JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Kathy from Palm Coast, FL
There is nothing more obvious than the vibe of this team versus last year's team. I know you don't believe it's all about the coaching, but when I watch this team I see enthusiasm. When I watched last year's team, I saw apathy and lack of interest. The plays called and playing guys in their best position has made a huge difference.
I think Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen is showing himself to be a much better head coach more quickly than I anticipated. I expected he would be a high-end play-caller immediately. He coaches the run exceptionally well and that has made a huge difference for this franchise. What I didn't know entering the season was how well he would connect with players. He has shown to be a high-end leader with a real connection to players. Those are the most important traits for a head coach, and it's hard to know that about any head coach until the regular season begins. He is very impressive – and the more I watch him, the more I expect him to be a very successful NFL head coach for a long time. I long have said that the most important aspect of head coaching is how much your team believes in you. This is infinitely more important than in-game decisions, play-calling or anything associated with game-planning. Coen from this view seems really good at the in-game play-calling and game-planning stuff. But it's absolutely his leadership that from this view has had the greatest and most obvious impact on the Jaguars' turnaround. It's impressive. Very, very impressive.
Brendan from The Banana Patch
Not to be mean, but we really need Travon to just "throw some dirt" on it and get back out there! We need him!
Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker underwent wrist surgery last Monday and is listed as questionable entering Monday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs. There is obviously more to this injury than "rubbing dirt on it." We don't know all that much about the extent of Walker's injury, but questionable means a chance Walker will play. If there is any player on the Jaguars' roster I believe capable of playing a week after surgery, it's Walker. If it's at all up to him, I expect he will play.
Scott from Jax In Rehoboth
Let's put all the other talks aside for a moment O-man and let's give one for coach! We are just and only four games into the season under Coen's tutelage and the trajectory of this team feels completely different now. That uneasy weekly feeling of doom is starting to turn into excitement and fun. Win or lose Monday, things are different! Lets go Jags!!Duuuuval!!
One fer Coen.
Hilarious from Funnytown
It has been mentioned a few times recently that one of the defensive changes has been the buy-in from the players. How often is bad defense a performance by players to show their distrust in the system, and do you recall seeing things in recent years that resembled that at first glance?
I've never seen NFL players purposely perform poorly to show their distrust in a system. I've seen a lot of performances where it seemed players were still trying but feeling an inherent distrust.
Volin from Sanford, FL
As long as I've been reading the O-Zone, people have been writing in to complain about whoever the quarterback was at the time. I get it. "Fans fan," as you would say. My question: When you were in Indianapolis watching Peyton Manning, would fans come out and complain if he had an off game?
Of course. Colts fans during that era complained about Manning when they lost. Some complained that quarterback was the problem following seasons they didn't win the Super Bowl. The Colts missed the postseason twice in Manning's 13 healthy seasons, in his first and fourth seasons. Fans fan. It's what they do.
Buddy from Jacksonville
Is Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker going to have one of those Steve DeBerg casts on his hand?
Stay tuned.
KvHak from Montrose, Al
Flying under the radar bit with the resurgence of the O-Line is just how much the tight end room is contributing to the blocking success of team. Brenton Strange, Johnny Mundt and Hunter Long are the highest-ranked tight end room by Pro Football Focus in run blocking. The increase use of 12 and 13 packages has significantly improved both the run and passing game. Strange has lived up to his promise as a dependable reliever and Long, who came out of BC as a receiving threat, is demonstrating his previously unused skills. As a whole, this group is becoming one of the best tight end groups in the league. Seems like maybe General Manager James Gladstone/Coen knew what they were doing by controversially shuffling this room.
We live in an NFL era in which the pass shapes all analysis – and an offshoot of that is that tight ends are often judged exclusively on fantasy stats and passing-game contributions. Coen believes strongly that the tight ends and wide receivers are critical to the running game, and the play of the Jaguars' tight ends this season reflects as much.
Mac from Avondale
Anyone else worried this is 2018 all over again? We're 3-1, spirits are high ... now we play the Kansas City Chiefs week 5. Corey Grant's going to get hurt and the season is about to unravel.
The 2018 Jaguars indeed lost on the road to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5, a 30-14 loss that in retrospect can be seen as the beginning of the end for what for a relatively short time a very good Jaguars team. This Jaguars team feels like it is at the beginning of a beginning rather than the beginning of an end. Stay tuned.
Nick from Annapolis, MD
Do you think it's remotely possible that Lawrence is struggling a bit due to home life with a new baby? I feel like he is the type that would be the "nice guy" or just not want to miss being part of the early sleep struggles. Sleep is one of those things you can feel fine with a bit of caffeine, but behind the scenes it has some serious effects. Maybe Monday night changes the routine and he gets back to his true self.
I do not believe Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is struggling because of a new baby. He is not suffering from a lack of sleep. There is no questioning his work ethic, his off-field approach or anything of the like. He's making very good decisions. He's operating the offense extremely well. He has had too many passes dropped. He also has missed too many open receivers, had some accurate moments and needs to be a bit more aggressive downfield when opportunities are there. He has played four games in this offense. The story is not yet written.
Anita from Springfield
There's a narrative about Trevor that's bugging me. I, like any remotely objective observer, will say he needs to be better. More consistency, making more layups, a few more deep balls, better situational awareness, etc. But folks are acting like we're winning DESPITE Trevor, and that's freaking asinine. He's playing better than I've seen at most stretches besides the end of '22 and beginning of '23, and in terms of controlling the line of scrimmage and getting us in the right reads he's exceeding that period. One fer Trevor, and his role in our 3-1 start (soon to be 4-1).
Fair.
Chris from Mandarin
Trevor this season is 30th in Passer Rating, 26th in TD-interception ratio, 31st in completion percentage, 28th in yards per pass attempt and 21st in pass yards per game. Okay, he's learned how to check in and out of plays. The eyes tell us he's not playing well. Why on earth do you think he's improved? He hasn't. He's struggling.
Chris, meet Anita. Anita, meet Chris.
John from Jax
Hi, KOAGF. I often visit the opponents' websites before/after our game with them to see what they are saying. My experience overall is the amount of content is completely lame compared to what the Jags website offers. Editorials most days, featured articles with others – and of course the daily O-Zone. How does it feel to run circles around them? How fast can you run?
I don't spend all that much time looking at other teams' websites. I know a lot of people who work at other teams' websites and have a lot of respect for a lot of them. Perhaps some of the respect me, though such things are usually not learned until extensive discussion – often involving some sort of PowerPoint or similar slide-based presentation. Either way, we try here at jaguars.com to give readers something close to an entertaining, informative product on a daily basis. I sometimes run in circles. I don't run very fast. I could say it's because I'm old. But I wasn't fast when I was young, either.
