JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Alex from Detroit by way of St. Augustine

So, the Jaguars are tied at the top of the AFC South. What has to happen for us to go into the playoffs? Deep run?

The Jaguars indeed are 1-0 and tied for the AFC South lead entering Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. We'll preface this answer by saying it's way too early to be thinking playoffs and the best way to start getting there is by beating the Bengals. But the thought here is this team has a chance to compete if things go right and they play to their planned identity. They must stay healthy, continue playing physically and continue running well while creating turnovers defensively and making timely big plays to make the postseason. The Jaguars then must stay healthy, continue playing physically and continue running well while creating turnovers defensively and making timely big plays against increasingly better teams in more pressurized circumstances to make a deep playoff run. But first, they must focus on beating the Bengals. And the Houston Texans after that. And …

Sabo from Brunswick

Down year for AFC South make us a favorite based off this week?

There is a perception the AFC South is down. We'll find out soon enough if that perception is true.

Jeremy from Gilbert, AZ

To clarify, us fans that wish Trevor was awesome but recognize he's not. Sunday wasn't just Game 1 of 2025. That's his 61st NFL game. Coaching changes, regime changes, injuries, etc have become watered-down excuses. He's in his fifth NFL season. That's the equivalent of being a fifth-year Senior in college. He is who he is at this point and it's nothing special (although we wish he was).

This is a fair assessment of Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence's first four NFL seasons. I don't know that it's necessarily a fair assessment of what will come next. To clarify, I don't know if Lawrence will be an elite quarterback. I don't know if he will "live up" to being the No. 1 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. I don't know if he ever will rank in the top two of three quarterbacks in the NFL. What I do know is Lawrence has played well at times in his career. I do know the Jaguars went 13-3 over a stretch with him playing quarterback, and during that time he was ascending toward that top group of quarterbacks. I know that stretch ended with injuries late in the 2023 season and that the environment around him made it difficult to get back to even an average level last season. Here's where we are right now: Lawrence played well in the first half Sunday. He didn't play very well at all in the third quarter. The sense here is he will continue to develop in Head Coach Liam Coen's offensive system. Where will that go? Stay tuned.

John from Merritt Island, FL

It is time for a real-life gut check. Here it is: We spent opening day at Strings (Trevor and I talked about you). The food was great, the Bullet Bobs were cold , the DUUUUVALS! were loud, and the Jags Won!!! What is with all these negative people?

I haven't a Bullet Bob in a long time. Too long. That may change soon.

Jesse from Texas

One question of concern: How does one of the NFL's top edge defender duos manage to combine for only one tackle and zero sacks in a game should have tailor made for pass rushers by the second half?

It's actually relatively easy to manage when both edge defenders are in the opponent's backfield the entire game without enough interior push.

Kyle from Ingalls, IN and Terry Parker alum

Bengals are probably worrying about this week because the Jags have a kicker. 14 points for Cam Little!!

OK.

Matthew from Townsville, Tropical Australia

Hi, O. Couple of things. Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. after 143 yards and a monster run being mainly preoccupied with how he could have run further … a good example of "intangibly rich?" Lawrence missing open receivers and a defender on an interception course, as he has tended to do … does he have a peripheral vision issue? Worth thinking about perhaps as there are exercises that can widen peripheral vision.

Etienne always has held himself to a high standard, a trait that certainly helps categorize him as intangibly rich. I have seen no evidence of Lawrence having a "peripheral vision" issue. The NFL moves fast. There are often five receivers in a play. A lot of quarterbacks miss open receivers. The fewer you miss, the better.

Mike from Hoboken, NJ

In some of the recent episodes of "the Hunt," especially featured in the episode recalling the process of drafting wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter, it is apparent that [General Manager] James [Gladstone] looks to support his decision-making with data and analytics. It appears that some sort of a "moneyball-esque" is being more heavily utilized by this young regime. What are your thoughts on how we can continue to build our organization through the use of analytics in terms of personnel, playbook, and overall performance?

Keep doing what they're doing.

Al from OP

I'm really liking our free-agent class. Too soon to judge?

Yes, one game is too quick to judge. But Jaguars cornerback Jourdan Lewis, defensive end Dawuane Smoot, wide receiver Dyami Brown, safety Eric Murray, guard Patrick Mekari and center Robert Hainsey all signed as free agents this past offseason They all appeared to play well Sunday and all appear to be good, productive signings. Stay tuned.

Bill from Ponte Vedra

The negative comments about Lawrence are never going to stop, because he is always being compared to people's expectations of perfection. He is never going to complete 25 of 28 and he is always going to throw picks, but he is also never going to quit. The Los Angeles Chargers playoff game vividly exposed his faults (four interceptions in one half!) and his competitive attitude (he led the great comeback). Let's hope his new coaches minimize Bad Trevor and allow Good Trevor to shine.

Good eye.

William from Savannah, GA

John, I like the added motion and shifts I saw in the offense this past week. I'm no expert, but it seems like it is easier for a quarterback to determine if a defense is in man or zone coverage earlier, which should help the decision-making process by Lawrence or any quarterback. Can you add some insight on this, please? Oh, and tell Don I said, "Hey!"

Pre-snap motion absolutely helps quarterbacks determine if a defense is in zone or man coverage. Motion is one of the first sources of information for a quarterback to know if the offense is in the correct play or if adjustments must be made. As for passing on insight, Don scares me. I don't pass along casual messages to people who scare me.

Jay from St Augustine, FL

One not fer the new website.

Okey-doke.

Zedd from Westside

First off: Trevor looked good in the first half of the opener. Suppose Trevor remains a middle-of-the-pack quarterback and never reaches the expectations placed upon him and does not live up to his huge contract. Will the Jags be stuck with him the entire contract? Will there be a point where they will entertain another option? Granted, we have no first-round selection this year, but in a year or two there may be a quarterback available that is just too tempting to resist.

Lawrence is the Jaguars' starting quarterback and there's no thought within the organization that won't be the case for the foreseeable future. His contract is structured so that the first time they can potentially get out of the contract by releasing or trading Lawrence with limited cap implications is following the 2028 season. The Jaguars will consider other quarterbacks if/when they don't believe Lawrence is a winning option.

Sean from Oakleaf, FL

The Jaguars get the second game of their scheduled third-place "peer" games this week with a visit to Cincinnati. Do you agree the game versus the Bengals will be a good test of where this team is in their growth? This will be the fourth time in six years playing the Bengals, having lost the previous three all by one score or less.

The Jaguars' game against the Bengals Sunday is a good chance for them to go 2-0 and to play a team that could contend for the postseason in 2025. I'm not particularly big on looking at one game early in a season to judge a team's growth, but how the Jaguars fare against a decent-to-difficult schedule in the next four weeks will give us an idea just how they're growing and developing.

Derek from CROWN POINT, IN

I'm taking my seven-year old son to his first big game this week in Cincinnati. Any advice?

Have fun and savor the moment. Life's short.