JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Drew from Buford
What a painful way to end the season, primarily because it was lost due to the same old 'Jags gonna Jag' mistakes. I like how Ward worded it, sick of coaches not understanding the value of coming away with three points. Because the momentum swing of not getting it is HUGE. Second, Trevor had some great throws in this game, but he easily could have had more than two interceptions. I just hate that we lost like this. That narrative is going to nearly erase what a good season they had and bring back all the old crap we hoped we had shed. Hopefully, they actually learn from these things and don't become the next Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell and just say being aggressive is our style. Be smart. Smart teams win.
The Jaguars' season ended with a 27-24 loss to the Buffalo Bills in an AFC Wild Card Playoff game at EverBank Stadium Sunday – and while the nature of playoff losses is that every decision is magnificently magnified, let's not paint this loss as some reflection of everything that once may have been wrong with the organization. The Jaguars lost on Sunday mostly because Bills quarterback Josh Allen – a big-time player – made big-time plays at big moments. I don't know what "Ward" said whatever he said about Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen going for it on fourth-and-2 in the first half Sunday, but I know the momentum of making it and scoring a touchdown is as big as not making it. And while quarterback Trevor Lawrence didn't play perfectly Sunday, he did rally the Jaguars twice in the fourth quarter – and that's what big-time quarterbacks such as Lawrence and Allen do. The Jaguars won 13 games this season. They also won the AFC South title and played as well as any team in the NFL for the last two months of the regular season. They lost a playoff game by three points Sunday, and took the lead twice in the fourth quarter in that game. Why would one postseason loss to an experienced, front-line team with a future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback in his prime erase a good season and bring back "all the old crap?" Good teams lose in the playoffs. It's unavoidable. If you watched this team this season, you were watching a very good team that feels as if it established a foundation for the future. "Same old Jaguars," "Jags gonna Jag" and phrases to that effect are kind of silly and don't really feel all that pertinent anymore.
Gerry from Jacksonville
Looking ahead. I think it would be worth it to give this offensive group another go around next year with some tweaking (offensive line). Of the five games we lost this season, three were games where we were leading with two minutes left and could not make a play to stop the other team. So, I would prioritize the defense, especially the pass rush and cornerback positions, as they complement each other. What three moves do you think General Manager James Gladstone should make in the offseason to improve the team?
No NFL team goes through offseasons with no change. I expect the Jaguars' offensive core to remain largely intact this offseason, though the team will never stop trying to improve in all areas. I expect fairly significant change at multiple levels of the defense. I expect cornerback, pass rush and linebacker all will be a focus for the Jaguars this offseason.
James from Jacksonville
Squeezing the pocket didn't work. Should have released the hounds. This one is coaching.
It's still always coaching in the NFL.
Nick from Annapolis, MD
And fans have instantly devolved back into fans. It's wild out there. "Liam got outcoached because they abandoned the run." Meanwhile in the real world the Jaguars scored a field goal, touchdown and touchdown in three second-half drives. "You have to take the three points." Meanwhile, the Jaguars were I think almost 70% on fourth-and-short and they would have made that if Trevor didn't trip on the turf monster. This was the most obvious execution loss I've ever seen. The Jaguars' plan was obviously working when executed. Just writing to say all these nonsense comments on the internet right now are completely wrong. The team was well prepared for this game. The defensive and offensive plans were phenomenal. Just because every drive didn't end in a turnover on defense and touchdown on offense doesn't mean otherwise. Holy moly.
Fans fan. It's what they do. They really tend to fan in the postseason. It's, like, "next-level" fanning. Or something like that. Holy moly.
GP from Savannah, GA
NFL stats show the Jaguars were 17thin fourth-down conversions with a 56% success percentage. Chiefs were over 70%. Points come at a premium, especially in playoff games -- certainly when your percentage of success is not much greater than half the time.
The Jaguars are going to be aggressive on fourth down under Coen. Going for it in fourth-and-2 from the Bills 9-yard line this past Sunday was not a difficult decision nor was it one Coen regretted.
Nick from Annapolis, MD
The-going-for-it-on-fourth-down argument is really bad discourse. Anyone saying it's obviously the right decision to take the points, like our friend Pete Prisco, just needs to ask themselves one question: At the height of its success, what would you have thought if the Philadelphia Eagles lined up for a tush push on fourth-and-1 in the same situation? One hundred people out of 100 people would say it's insane NOT to go for it, which they all are also admitting that the decision to go for it depends greatly on how you feel your odds of success are. Your odds of success greatly depend on matchups and preparation. Which means the answer is always and should always be "it depends." Anyone that says anything black or white on the topic is just not thinking straight.
Bad discourse is sort of part of the course these days, is it not?
Donut from Saint Johns
While I normally understand the aggressiveness and use of metrics, I'm not sure it takes momentum into its equation. Before they attempted that fourth-down play, I was hoping they would kick the field goal to go up by 7 points, so that in case of a score, Buffalo wouldn't have taken the lead. Not really a question, nor do I think Liam would change anything about his play calling, but I'm guessing many fans had a similar thought.
I was hoping they would kick, too. Coen was hoping that quarterback Trevor Lawrence's shin wouldn't brush the turf a second too soon or that the Jaguars' defense wouldn't allow a 92-yard go-ahead touchdown drive on the ensuing possession. Mostly, he was hoping that the Jaguars would convert a very manageable down-and-distance situation with a play call that should have worked. Coen absolutely considered momentum in making the decision – the momentum that would have come with a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter.
Arthur from Jacksonville
Jacksonville needs to investigate Buffalo bills referee and test the quarterback for steroids the last fourth quarter they didn't call pass interference fort Myers I'm born and raised here and it's not easy to watch a team get done like this over and over in the NFL if the Seminoles and get back in the playoffs why we can't get back in the playoffs question
this is really something it just really really is
Nic from Raleigh
Why is there so much complaint and criticism over the lack of running the ball? The Jags scored on three of four drives in the second half. I don't think running the ball more would've made much of a difference.
Good eye.
Tom from Moncks Corner
Cudos to Coen for his efforts to improve Lawrence. Trevor has greatly improved his mechanics. Unfortunately, he still has a problem between his ears. He thinks that he is superman and can complete every pass regardless of the coverage. The fact is that he is one of the least accurate quarterbacks in the league. His receivers have to leap, fall down or spin around to catch his off-target passes. When the pressure is on, he reverts back to being the Trevor of the past. It seems that every time that the Jags have the ball with under two minutes left and a chance to win Lawrence can be counted on to throw an interception. He is the last person that I would want holding the ball with the game on the line out of all the starting quarterback in the league. Coen has straightened out some of his physical problems, now it is time for someone to work on his psychological issues.
There are those who will never believe Lawrence is good. Your commitment to the cause in the face of an avalanche of evidence to the contrary is admirable. #Nodaysoff.
