JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Dave from Jacksonville

Gosh, I'm so sad. We had an unexpectedly great season, but man … losing sucks. I really feel like we had the overall best team (certainly the best rushing game), but just didn't have the grizzled playoff experience to make enough plays and win at the end. Ugh. Sports get on my nerves.

This feeling is understandable, with the Jaguars' 27-24 loss to the Buffalo Bills in an AFC Wild Card Playoff game at EverBank Stadium Sunday abruptly and heartbreakingly ending a spectacularly fun – and very memorable – season. I don't know that the Jaguars had the overall best team in the NFL or the AFC this season. I do know the Jaguars were one of the best teams in the NFL and AFC, which means they had a legitimate chance to play in the Super Bowl. Losing in the postseason always is hard. The suddenness of a playoff loss is stunning. Losing in the postseason with a legitimate chance to play in the Super Bowl is particularly stunning. The empty, sick feeling in the stomach is real and felt by fans, coaches, players … everyone involved. The energy, joy and anticipation of recent weeks was real and when it's over the loss of that is real. It's difficult and emotional, but wasn't it sort of fun, too?

Josh from Atlanta, GA

We've talked a lot about the difficult decisions the team is facing over the next few months. I'm devastated we're having to talk about them now … thought it wouldn't be for weeks. However, we're here. What are the Top 3 looming decisions you see being the biggest to stay tuned on? Side note. Mannnn, this stings.

Whether to try to re-sign running back Travis Etienne Jr. and whether the Jaguars can do that if they decide to try. Whether to try to re-sign linebacker Devin Lloyd and whether the Jaguars can do that if they decide to try. Whether to try to re-sign valued veterans such as safety Andrew Wingard and cornerback Montaric Brown – and whether the Jaguars can do that if they decide to try. Yes, it stings. It will sting for a while.

Matt from Keystone Heights, FL

As much as this loss stings hard, I can take some solace in knowing leadership is already working on making this team better for '26. Jaguars General Manager James Gladstone has some tough personnel decisions to make.

Indeed he does.

Ron from The duuuuuuuuu

The first half showed that this offense is nothing without Parker Washington. His bag should be bigger than wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. Just imagine how different the game could have been if we had any offense in the first half. Season was awesome, but this really hurts. It was so winnable.

Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington caught six passes for 107 yards and a touchdown Sunday. He currently is the Jaguars' best receiver. The Jaguars' offense is not "nothing" without Washington, but it's much better when he's playing. I expect the Jaguars will work very hard to re-sign him in the offseason. I expect he will be paid a lot of money.

Nick from Annapolis, MD

I firmly believe if quarterback Trevor Lawrence's toe didn't trip up on the turf on that fourth-and-2, the Jaguars win the game. Good year. Next year should be fun.

It's a game of inches. The Jaguars have a chance to be good next season. Nothing is guaranteed.

Gregg from Jax

Extremely thankful for the Jags season this year. Over the past 8x weeks, I had an ethereal feeling. It's obviously a bummer to lose again. The early pass on taking the field goal and the inability to stop the "tush push" likely decided the game. When grading draft picks and free agents, being able to stand one's ground should be a high priority.

The Jaguars always will try to improve the offensive and defensive lines. The NFL currently is littered with teams who have been unable to stop Bills quarterback Josh Allen in short-yardage situations.

Dallas from New York, NY

I haven't felt like this since the 2017 AFC Championship Game, and boy, did I forget what a gut punch losses like these are. It seems almost absurd to type, but it's that same feeling you get after a tough breakup or a pet passes away. Just a malaise over what almost was and what could have been.

It doesn't sound absurd at all. Losing sucks. It stings. It hurts. It's real. It particularly stings when losses end special seasons.

Paul from Jacksonville

Love our head coach, but Liam Coen got away from running the ball. WHY, oh WHY? The JAGUARS WERE running the ball down the Bills' throat. The better you run, the longer you keep Josh Allen off the field. Should have kept running the ball!!!

We'll look back a day or two longer than usual because there's no game Sunday – or for too many Sundays thereafter. But there's little reason to rehash the offensive game plan Sunday all that much more. Could the Jaguars have run a bit more Sunday? I suppose. But remember: This was not a dominant running team late in the season. Most of the Jaguars' success running late came when they were in plays against looks that were vulnerable – and the Jaguars got a lot out of those sort of plays Sunday. Would they have been as effective had they been running against looks less vulnerable? We'll never know for sure. Remember, too: The Jaguars scored on three of their last four possessions before their final drive – and they didn't have time to run on the final drive. They scored touchdowns on the final two of those possessions. Would they have been that much better offensively had they been running? What's better than two touchdowns on two possessions?

Brad from The Avenues

Wow, John. I've forgotten what it truly feels like to have high expectations come crashing down. I know that this was a really great season and we did so much more than was expected. I also believe that we have turned a corner, and we'll be seeing something new and exciting for seasons to come. But right now, this feels so much worse than it has in the past. Is this how perennial contenders' fans feel when they get knocked out of the tournament?

Yes. Always.

Shaw from Moore County, NC

I know I should be happy with how this season went but I really thought we would win. This one hurts. Do you think we re-sign any free agents in the next week?

The Jaguars will work diligently and carefully to try to the free agents they can reasonably retain and still build the best possible team. That won't necessarily happen in the next week.

Daniel from St. Johns

The AI that does the "analytics" is wrong. Someone is going to figure that out this offseason, I hope.

Your hopes likely will dashed, young Daniel.

Dave from Jacksonville

Wow. The difference in playoff experience was woefully apparent Sunday. It seems that the Jags were outcoached, outplayed, and out-quarterbacked. I am still cautiously optimistic for the future, but the head coach and the defensive coordinator need to learn from this game. On offense, they tried to get to fancy instead of pounding the run against a bad rush defense (which was working). On defense, they stopped the run but needed to switch gears and stop the short passing game as the Bills were just carving them up.

The Jaguars lost a playoff game Sunday to a team with a future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback by three points in a game in which the lead changed hands four times in the fourth quarter. I suppose that means they were outplayed, outcoached and out-quarterbacked. By three points.

Brian F. from Still Happy Jax

In the underappreciated movie "Modern Problems," Chevy Chase – struggling with his situation –expresses "…then depression set in." It hurts because we care and because it feels and looks like an opportunity lost. The coaches and players surely feel it with greater intensity. So how do we grieve? I land squarely in the field of gratitude for a great run and a promise of a greater future. There are areas to blame or question, right? But I hope the fanbase will not let anger and disappointment be the primary feelings.

Losing in the postseason with a good team is brutal and leaves an awful, empty feeling. This is true for players and coaches – and it's true for fans. This is especially true when all involved know the team was good enough to win. It does not help when the loss is to another team that's also really good. It's really hard to win in the NFL. This is why it's so memorable and feels so good when you win.

Cliff from Everywhere with helicopter

Sad and disappointed but nothing to hang one's head about. Arrow's pointing up. Is it September yet?

Cliff is already ready for some football.