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Jaguars News | Jacksonville Jaguars - jaguars.com

It is what it is

Join jaguars.com senior editor Vic Ketchman as he tackles the fans' tough questions.

Mark from Kansas City, MO:
You said in one of your radio shows that we can acquire four possible playmakers an offseason. Do you think that's enough to put us over the top?

Vic: I didn't say four playmakers, I said four players of impact. In my opinion, that's the most a team should expect to be able to acquire during an offseason. If you've added two players of impact in free agency and two more in the draft, you've had a very good offseason. If the Jaguars add four in this upcoming offseason, yes, I believe that would put them over the top.

Marcus from Vancouver, BC:
On the touchdown catch for Jimmy Smith, the Bears were called for a penalty. We declined and took the touchdown. It looked like the ball could have touched the ground. If the Bears would have challenged and the touchdown was overturned, would the penalty then be enforced?

Vic: Yes, the penalty would've been enforced, which means the ball would've been spotted at the Bears one-yard line. Maybe that's why Bears coach Lovie Smith didn't challenge the call. I was most surprised when Smith didn't challenge an earlier call. In the third quarter, Bears wide receiver Bernard Berrian was ruled to not have gotten his feet in bounds while attempting to make a sideline catch. When I saw the replay, I thought it was worth a challenge, but Smith didn't challenge. Then, he called time out, which left me to wonder why he just didn't challenge the call. Had he done that he would have, in effect, gotten the time out he wanted, and if he wins the challenge he gets the catch without losing a time out.

Jacob from West Palm Beach, FL:
What is Jacksonville's record in Lambeau Field?

Vic: This will be the Jaguars' first-ever game in Lambeau Field.

Patrick from Elida, OH:
It looks like the Jaguars have set up their fans for another hard-hitting, all-out football game vs. Green Bay. Do you feel this game will have all the intensity the Steelers game had?

Vic: The circumstances will even be more desperate for the Jaguars this Sunday than they were against the Steelers. Lambeau Field will be packed with Packers fans; it'll be the biggest of big-game atmospheres. Yeah, this one will have everything you want in a late-season game with playoff implications for both teams, but I expect this game to be very different than the one the Jaguars and Steelers played. The Packers play shootouts. I expect this game to be about offense. The Jaguars-Steelers game was about run the ball/stop the run. I expect the Jaguars-Packers game to be about pass the ball/stop the pass.

Joe from Philadelphia, PA:
What has to happen for the Jags to make it to the playoffs now?

Vic: In my opinion, to have any chance of making the playoffs the Jaguars will have to win all three of their remaining games. There are five teams – the Jets, Broncos, Ravens, Bills and Jaguars – competing for two AFC wild-card playoff berths. I expect at least two of those teams to reach 10 wins. Some people think nine wins will do it. I don't.

Terrance from Jacksonville:
Can you tell me what this team's identity on offense is? Some games they'll run the ball 30 times, then there are games in which they'll throw the ball 45 times, as they did yesterday. In my opinion, until this team figures out what its offensive identity is, it will struggle. Your thoughts?

Vic: I agree with you.

Jim from Fernandina Beach, FL:
While we accept the result of the Bears game for what it is, a win, I came away from it feeling the same as I did to a great extent after the Pittsburgh loss. We still stink in the red zone. Our play-calling was only marginally better. When we needed to put together a long drive at the end of the game (six minutes and change left to play) we went three-and-out. We run the ball up the middle, we throw three-yard outs when we need 10 yards, etc. Will we have to wait until next year to see this change?

Vic: It's time to get off the red-zone, play-calling kick. This is week 15 of the season. It is what it is. The offseason is for fixing the problem. What's left of this season is for winning. Just win.

Matt from England:
So we all know that Peyton Manning is going to break the TD record, but is he on course for any other records?

Vic: Yes, he is. If Peyton Manning makes it to the Super Bowl, he will set an all-time professional football record for most games played with daddy in the stands.

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