Join jaguars.com senior editor Vic Ketchman as he tackles the fans' tough questions.
Evan from Hull, Quebec:
That was quite the response to the fans wanting to go to the Philly game. What leads you to give such a reaction?
Vic: Santa Claus.
Robert from Las Vegas, NV:
What Jaguars game are you looking forward to the most?
Vic: I can't pick just one game. There are seven games on the schedule that are especially attractive: Cowboys, Steelers, Giants and Patriots games at home, the game at Miami and the two Colts games.
Bryan from Jacksonville:
10-6 wins the division? Are you nuts?
Vic: You don't think 10 wins will win the division against that schedule? I do. Remember, everybody in the AFC South is playing relatively the same schedule.
John from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL:
Your advice to Fred about Philly was right on. I took my 82-year-old father, a 50-plus year fan of the Eagles, to a game there last year. The guy next to me gave my father a hard time for not standing and singing the Eagles fight song during warm-ups. It's a tough place.
Vic: Did you defend your father's honor and punch-out the rowdy fan? Or did you do the sensible thing and start singing?
Casey from Okinawa, Japan:
I will get your wish of a Tuesday morning Jags game twice, Vic. I am stationed in Okinawa, Japan as a Marine and the Jaguars Monday night games will be on TV live here on Tuesday mornings. It's one of the perks of being forward deployed.
Vic: I thought I was just making a joke, but there really is "Tuesday Morning Football." Thanks for the note.
Jeff from Chicago, IL:
I'm with Mr. Brandt. I'm tired of asking you questions. I love the Jaguars but too bad we have a bad senior editor.
Vic: I feel the same way.
Nick from Jacksonville:
I already made plans on going to Philly to support my Jags. I expect others to be there as well. If my team needs me, I will be there.
Vic: I've gotten several e-mails from fans who tell me how they're going to be at the Philly game and how they're going to stand up to those rowdy Eagles fans, but I have a question: How are they going to get tickets?
Al from Kingsland, GA:
Your mention of Tavian Banks was painful. What a great player and person. I remember the play like it was yesterday. Sport can be so cruel and indiscriminate. Everyone playing is a step away from their last snap.
Vic: I remember that there was 4:33 left to play in the game, the Jaguars were leading 27-7 and the Jaguars were still throwing the ball, which was how Banks got hurt. It shouldn't have happened. Run the ball and end the game.
Tyler from Gainesville, FL:
If you were a defensive coordinator and had your pick of any players out there today, what defense would you run?
Vic: I like the 3-4 for two reasons: 1.) It allows for more pass-rush and coverage creativity. 2.) You can find places for "tweeners" and short, squat defensive linemen, which means 3-4 teams are drafting from a bigger pool of players. The second one is the big one with me. There's almost no such thing as too short for a 3-4 defensive lineman. A short, squat defensive tackle is perfect to play the nose and, in many cases, top run-stuffing defensive tackles who aren't good enough pass-rushers to play in a 4-3 are perfect as two-gapping ends in a 3-4 scheme. Also, guys who would be "tweeners" in a 4-3 are perfect for the rush-backer position in a 3-4. If I was a 3-4 coach, I would hope nobody else in the league played the 3-4 because I'd love the idea of selecting from an untapped pool of talent that is perfect for my needs but has been rejected for the 4-3 needs.
Adam from Jacksonville:
"I like the one where he scored a touchdown on a quarterback sneak in that game that got guys' fingers, toes and ear lobes cut off. That was a cool moment." What the heck are you talking about?
Vic: I'm talking about the 1967 NFL title game, forever known as the "Ice Bowl." The temperature at kickoff was minus 13 degrees with a wind chill of minus 46 degrees. The outcome was decided by Bart Starr's one-yard quarterback sneak on fourth down with 13 seconds left to play. Coach Vince Lombardi had decided against a field goal that would've sent the game into overtime. Several players sustained irreversible frost bite that resulted in amputations and one Packers fan died of exposure.
Wade from Gainesville, FL:
I find it interesting that you advised against going to Philly to watch a game. From the context of the question, your reasoning for such advice would be to avoid bodily harm. If this is indeed true, shouldn't something be done about it? Obviously, teams and their fans shouldn't be able to get away with bodily harm to other teams' fans. I think you can see what I am saying, so what is the answer?
Vic: The Eagles installed a kind of "Night Court" inside The Vet. I think they've carried the concept over to The Linc. The idea is a kind of one-stop shopping; arrest 'em, arraign 'em and show 'em the door. It's better than having to hold 'em, transport 'em and jail 'em. It's a very efficient system. Is that what you mean?
John from Jacksonville:
I agree; don't even think about going to Philly. I am a transplanted Giants fan and we used to go all the time but it gets real rough. I personally saw three Philly fans slam a Giants fan's face into the concrete steps for five minutes and left him bloody and went back to watching the game.
Vic: You think that's rough? Well, when Leonard Tose owned the Eagles, they were notorious for bad press box food. Before a preseason game one year, I found myself eating donuts and beer. Now that's brutal.
Derek from Rio Rancho, NM:
If the Jaguars were to shock everyone again in this year's draft with the 28th pick, who would that player be?
Vic: Antonio Cromartie; he's a value the Jaguars might consider to be worth the risk. Cromartie underwent knee reconstruction last July and did not play last season. This is a big guy who can really run and he has special gifts at one of the most premium positions in the game, cornerback. When you put all of that together, he might be too good to pass up, but he'd have to be considered a surprise pick for a team that just gave a cornerback $10 million in free agency. If the Jaguars drafted Cromartie, he would be, without a doubt, a best available player value pick.
Philip from Woodmere, NY:
According to your value board, if you held the first pick of the draft, you would take A.J. Hawk over Reggie Bush or Matt Leinart?
Vic: When you evaluate players, you assign a grade exclusive of the position they play. What you're saying is a quarterback or a running back – an offensive play-maker – is more valuable than a linebacker, and I agree that they often are and that you should factor that into your selection decision. A value board, however, does not reflect position importance. I have Hawk at the top of my board because I think he's a better player at his position than any other player is at theirs. I don't think Bush can be an inside runner and that will limit his touches. Leinart doesn't have a strong arm. Hawk's negatives are minor. I think he's the safest pick in the draft, which makes him the highest-rated player on the board.