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Jaguars News | Jacksonville Jaguars - jaguars.com

It's a bonanza for TV

Join jaguars.com Senior Editor Vic Ketchman as he tackles the fans' tough questions.

Mark from High Springs, FL:
I had to go back to check and it looks like David was actually wearing a black fedora and purple tie. Fedora

Vic: You're right; it was the tie that was purple, not the fedora. I wonder where the fedora is. I like it. I hope it makes a return.

Jim from Jacksonville:
What are the differences of this year's 7-5 team and last year's 7-5 team? We have to finish strong.

Vic: I assume you want the truth, so here it is: Last year's team was not good; this year's team is. That's the difference. Sometimes, even the scoreboard lies.

Kamal from Novi, MI:
Hey, Vic, just wanted to let you know that even if the Jags beat Oakland and Indianapolis, and the Titans beat the Colts and the Ravens beat the Texans, the Jags will not be able to clinch the division, because the possibility exists the Titans could win-out and get to 9-7 and the Jaguars drop their last two to tie at 9-7, and the Titans would beat the Jaguars in the common games tiebreaker. However, if the Colts beat the Titans on Thursday and the Ravens beat the Texans and the Jaguars beat the Raiders on Sunday, then the Jaguars can clinch the division with a win in Indianapolis.

Vic: Good work, but I think you're unduly concerned about the Titans. The Colts, in my opinion, are still the main concern and I think most fans, and probably the Jaguars, too, would prefer to take a two-game lead over the Colts into that game in Indianapolis.

Ryan from Chamberlain, SD:
Maurice Jones-Drew may have just run into MVP contention with his recent rushing performances. Does he have a genuine shot to be crowned the league's most valuable player?

Vic: Did you see what Tom Brady did last night? Michael Vick might even have difficulty overtaking Brady.

Tony from Palm Coast, FL:
I saw a lot of empty seats there. What was the attendance for the game?

Vic: I don't know what the attendance was because, as I have said several times, I only know of one team in the league that announces actual attendance; all of the other teams announce tickets distributed, which were 69,143, a sellout. What you saw were no-shows and there were a lot of them.

David from Jacksonville:
I disagree with the comparisons to the 2007 team. I think the running game is comparable. The passing game without a true number one is not quite as good.

Vic: A true number one what? Are you referring to a true number one wide receiver? To which true number one wide receiver that is no longer in the league – Reggie Williams, Matt Jones, Dennis Northcutt or Ernest Wilford – are you referring?

Jim from Medford, NJ:
Since coming off the bye week, the Jaguars have handily outplayed their opponents in the first half, however, in the second half they lose control of games that were there for the taking. What can this be attributed to and do you see any correction of this problem in the near future?

Vic: The problem is obviously the result of a lack of FULL CONSISTENCY, and it must be corrected because our greatness is great. Eleven-point wins are not good enough. We're above that. We must achieve FULL CONSISTENCY.

Brian from Jacksonville:
You say that this is 2007 all over again, except this 2010 team's window is just now opening.

Vic: That's the big difference. This is the start of something. The 2007 season was the end.

Xander from Jacksonville:
If the Jags have a home playoff game, what are the chances they will open up the covered seats?

Vic: Xander, they'll have enough trouble filling the seats that aren't covered. One of my real fears is that they won't be able to sell out a home playoff game.

Joel from Atlanta, GA:
Were the Jaguars guilty of getting out to a comfortable lead and trying to sit on that lead?

Vic: I don't think you can say that in light of the fourth-down go-for-it. Hey, everybody wanted the Jags to run the ball in the second half against the Giants, right? OK, they ran the ball in the second half on Sunday. Are we really going to rip them this week for not passing it more? It would've helped to convert a couple of field goal attempts.

Ross from Titusville, FL:
Is Mojo the best running back in the league?

Vic: No one's running better right now.

Neil from Masan, South Korea:
Give Koetter an attaboy from Asia.

Vic: Your company kill all them people in India?

Darian from Jacksonville:
FULL CONSISTENCY, that's what I like to see and we've being playing to that CONSISTENT LEVEL for the past few games. We're having fun, also, and it shows and, yes, I've been buying season tickets CONSISTENTLY since the 1999 season and will CONSISTENTLY continue to do so. I will be there Sunday in full gear.

Vic: All right, FULL CONSISTENCY man. Just buy tickets, baby, just buy.

Dan from St. Augustine, FL:
Bill Polian's decision to postpone extending Manning's contract last offseason: His most brilliant move yet?

Vic: He would bring a king's ransom in a trade, would he not? Franchise him, trade him, draft a new Manning. Hmmm.

Cristina from Jacksonville:
There was a call where Kerry Collins was tucking the football and fumbled it (we recovered it), but it was called an incomplete pass because of his arm's forward motion. Was he passing the ball to himself?

Vic: No, he was trying to tuck the ball and as soon as I saw the replay I wrote in my blog that "it should be the tuck rule." I knew immediately the fumble would be reversed to an incomplete pass, which would make it fourth-and-three instead of fourth-and-eight and Jeff Fisher would go for it instead of punting. That was an easy call. The only things missing were Tom Brady and a lot of snow.

Sonny from Jacksonville:
I haven't heard much about the Raiders' identity or style this year. What kind of team are they and what do the Jags have to do to beat them?

Vic: The Raiders run the ball and stop the pass; they're number three in rushing and nine in pass-defense. They don't throw the ball very well (28th) and they're not real good against the run (23rd). How do the Jags beat them? Run the ball and stop the run. This game is tailor-made for the Jaguars.

Chris from San Antonio, TX:
If the Jags win the division, will it guarantee them a home playoff game? If so, when would tickets be available and would the prices be higher than regular-season tickets?

Vic: Yes, the Jags would host a playoff game if they win the AFC South title. Information on when those tickets may be purchased will be announced next week and, yes, ticket prices would be higher than they are in the regular season because they would be set by the league.

James from Socorro, NM:
Some say it's not fair that a division winner gets a home game against a wild-card team with a better record. I say it's totally fair: the division winner and wild-card team played totally different schedules.

Vic: After the 2007 season, when the Jaguars had to go to Pittsburgh to play a playoff game just three weeks after having won in Pittsburgh, the Jaguars proposed legislation at the spring owners meetings to abolish homefield advantage for division winners and reseed teams according to their records. I wonder if the Jaguars are glad now that proposal never made it to a vote.

Steve from Jacksonville:
On the play where "Big Ben" was struggling to get away from Suggs and throw the ball away, shouldn't a penalty have been called for Suggs grabbing the inside of "Big Ben's" helmet?

Vic: That was the most egregious oversight of all. How could they not see that one? Was that not a blow to the head? Never mind that the guy's nose was already broken; he had surgery on it yesterday, by the way. Hey, what does it matter, huh? He's a big guy; he can take it. What if that had been Peyton Manning? It's almost too funny. ESPN would've covered his nose surgery live. The NFL would've held a candlelight vigil at the hospital.

Joe from Jacksonville:
You said you'd tell us what the TV ratings were for the Sunday night game. When will you know?

Vic: I already have them and they are through the roof. How about a 54.4 in Pittsburgh? That's final-episode-of-MASH stuff. The ratings for that 13-10 game were seven percent higher nationally than they were for the 2009 week-13 telecast, in which no less an attraction than Brett Favre performed. The game registered a 14.6 rating and 23 share nationally. Sunday night's game was up 16 percent over a week-12 overtime thriller between the same two teams in 2009. Here's the best part: The game peaked at 15.2/22 just before halftime, but still had a 15.1/28 at the conclusion of the game, which means it held its audience. Think about that, Mr. Commissioner: The game held its audience despite a lack of scoring. Why? Because fans wanna see intense action. They wanna see hitting. The ratings for this game were so good that they were up 32, 34 and 39 percent respectively over the week-13 Sunday night games in 2008, '06 and '07. This game was a bonanza for TV and it's proof that we don't have to have a lot of points to attract viewers.

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