JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Jesse from Texas
You say that Liam Coen has mentioned he does not regret going for it on fourth down in the Bills playoff game, and that he would make the same decision again. But has he ever said that it may have been a mistake to not run the ball more in that game? Running back Bhayshul Tuten had four carries for 51 yards in the first half but then did not get a single attempt in the second half.
I don't recall Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen mentioning this specifically. But while this has been a topic at times since the Jaguars 27-24 loss to the Buffalo Bills in an AFC Wild Card Playoff game at EverBank Stadium this past January, remember that the Jaguars moved efficiently and scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter in that game. Remember, too: Coen's offense depends heavily on the quarterback "canning" plays at the line of scrimmage to get in and out of the correct play. Whether the Jaguars run or pass on a specific play therefore often depends on the defensive look. Because the Jaguars were moving efficiently much of the second half, it's perhaps not unreasonable to think quarterback Trevor Lawrence was mostly making the right calls during that time. Either way, the Jaguars scored twice in the fourth quarter to take the lead in that game. I don't know that running more would have changed the outcome.
Jay from Tampa, FL
I know world-class athletes and coaches don't believe in moral victories, but that Cape Verde game has to be as close as it gets, right? The smallest nation ever to qualify went toe to toe with the defending champs (including the great Lionel Messi) deep into extra time? That's Balboa-Creed level inspirational right there. One fer the Blue Sharks!
You're referencing Argentina's 3-2 victory over Cape Verde in a Round of 32 World Cup match Friday, a historically dramatic game decided in extra time. You're absolutely correct that the loss for Cape Verde was as close as you get to a moral victory – and in this case, the result was remarkable enough that perhaps it gets its own category: Not a victory, certainly, but something far more remarkable than many victories in other situations. Cape Verde not only played Argentina "toe to toe," Cape Verde in many ways outplayed the defending champions. I have written repeatedly during the World Cup that I know enough about soccer – or, as Mrs. O-Zone now calls it, "futbol" – to know I don't know enough about it to comment on it intelligently. But I do know heart when I see it, and it was on display big-time Friday. One fer the Blue Sharks? Absolutely.
Pedal Bin IFOTY from Farnborough, Hampshire. UK
Oh Mighty 'O'/King Of All Funk, I noticed you listed The Sopranos as one of your favourite TV Programmes, so what did you think of the controversial ending?
I liked it more than a lot of people. Ending classic shows is hard. Classic endings such as Six Feet Under and Newhart are rare.
Jarret from Crosby, ND
Zone, with regards to the soccer red card everyone seems up in arms about: even if it was an accident, does or should that matter? When the Denver Broncos player crushed Lawrence in the back after the whistle because he didn't hear it, does that make it any less of a late hit or personal foul? Answer is no.
I know enough about soccer … well, you know. I also know enough to know to listen to people who know more. I know when discussing the red card given to United States Men's National Team Striker Folarun Balogun in a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina Wednesday most analysts believed that intent should have mattered and that the red card therefore was a bad call. So maybe the answer is yes. But what do I know?
Paul from St. Augustine, FL
I think the O-Zone mug quotes would contain (but not be limited to) "I am the King of All Funk," "Confusion can be confusing," "Fans gonna fan," "Good eye," "My keycard still works," "Winning is fun. People like it" and "What's a 'Comments Section?'"
OK.
Wes from Ponte Vedra, FL
What's the difference in roles/responsibilities of an associate head coach versus an assistant head coach?
An associate head coach often is the so-called "second in command" for a team, which means he runs the team if the head coach us unavailable to do so. An assistant head coach can be that, too. It's always coaching in the NFL. When it's not always coaching, it's always job titles in the NFL.
JK from NY and FL, Good Ol' USA
Hey, John. Can you please let Scott from Jacksonville know I am sorry I changed his name. It's just, like, this new schedule's totally confusing. Thanks and Go Jags!
Go USA.
Kenneth from Jacksonville
Who's the best player in Jaguars history to don No. 62?
There sort-of-weirdly have been just five players who have donned No. 62 for the Jaguars. This is weird because No. 62 is a damned, fine number and I'm not sure why it sat unused for swaths at a time. The five players: offensive lineman Ben Coleman (1995-1999), center John Estes (2011), offensive tackle Javon Foster (2024), center KC McDermott (2020-2021) and offensive lineman Dennis Norman (2005-2008). I'll go Coleman here, with many fond memories of a guy I enjoyed covering and who had some big games in big moments.
Eddie from Jacksonville
What about "W?"
We indeed have reached "W" in this discussion of Jaguars players with a specific final initial. Possibilities here include center John Wade (1998-2002), defensive lineman Gary Walker (1999-2001), defensive end Travon Walker (2022-present), wide receiver Parker Washington (2023-present), offensive lineman Josh Wells (2014-2018), wide receiver Dede Westbrook (2017-2020), linebacker Eric Westmoreland (2001-2003), offensive tackle Guy Whimper (2010-2012), wide receiver Alvis Whitted (1998-2001), center Dave Widell (1995-1997), offensive guard Zach Wiegert (1999-2002), wide receiver Ernest Wilford (2004-2010), defensive back Brian Williams (2006-2008), offensive tackle Maurice Williams (2004-2008), safety Jarrod Wilson (2016-2020), safety Andrew Wingard (2019-2025), tight end George Wrighster (2003-2008) and defensive lineman Renaldo Wynn (1997-2001). The choice from this view: Travon Walker, already.
Chris from Mandarin, FL
Five bucks says Scott from Jacksonville watches the match if the United States makes the World Cup final. Just like all those whiners came back to the game following the Colin Kaepernick crap.
OK.
John from Merritt Island, FL
Roughly a year ago the idea of a get together at Strings of O-Zone readers and contributors was floated by someone. I think it is time to revisit the idea. A great chance for not just loyal Jags fans, but also loyal O-Zone fans, to raise an ice-cold Bullet Bob on a hot summer day seems very appealing. Thoughts?
Revisiting ideas is fun. Exploring them is fun, too. People like them both. Actually doing things is sometimes not as fun as revising and exploring idea. People who have not met me generally are far more fascinated by the idea than those who have.
Jacques from Versailles
Sieur, formerly referred to as Monsieur, you speak of pomposity as if it were a bad thing. You see, I am French. As for you, a writer, and an underling of society, formerly the King of All Funk and now the King of Acronyms and Anecdotes, you must understand, Sieur (again, not Monsieur), your place in this society of corporate guillotines and deadlines…so drink your Yankee ditch water, or whatever a Bullet Bob is, and maybe give the streak a rest, no? Perhaps you have not earned it, but surely it would do some good.
OK.
Chris from Columbus, OH
As we inch closer to Independence Day (the holiday, not the movie), I thought I would get a professional writer's opinion on something related to the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson wrote that we have "inalienable" rights and Adams had it published as "unalienable." Which way would you have gone? Wishing everyone at happy and safe 4th!
We're veering into historical minutiae here but what's a dead zone without a good dollop of historical minutiae? Thomas Jefferson indeed in early drafts of the Declaration of Independence wrote that we as a people of this nation had "inalienable" rights. John Adams in making his copy of a draft wrote "unalienable." Because Adams was on a committee that oversaw the document's printing, it is widely speculated that Adams suggested the change from inalienable to unalienable – and it indeed appears as "unalienable" in the final copy. I expect I would have leaned toward unalienable because that was more accepted at the time. I also have it on good authority, incidentally, that Adams and Jefferson agreed that that the proper way to refer to the document was to always spell out Declaration of Independence." Benjamin Franklin floated the idea shortening it to DOI on first reference, but Adam and Jefferson wanted to keep spelling it out to annoy the readers.
