JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Dan from Las Vegas, NV
Can we please forfeit the rest of the games? It's really hard watching this crap. Even the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals are more competitive right now, for crying out loud. We don't know what the future holds, but it will be really hard justifying the front office and the coaching staff if Khan choose to retain them.
You're obviously correct the Jaguars must play their final three regular-season games. I can't think of any way out of it, though the way the Jaguars have played their last five games makes it epically hard to imagine a better outcome the rest of this month. And yes … it's hard to imagine a less-competitive team in the NFL right now. The defense has degenerated over the last six weeks to the point that it can't stop the run or pass – and it has reached a low enough level that even improvement from a still-struggling offense might not help. What are the answers? With three games remaining the reality is answers may not come this season. As far as the future of the coaching staff and front office … yeah, that will be the main Jaguars storyline in the next few days. And realistically, it's the only storyline that will matter in the coming weeks. I will write here what I have written and said often in recent days and weeks. Owner Shad Khan obviously has major decisions to make. When a team loses five consecutive games the way the Jaguars have lost these last five games, serious thought must be given about the direction of the franchise. I do not know what Khan will decide. I do not know if it will involve Jaguars Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tom Coughlin, General Manager David Caldwell and Head Coach Doug Marrone. Conventional wisdom will dictate that one, two or three of the aforementioned trio won't return next season, but Khan never has been much for conventional wisdom with this franchise. Speculation undoubtedly will be rampant moving forward, but Khan's history with the Jaguars is such that it's impossible to assume what he will do. Perhaps he will say something soon. My sense now is he will wait until season's end. Stay tuned.
Josh from Atlanta, GA
This is the worst team in the NFL. Wow!
A strong case can definitely be made …
Deebs from Niceville, FL
Surely by now, Khan must know if he is going to clean house or not. Assuming he is, is there any disadvantage of doing it now instead of the end of the season? It's hard to imagine that a team could possibly play any worse than the Jags are now.
Khan certainly has thoughts about what the future will hold. Reasons to not make changes now would include wanting to have a full season – and three more games with Minshew at quarterback – to get a better idea of a complete body of work. When you're 4-9 and playing as poorly as the Jaguars are playing, there's no answer that fans will like. Khan will make his decision when he makes his decision. I understand that's a dissatisfying answer for fans who Want Action Now. Either way, there's no real advantage or disadvantage to doing it now opposed to after the season. It's pretty much the same either way, though fans certainly will clamor for action sooner rather than late.
Wade from the Westside
Sometimes you have to move on ... from coaches ... general manager … executive vice president of football operations. We need a clean slate.
Three weeks remain in the 2019 regular season. We'll know these answers soon enough. Stay tuned.
Eric from Columbus, IN
Let's not forget Tom Coughlin inherited most of the 2017 AFC Championship team... with him fully at the helm, well...
Most questions received after Sunday's loss involved the future of Caldwell, Marrone and Coughlin. This question was different enough it afforded the opportunity for a different question and different answer. While Coughlin indeed inherited a lot of the 2017 team, much of the core of that team – defensive end Calais Campbell, safety Barry Church, cornerback A.J. Bouye and running back Leonard Fournette – were acquired that offseason. It's hard to imagine that season happening without Bouye, Campbell and Fournette. So, while Coughlin and the front office certainly deserve criticism for the past two offseasons, let's at least give credit where it's due.
Robert from Oneonta
Quarterback Nick Foles will be with the Jaguars for the 2020 season. It's math and money. Foles' dead cap for next season is in the range of $33 million. His average yearly pay is around $22 million. If Foles did nothing more than sit the bench for the 2020 season, the Jags would have $11 million of additional cap space by keeping him. Also, there is an out clause in his contract after two years, it can be used by either Foles or the Jags. It seems to me that trading Foles, before the end of the 2020 season, is a non-starter. Maybe this has been discussed before, but it seems like important information. Mr. O did I get this right?
You have the math right. Circumstances sometimes dictate that teams do things that don't make mathematical sense. There are too many variables and too much time until this decision must get made to know how this will play out.
Steve from Jacksonville
This is embarrassing. This team couldn't beat one of the CFB playoff contenders.
The Jaguars would beat all the CFB playoff contenders, but that doesn't make Sunday less embarrassing.
Eric from Columbus, IN
That sure looked like a team that has quit, or is our talent level THAT bad? I'm hoping it's the former because I can't handle another three-year rebuild.
I agree that the Jaguars looked like a team that quit Sunday. But looks can be deceiving. This wasn't a team that had quit. This was a team that defensively is simply not good enough to stop functioning offenses right now. That can make it look like there's no effort, but as I've said often and always will say in these situations: NFL players, with rare exceptions, never quit. There's too much at stake in terms of their careers for that. Now, do they sometimes play without focus? Do they sometimes lack ability to do their jobs? Do they sometimes play so much for themselves and without discipline? Yes. All those things can happen. Considering the Jaguars' current record, it's entirely possible that we saw some of those things happen Sunday.
Travis from Jacksonville
Jags don't have very many good players on the roster.
I don't know that this is entirely true. Players such as wide receiver DJ Chark Jr., Fournette, Campbell, defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, cornerback A.J. Bouye, right tackle Jawaan Taylor, defensive end Josh Allen all are at least "good." There are also a lot of other players who can play at a winning level. But there are some significant weaknesses right now, particularly in run defense and in the secondary, that are deficient enough to make everything else look bad.
Gregg from Jacksonville
Would it be fair to assess the Jags effort over the last five games as the bottom of the NFL? It would be hard to find a team playing any worse.
The Jaguars have lost their last five games by 17 or more points. They are without question during that span playing as poorly as any team in the league.
Jess from Glen Carbon, IL
John, you have been more than patient and very thorough with your responses to readers who send in questions and comments about which players (Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, Lamar Jackson, etc.) the Jaguars passed on when they have selected in past NFL drafts. To all to those readers: it isn't how good the players the Jaguars passed on became, it's how good the players they selected became. I don't know how you do it Zone, the incessant whining from readers is exhausting.
Whining? Nah. Fans gonna fan. It's what they do.
Seth from Jacksonville
I understand that we have a shortage of good players, but Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin would never let this happen to his team. Coaching is nonexistent. You can stand out there and do no worse.
I appreciate the kind words, but while Sunday was as bad as anything I've seen around here in a long time, I absolutely could do worse.
Al from Jacksonville Beach, FL
The Roar deserve better than this team. I am glad the Culligan cheerleader retired and doesn't have to see this mess.
I have no idea what you're talking about.
Rich from Jacksonville
John: I truly dislike your tact and passive-aggressive responses that deflect actual accountability (I know, because I use this tactic very effectively in corporate America). Just stop: report facts, or at least preface your ignorant opinions with "in my opinion." For example: "I do believe Jaguars defensive coordinator Todd Wash is a good coordinator."
We should definitely hang out.
