced by their plus-nine turnover margin. The Jaguars are not playing smart or mistake-free – as evidenced by their minus-eight turnover margin. The Jaguars also haven’t beaten a team two or more games over .500 in the last four seasons. None of that means the Jaguars can’t win Sunday, but it does mean that a Jaguars victory would be one of their bigger upsets in recent memory.

John: Yes, it would be wonderful for the Jaguars if Bortles was one of the young quarterbacks in the NFL playing at a high level. He’s not. So, what … he should just stop trying?

John: I have written often that there is a lot going wrong with the Jaguars, but in the NFL, quarterback play trumps all else. No, the play-calling has not been perfect, but to my experience in the NFL, play-calling can always be questioned. And yes, the defense has played poorly at times – particularly against Tennessee – and the run game has been weak. But struggling quarterback play is a bigger concern than those issues, and it’s why Bortles remains a focus. The No. 1 issue for this team entering the season was whether Bortles would continue the improvement he showed last season. The No. 1 issue is now whether he can pull out of the struggles he is having now and get back to something like he was last season – and then develop after that. For whatever else is going on, that remains Storyline No. 1.

John: Welcome, Luke. My perspective is you’re right about these players and coaches caring. My perspective is that they care very much, and that’s why the frustration level is so high. This team and fan base generally had a very strong belief it was going to be better this season, and with that being the case it’s not surprising that poor on-field results have caused negative reaction. I don’t think what’s going on is as much of a mystery as players and coaches are saying publicly. The offense has struggled mightily in the first seven games, and those struggles have caused what might have been a 3-4 or 4-3 start to be a disappointing 2-5 start. A huge part of the offensive struggles has been the play of Bortles and another huge part has been the inability to run the ball. Some of the perception that the Jaguars “don’t know what’s going on” stems from the team not really wanting to call these areas out over and over again. The move to promote Nathaniel Hackett to offensive coordinator and for Bortles to work with his personal quarterbacks coach this week were made at least in part to address those issues. We’ll see if those moves work – and if they do, we’ll see how much of an effect they have on the Jaguars’ results.

John: The season is not over, but at 2-5 they need to win some games fast – and those games probably need to come on consecutive weeks with very few losses mixed in.

John: #DTWD

John: There’s realistically not a whole lot of new, creative ground to cover when a head coach dismisses a coordinator. The talk typically is about a need for a change, and a need for improvement. They’re usually made with an understanding that a departing coordinator is not all at fault but that something needed to be done and changing the coordinator is possible while changing a roster of players is not. Will Hackett cure every Jaguars offensive problem? Highly doubtful. Can a change lead to at least some improvement? That’s certainly the hope and the rest of the season pretty much hangs in the balance. We shall see.

John: I suppose it’s possible that two or three years working on mechanics would have helped Bortles. But you’re right that we’ll never know and I think the cases of first-round quarterbacks getting that much time to develop will continue to be very, very rare.

John: Quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator are two dramatically different jobs. Bortles has not flourished this season, but that doesn’t mean Nathaniel Hackett can’t call plays effectively.

John: #DTWD

John: Bill, if I had the answer to Bortles’ mechanics issues I not only would be on the Jaguars’ coaching staff, I’d pretty much be the star of the show around these parts. I also would be making a far sight more than is currently the case. The best answer I can give is that Bortles’ accuracy issues seem to stem from inconsistent footwork and body positioning, which at times seem lead to mechanics that are poor enough to cause him to throw really, really inaccurately. That’s not all of the time, but it has happened often enough this season to be a serious concern. It also has happened often enough that he addressed it by working with Adam Dedeaux – his personal quarterbacks coach – in Jacksonville Monday and Tuesday. Will that work benefit Bortles? Jaguars Head Coach Gus Bradley said Bortles looked good in practice this week. Bradley also said there overall has been a different – and presumably, better – feel to practice this week with new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett running the offense. Will that better feel translate to better performance Sunday? Ah … ‘tis indeed the question.

John: My guess is Bortles will start the entire season because I think he would have to struggle the way he has the last two games for several more games for the Jaguars to consider starting someone else. I can’t imagine him continuing to play this poorly because I have seen him play better than this in the past. As for pie … OK, maybe I was exaggerating. I don’t hate all pie – just the kind you like.

John: There’s no way to determine exactly how much of what happens on the field truly falls on a head coach. If a head coach, for example, tells a player multiple times in practice to run a pass pattern in a certain way and he doesn’t, is that the fault of the player or coach? If a player physically isn’t good enough to win a matchup and he loses that matchup, is that the fault of the head coach? Reason tells you in both cases that the head coach couldn’t control that situation. At the same time, this is professional sports. In professional sports, the head coach gets credit when teams win and blame when they lose. In that respect it’s all the responsibility of the head coach.

John: He must improve decision-making and pocket presence. Both typically improve with experience, and both have been areas of concern at times for Bortles.

John: Well, the Jaguars would have a franchise left tackle – and Kelvin Beachum probably wouldn’t be on the roster. Beyond that …

John: Well, that wasn’t very nice now, was it?

John: The Jaguars’ offensive line actually has pass-blocked OK for the most part this season. The unit has not run-blocked well. There is optimism that that will change under new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. I understand people not sharing this optimism. We’ll see if it looks different Sunday.

John: OK.

John: No. I don’t think the Jaguars would take that approach. First, while Bortles’ mechanics could improve and solidify a bit this week from his work with Dedeaux, there’s a limit to how much you’re going to get done in this area during the season. Second, anything Bortles does with Dedeaux will be on his own time rather than within the framework of normal game preparation.

John: I’m assuming for the purposes of your question that the Jaguars will no longer be in playoff contention. If that is the case in your scenario, I would start Brandon Allen.

John: Hypothetical is the operative word here because with nine games remaining there is still a lot of time this season to get a better read on Bortles’ future. It also is important to note that the support for Bortles as the starter for this organization right now remains strong. A lot of this issue also obviously depends on how Bortles responds to the work done with Dedeaux – and to the changes Hackett implements to the offense. I’m skeptical that we’ll see dramatic immediate change. The question in that case would become whether or not you believe that more diligent work in the coming offseason can allow Bortles to first get back to how he played last season but – more importantly – develop and improve from that point. If the team decides he’s not the guy, the process would be much the same as for any team seeking a quarterback: determine what’s available via free agency/trade and decide if that is the solution you seek. If not, draft the best quarterback you can. The positive in that scenario is that the learning curve for a young quarterback needn’t be as long as once was the case. The negative is that a new quarterback by definition is a mammoth upheaval and you don’t know the results until it plays itself out.

John: This is one of the key areas to watch in the coming weeks. I say “coming weeks” and not Sunday because I don’t know that you’ll see the totality of what Hackett wants to do offensively in just one game. Still, the change in coordinator is perhaps the best chance to see if this line indeed can improve as a run-blocking unit. The line actually has pass blocked well this season – well enough, certainly, for the passing offense to function at a higher level. But the running offense with rare exceptions hasn’t worked this season. Is that simply because the unit can’t run block? Should the offense be more committed to it? Can Hackett find down-and-distance situations from which to run that can give the Jaguars more success? Those are some questions that should get answered in the coming weeks.

John: There are a couple of reasons. One is that a coordinator essentially would have to rewrite and retranslate an entire playbook upon arrival with a team, something that would add to the complexity of the situation as opposed to simplifying it. Making the changes also would cause time to be spent on minutiae and details rather than teaching the playbook. Perhaps the biggest reason you wouldn’t force a “Team Language” is you would significantly cut down your coordinator pool of candidates. If a coordinator had a choice between a team at which he could use his own playbook/language system and one at which he had to “translate” his system into the verbiage of another team, he almost certainly would opt for the place where he could use his own system.

John: Sure. Why not?

John: Your email indicates that Jaguars coaches are somehow forcing Bortles to change his mechanics against his will. Nothing could be further from the truth. Coaches really don’t care how a quarterback throws if the passes are effective and accurate. That hasn’t been the case with Bortles. Also, it’s Bortles who in two-plus seasons in the NFL has focused on mechanics – and with reason. He knew upon entering the league they were – and perhaps – always would be an issue on which he had to focus. He has worked hard on this front at times in his career – and there have been times that diligence has produced results. He got some work in this area again this week – sort of a touch-up, if you will. We’ll see if that touch-up has the desired effect.

John: I know.

John: I do remember the Ross comment … who could forget? It would be hard to make an argument that the second quarter of the Titans game was a Hallmark of Effort for this team – particularly defensively – but for the most part this season I haven’t seen effort as being an issue. Concentration? Discipline? Focus? Yes, yes, yes – but not effort.

John: Yes.

John: You know what, Chad? You’re right that it’s not an automatic loss. But I’d be disingenuous to say it’s not one of the toughest tasks of the Gus Bradley era. The Chiefs make few mistakes, and you have to earn victories against them. The Jaguars have struggled in key areas in recent weeks and have done little to nothing to make you think they’re going to change that. It’s exceedingly tough to win at Arrowhead Stadium and pretty much all stories around the Jaguars right now are slanted toward off-field stuff to the degree that it’s hard to imagine there’s not some level of distraction. If the Jaguars win this game, it would be one of the more surprising victories I’ve seen in some time. On the one hand, that means it’s a difficult task. On the other hand, it gives them one more opportunity to come together as a team and pull out an impressive victory. This team hasn’t taken advantage of those sorts of opportunities. Perhaps this weekend will be that time.

John: That’s the hope.

John: I agree that the personal foul penalties must be coached out of this team. Let’s see if that can start Sunday. As for the pass rush, while the defense hasn’t gotten enough pressure, a hu-u-u-u-u-uuge factor in that has been the Jaguars’ inability to get a lead. I don’t think this defense would be putting up legendary sacks numbers if it played with leads, but it’s awfully hard to generate pass rush when the opposing offense isn’t in a situation in which it has to pass.

John: A struggling quarterback figures out why he’s struggling and improves. A bad one doesn’t. Which one is Blake Bortles? Time will tell.

John: How fortuitous for both of us. First, no one would give you hiring power – and second, I hate pie.

John: I think the Jaguars’ offense under Hackett will be significantly more committed to the run and will stick with the run even if it might appear initially it’s not working. The Jaguars believe a greater commitment and “stick-to-it-iveness” is needed in this area – and that the commitment will make a difference. That’s the general vibe. I also think you may see the Jaguars run from different formations than you previously saw this season. I imagine, too, Hackett could mix in up-tempo possessions more quickly than Olson. Will all of that make a difference? Will the Jaguars move the ball better? I suppose I’d say yes – not so much because of anything Olson was or wasn’t doing, but because it would be hard to be worse offensively than the Jaguars have been in the first half in recent weeks.

John: You may have a point – even though I have no idea what you’re talking about.

John: The real story is the Jaguars had scored six points in the last three first halves and that the offense wasn’t moving well enough to give the team a chance to win. Jaguars Head Coach Gus Bradley thought some sort of change was needed, and he didn’t see a change happening with Olson as the coordinator. Once he decided that was the move, he promoted Hackett partly because Hackett had NFL play-calling experience. I’ve said often this week that the move feels like a Hail Mary – and that considering how Blake Bortles has played at quarterback this season, I am hard-pressed to tell you what Olson could have or should have done differently. But considering the circumstance, Bradley felt compelled to do something – and this was it. I understand the need to find the conspiracy and the inside story, but this was a case of Bradley wanting to do something – anything – to fix an offense that by any measure has been stagnant. Hopefully for all involved it will work.

John: Many national analysts believed the Jaguars would contend for a playoff spot and an AFC South title this season – in fact, that was kind of an offseason theme. Some local analysts – myself included – predicted closer to 9-7 or 7-9. I said repeatedly I believed the defense would be at the very least OK and that the key to the season was whether or not the offense and specifically Bortles made some very difficult Year-2-to-Year-3 improvements. That doesn’t make me any sort of visionary … but it does mean I could use a rub down because patting yourself on the back can be rough on the soft tissue … but sure, listen to the national guys if you want. Considering what predictions are actually worth, theirs are as good as any.

John: OK.

John: Whoa! First off: step back, Cir-Ike. We sure don’t need you slipping. Second, while it has looked bad in recent weeks – and while Sunday’s game looks like a very difficult matchup – all hope is not lost. Things are usually not as bad as they look in the NFL – and teams usually follow up bad losses with better performances and even unpredicted victories. That’s not giving you a lot, but until the Jaguars show more, that’s what I got.

John: What you have to lose is in your scenario is Blake Bortles as a potential franchise quarterback. If you’re ready to put Bortles completely in the past tense, then start Allen. Until then, don’t.

John: I haven’t dug deep into this whole player-fan-whose-right-whose-wrong-who-said-what thing because, frankly, there’s not much digging to do. I’ve said repeatedly that fans have every right to boo and that players have every right to not like it. Players also have every right to complain about it – but if they do, it will never, ever, ever, EVER be received well by fans. This is why I don’t delve into it much: because the story has the same ending every time and no one ever seems to come out on the other end happy. I honestly haven’t seen a booing-complaining story linger on as long as this one, but the disappointment/disillusion around this season is pretty high right now. None of this in my opinion truly reflects on the “character” of the players in the locker room, and I honestly don’t believe it’s a sign that players don’t like the fans. They don’t like getting booed and they perhaps unwisely and unfortunately commented on the matter. Bottom line? A few victories would cure a lot of ills – but I suppose that’s true of a lot around this organization right now.

John: It’s not ideal. Then again, ideal pulled out of the station a while back.