JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Johnny from Jacksonville
Zone, they play Monday night. Jags have two weeks to prep. The streak continues!?!?
There are many reasons to like the Jaguars' chances against the Seattle Seahawks Sunday. The Seahawks indeed played the New Orleans Saints on Monday, which means they will be playing on six days rest whereas the Jaguars have had two weeks to prepare for the game. The Seahawks also will be without quarterback Russell Wilson and enter the game with a 2-5 record whereas the Jaguars have improved since looking bad in the regular-season opener – and they also have a measure of momentum from beating the Miami Dolphins in London in Week 6. Still, let's keep the Jaguars' improvement in perspective. Miami has lost six consecutive games, and the Jaguars needed a ton of things to go very right to win that game. They also must travel across the country to Seattle – where the Jaguars never have played well – and beat a proud team that doesn't look at all like it has quit. That thing about traveling to Seattle being tough is very, very real. I doubt the Jaguars can overcome it, even with "momentum" in their favor. Stay tuned.
Mr. Why You Mad from Bronx, New York
In the second half of the season, do you think we will have a more explosive offense, with wide receivers Jamal Agnew and Laviska Shenault Jr. along with running back James Robinson working the offense more around them?
It depends on what you mean by explosive. I would consider an explosive offense one that can score from anywhere – with big plays and speed; think, perhaps, the Kansas City Chiefs of recent seasons as a blueprint. If that's the definition, I doubt the Jaguars will have a more explosive offense in Weeks 8-17 than they did in Weeks 1-6 because I don't think the Jaguars are magically going to have more fast receivers. Head Coach Urban Meyer discussed this point Monday, making the point that the loss of wide receiver DJ Chark Jr. for the season with an ankle injury hurts on this front. And while Meyer did correctly note that Agnew is making real strides in this area, I don't know that Agnew is going to consistently create enough plays downfield to by himself make the offense feel explosive. Now, if by explosive you mean a better offense … then, yes, I absolutely believe the Jaguars' offense can be better the rest of the season. Rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence is developing rapidly, and the line continues to play well enough to give Lawrence time to throw – and to create running room for Robinson. And Agnew, Shenault and Marvin Jones Jr. at receiver can be consistent enough to be a serviceable group. The Jaguars are averaging 18.83 points per game through six games. I could see them getting into the mid-twenties. That's improvement enough to be more competitive and win a few games.
Terry from Jacksonville
When can the team go back to its original uniforms?
NFL teams can change uniforms every five seasons. The Jaguars are in their fourth season of their current uniform combination, so the next time they could change would be for the 2023 season. That doesn't mean they would return to their original uniforms, but that's when they could change.
Andy Boy from Halifax
Do you see receiver as a need, relative to overall roster talent, and do you see the Jags pursuing one in the coming week?
Yes, I see receiver as a need. But I would be wary about pursuing any veteran in the coming week. I would want to make sure that veteran was comparatively young and developing as opposed to a player in the final season or two of his career. The Jaguars are 1-5. Any move should be made with an eye on the long-term rather than doing everything possible to win right now. And, of course, every move should be made with an eye on developing – and protecting – Lawrence.
Bradley from Sparks, NV
It depends on your definition of successful, but only 14 out of the 43 total or near total rebuilds facilitated by drafting a quarterback in the first round can claim any success over the last 20 years. The only team/quarterback to win a Super Bowl thus far is the New York Giants/Eli Manning. (Unless you count the Philadelphia Eagles/Carson Wentz). Drafting the " right" quarterback is half the battle but with young quarterbacks like Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals, Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, Justin Herbert of the Oakland Raiders and Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens in the conference, do the Jags have the front office and coaching staff to be annual contenders?
Winning in the NFL is hard. It's a lot easier to build – and win – when you have stability at quarterback. I would say drafting the right quarterback is more than half the battle, but whatever … it's really important. Do the Jaguars have the front office and coaching staff to be annual contenders? We'll see, but it's a lot easier for those areas to do the job with an elite quarterback – and Lawrence seems on the way to being that.
Kellen from Denver, CO
Am I wrong for thinking the Seahawks is a winnable game?
Yes, it is winnable. But it is no way easy. Games in Seattle are rarely easy, and the Jaguars never have played well there. But it's the NFL and the Jaguars are improving. It's certainly winnable.
Brandon from Fort Lauderdale, FL
What would you consider the Jaguars' biggest need going into next year? I would think we try to fix the defense – cornerback and pass rush first.
I don't know the Jaguars' biggest need going into the offseason because 11 games remain in this season. If the season ended now, I would agree that pass rush is a need. But that area has made bigger impact in recent weeks, so we'll see if it's a major need at season's end. Secondary definitely appears a need now – but again, we'll see if it feels that way in January.
Mike from Jacksonville
What happened to the free-agent linebacker from Alabama?
Rookie linebacker Dylan Moses, who played at the University of Alabama and who signed with the Jaguars as a collegiate free agent shortly after the 2021 NFL Draft, is on the non-football injury list. He will be eligible to participate in offseason activities and next season.
KC from Orlando, FL
KOAF - do you think we should right the wrong of letting wide receiver Allen Robinson go and trade a third-round pick to the Chicago Bears to get him back? He has been underutilized, and he would be our answer to a No. 1 wide receiver. Trade Machine!!!
I would have no problem with trading for Robinson – and I don't doubt he would be an asset. What he wouldn't necessarily do is solve the Jaguars' main issue at wide receiver. That issue is not having a deep threat, which signing Robinson wouldn't solve. #Trademachine!!!
Kena from Middleburg, FL
I had a horrific thought after watching an Aaron Rodgers commercial. Please tell me that there is no chance for a man-bun in Trevor Lawrence's future.
There's always a chance.
Tim from Fernandina Beach, FL
John: Not sugarcoating things but with the exception of Houston, our losses are to teams with a combined record of 20-8. Not saying we are good, just maybe not so bad. Time will tell.
The Jaguars' 2021 schedule thus far has proven yet again the folly of projecting schedule difficulty before the regular season. The first four games were generally perceived as winnable before the season when in fact teams such as the Arizona Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals actually have been among the NFL's best this season. The Jaguars' Week 6 game against the Dolphins, initially perceived as being part of a very difficult stretch of 10-victory teams from last season, instead featured a Dolphins team in the middle of what is now a six-game losing streak. Does that mean the Jaguars are good or bad? Well, they're still 1-5 and they still have some major issues in pass coverage – and the wide receivers still appear destined to struggle with separation. At the same time, the Jaguars had a chance to beat the Cardinals and an even better chance to beat the Bengals. So can it be said at least that the Jaguars are maybe not so bad. That's fair. Absolutely.
Nick from St. Augustine, FL
Try as I might, I've never been able to agree with you. Taste in music 50/50. Football acumen, meh. Pizza, atrocious. But your response about being married and always being wrong I can get on board with that.
Welcome aboard, I suppose – but you need to try harder. My taste in music is awesome. Football acumen, dead on. As for pizza … if loving Sbarro's is wrong, I don't want to be right.
