JACKSONVILLE – We're fast approaching Look-Ahead time in these parts.
That means it's close to time to be less singularly obsessed with the Jaguars' 27-24 loss to the Buffalo Bills in an AFC Wild Card Playoff Game at EverBank Stadium last Sunday and a bit more focused on the future. We'll look back a day or two longer, then ease forward. Or not.
Let's get to it …
Jeremy from Gilbert, AZ
The future is bright in Jacksonville. If Trevor gets more comfortable and plays more to his potential in the playoffs, then the future is very bright!
The Jaguars' future indeed should be bright. They not only went 13-4 in Liam Coen's first season as head coach, they established a foundation under the first-year regime of Coen, General Manager James Gladstone and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli. Foremost in that foundation: The development of quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who played as well as any quarterback in the NFL over the final eight weeks of the regular season. I don't know where Lawrence "ranks" among NFL quarterbacks. I do know he has shown beyond doubt that you can win at a high level with him at quarterback. He should improve moving forward in Coen's scheme and it will be interesting to see what sort of "second-year" jump he takes as the concepts in the scheme become more muscle memory. Nothing's guaranteed, but this is a good place to start.
JK from NY & Fernandina Beach, FL
John. The trade up to get wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter made a lot of sense at the time. It was a bold move that announced to the league that there were new Cats in town, setting the tone for the turnaround season. The Jags obtained a versatile two-way player with game-changing potential. While he was healthy, Hunter progressed each week and showed flashes of his significant talents. Looking forward to next season, with Hunter coming off a season-ending injury and with the Jags without a first-round pick, does the Hunter deal still look as good?
This will depend on how Hunter develops in the next season or two – and whether he is a true difference-maker on both offense and defense. He appears very close to certain to be a high-end cornerback. How consistently he can be an impact playmaker on offense remains to be seen. How he will fit into the Jaguars' offense moving forward remains to be seen. He showed serious signs of being very good on offense in the final game before his injury – 35-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in which he caught 8 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown. If he's that good at receiver and as good as he seems defensively, then it's hard to argue against the selection. Stay tuned.
Rob from The duuuuuuuuuu
The Houston Texans having a much easier path through the playoffs infuriates me and is a huge amount of salt the wound. I feel we could have easily beat the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots are a much weaker opponent than the Denver Broncos. Another loss this season may have led us to the championship game.
Perhaps.
Tuc from Nashville, TN
Hey, John. Great season, but everybody complaining about Coen going for it on fourth down isn't anything new. My complaint is Coen keeping Van Lanen in the fourth quarter of the Titans game. That's when I want to see Walker Little playing left tackle, not in a playoff game. Everybody is asking why Trevor looked like Trevor in the first half of the season in the first half against the Bills. It's because Little was getting beat by Joey Bosa. Trevor was having to move immediately in the pocket. People say pressures don't matter compared to sacks. Pressures affected the first half of the game. One of Trevor's tipped balls that was going to tight end Brenton Strange was tipped and almost intercepted because Little got beat and it caused Trevor to step up in the pocket causing the deflection. Tony Romo said it would have been a touchdown on that play. If Cole Van Lanen played, the Jags win the game.
It seems you're suggesting Coen should have removed left tackle Cole Van Lanen late in a Week 18 victory over the Tennessee Titans to prevent injury. There are only so many players on an NFL roster. It's difficult to take all starters out late in games.
Alex from Duval
What position group do you think will be the largest focus in the draft and free agency for General Manager James Gladstone?
Defense.
Brandon from Richmond Hill, GA
This is the last time I'll ask about it, because you have written ad nauseum on the issue and the horse is dead. Just asking to clear it up for my curiosity. I understand as a whole the fourth-down success rate was pretty decent throughout the season. However, it FELT as if every single time we went for the first over electing for three points while in the red zone, we didn't get it. It felt like we left a dozen plus points on the board for the aggression (Still winning 13 games, very much acknowledge that). Clearly we didn't when it mattered the most on Sunday. I'm just asking, did we pick up the first down on fourth down a single time in the red zone?
The Jaguars converted four of nine times in this situation. There's a reason you only remember the unsuccessful ones. It's because those stay emblazoned in fans' memories forever. The successful ones get forgotten in a hurry because fans fan.
HD from Still A small Market for One More Year
It is remarkable the difference 12 months can make. A year ago, it was doom and gloom and the prospect of yet another era that would take a few years to build what they wanted. A mere 12 months later, the Triumvirate (Gladstone, Boselli, Coen) has made a sizable down payment on their promise to deliver a worthwhile product that people will be excited about. Losing sucks but the future finally feels brighter than in a long, long time. When this many players bought in and saw firsthand the results, it is hard – or is silly a better word? – for the fan to stay on the sideline. Duuuval is back!
Silly is a good word. Either way, let's hope fans stay on the sideline – or more preferably, in their seats.
SteveC from Cardiff,UK
This one hurts more than pretty much every season back to the loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game following the 2017 season. The reason, I guess, in those years we got what we deserved: Nothing!! This year I had really started to believe. I want to hold on but cannot help remembering how we imploded after that season. Help me please, KOAF.
Of course the end to this past season hurt more than the end to all Jaguars seasons' end dating to 2017. The '17 Jaguars and the '25 Jaguars had legitimate Super Bowl hopes. None of the other teams felt like this, so the end didn't hurt like this. As for why you should hold on … this feels sustainable. Because of Lawrence. Because of Coen. Because of Boselli. Because of Gladstone. Because this team will continue striving to get better and not get complacent. Nothing's guaranteed. But this feels different. The offseason program begins in April.
Don from Marshall NC
When you have high expectations at the championship and you don't reach that goal, it should hurt! There are lots of great teams out there that went through that adversity and returned the following year to win it all. I remember when Denver got beat by the Jaguars when everyone considered John Elway and the Broncos the best team in the league. The important thing this year is 13 wins and a division title and finding out we have a quarterback! If you're consistent doing that, then you're going to improve your chances. We had a super year. Exciting and fun to watch all three phases of this team. Hope we keep all the players and coaches together as much as possible. Go Jaguars!
When it comes to having the right perspective on the Jaguars' immediate past, present and immediate future, Don remains comfortably and predictably "all in."
Joe from Jacksonville
First of all, John, big props to always at least hearing me out after we lose via my furious emails. You're the goat. My question is, the Jaguars don't have a first-round pick this year, is that going to change how the draft is covered on this website?
We will cover the 2026 NFL Draft on jaguars.com. Unless the Jaguars trade up from low in the second round to at least closer to the first round I don't know that we'll cover the first round of the draft in the weeks leading to the draft extensively as we have in the past. And we wouldn't cover the actual Round 1 nearly as extensively.
Gary from St. Augustine, FL
Now that the Jaguars are out of the playoffs, you really suck.
On to the offseason.
