Join jaguars.com senior editor Vic Ketchman as he tackles the fans' tough questions.
Sam from Indianapolis, IN:
Having won nothing meaningful ever, why do Jag players and fans seem to have an inflated view of themselves?
Vic: And what meaningful victory have the Colts scored since the franchise was stolen from Baltimore?
Evan from Sioux Falls, SD:
Do you think it's interesting that in years past no one has complained of crowd noise in the RCA Dome but now that they are undefeated everyone has come to the conclusion they must be cheating?
Vic: No one made a big deal about it in the media until last week, but there had been several complaints about it previously. Jack Del Rio had complained about piped-in crowd noise internally but didn't say anything to the media about it until last week, when he was asked about reports of it having occurred in the Steelers-Colts game on Monday night. Del Rio said, "They've done it for a long time." I tip my hat to "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette" sportswriter Ed Bouchette for writing what a lot of other people knew but weren't saying. Maybe this will end it.
Glenn from Sumter, SC:
Just wanted to let you know I like the new blogging format on the website. Puts more work on you though, right?
Vic: I'm glad you like it. I like it, too, and it's really no more work than filing the quarterly updates. I like it because it allows for so much more information to be disseminated; I'm not tied to a format that restricts the information I can provide. For example, one of the big plays of the game, in my opinion, was Paul Spicer's sack of Charlie Frye. Just as Spicer was about to sack Frye, a Browns receiver had broken into the clear deep and Frye was looking right at him but couldn't get the pass away. That kind of information can't be put into a game story but it can be provided in a blog. I've been a sportswriter for a long time and the internet is the most exciting medium for which I have ever written.
Joe from Philadelphia, PA:
Five straight wins, three on the road. I want some respect, Vic.
Vic: You want respect? This is the week. Just win, baby, win. If the Jags don't win, however, I don't wanna hear any more about this respect stuff until the playoffs. You gotta beat the top teams. Indy is the top team.
Joe from Jefferson City, MO:
I just wanted to say great job on those blogs. You were really on top of everything. A lot of times I remember having the same thoughts as you did.
Vic: I love the format. The only thing I don't like about it is that it's a little too informal for the reader who doesn't have access to the game on TV or radio. So much of the stuff I wrote yesterday was with the understanding that the reader was following along on TV or radio. I apologize to those readers who didn't know what was going on. I need to update the game circumstances for them more often. I'll try to provide that information in the "game conditions" within the parentheses. I'll iron out the bugs and make this work for everyone.
Vince from Greensboro, NC:
What was your opinion of Garrard?
Vic: I thought he was sensational. He made plays with his arm, his feet and his head. Kenny Anderson stopped by this morning and when I asked him about David Garrard, Kenny right away went to a play in the game when Garrard read the blitz and quickly got the ball to the right receiver. That's what really impresses the coaches. Forget about the stats. Garrard made plays at crucial times. He was victimized by dropped passes and he fell behind 14-3, but he rallied like a champion. I was extremely impressed by his poise and his command.
Brady from Salem, OH:
Are you going to blog every game from now on? It was probably the next best thing other than being at the game or watching it on TV. It really helped me understand how the game was progressing.
Vic: I am "The Blog."
John from Jacksonville:
First let me say that I've never been a big fan of trash-talking in sports, however, it seems the Jags defense is getting in the heads of their opponents with all the chatter. First the Titans were upset and then Anquan Boldin completely lost his cool. Do you think there is something to all this trash-talking?
Vic: No, talk is cheap. It accomplishes nothing. Players speak only with their actions. That's why the Jaguars are winning games; they're making plays. If they stop making plays, all the talk in the world won't help them. You don't scare guys at this level with talk.
David from Woodbridge, VA:
I know you are not in the locker room at halftime, but what can you tell us about the halftime adjustments? It can't all be just motivational speaking by coach Del Rio.
Vic: Marcus Stroud told me "we ran the same stuff in the second half that we ran in the first half." David Garrard told me Jack Del Rio was not especially animated at halftime; that Del Rio was calm and conveyed that to his players. Everybody's looking for something dramatic to credit for the turnaround. What caused the turnaround? The players played better. They didn't do it with words or new plays. They did it with their shoulders and their legs.
Kevin from Jacksonville:
You mentioned that the 1985 Pats were the only team to make it to the Super Bowl from a wild-card spot. I know for a fact that in 1999 the Titans made it to the Super Bowl as a wild card.
Vic: I didn't say the '85 Patriots are the only wild-card team to make it to the Super Bowl. I said the '85 Patriots are the only team to reach the Super Bowl by winning three playoff games on the road.
Chris from Zanesville, OH:
Just wondered why George Wrighster was called for a penalty in the end zone for celebrating. We got guys in the NFL changing diapers and doing marriage proposals and he can't pose for a picture? What's up with that?
Vic: Wrighster and Kyle Brady were penalized because it was a group celebration. You can't do that. It goes back to last week's position meetings. Coach Alfredo Roberts gave the tight ends a quiz, to which Ozzie Newsome was the answer to one of the questions. After Wrighster made the catch, he posed next to Newsome's image on the field-wall padding, as Brady pretended to snap the picture. Cute, huh? Yeah, until the Browns began the next drive at their 48-yard line.
Mark from Panama City Beach, FL:
I had to spend the weekend at the wife's grand folks in Alabama. Not a sports bar to be found but luckily they let me tap into their phone line so I could get online with my laptop. I came across your blog and you saved my weekend! Is this blog thing the first of what can expected the rest of the season? If so, I got three things to say: plug in, tune in and read on.
Vic: I am so fired up for this Sunday's blog.
Nathan from Richmond, VA:
No starting quarterback (Byron Leftwich), no starting running back (Fred Taylor), no starting safety (Donovin Darius), no starting special teamer (Nick Sorensen), and the left tackle and fullback are rookies. How good is this roster?
Vic: Here's another one for you: The Jaguars won yesterday without getting a pass completion or a pass reception from any of their last three first-round picks. That amazes me. How are they doing it? I'll tell you one thing they got going for them: great chemistry.
Tom from Indianapolis, IN:
After the Colts thoroughly beat the Jags on Sunday, will you please give the Colts, and Manning particularly, some credit? I predict no, but why not attempt to be a man that can accept defeat with some semblance of dignity rather than a sniveling, crybaby homer? Try it, you might like it. And it might actually gain you a little respect from Colts fans like myself; not that you really care, I'm sure.
Vic: You better watch that name-calling, pal, because I can cobble some words. Trust me, you don't wanna go there. As far as your team is concerned, how have I denied them respect? They have been the number one team on my weekly power rankings for every week of this season, even when they were waltzing through one of the easiest opening schedules in the league. The Colts are a powerful football team. They run the ball and they stop the run. They pass it and they stop the pass. They sack you and they almost never allow you to sack them. Aside from the Jaguars, they have blown out every other team they've played. Their head coach and offensive coordinator are two guys I love and respect. The Colts are a great football team. I didn't say they weren't. All I said is that I can't stand to watch Peyton Manning play quarterback. He drives me nuts. Am I not allowed to have that opinion?
