JACKSONVILLE – Look-ahead Wednesday.

Let's get to it …

Chris from Mandarin

John, it really feels like the Jaguars are out of their "Wilderness Era." The last 10 years of Jaguars football were much better than the 10 that came before it. They have had four winning seasons in the last 10 years and three playoff berths. We appear to have a good coach that really knows how to get through to his players. After this year, it feels sustainable more than it did when we said those things following the 2022 season in which the team looked to be on the rise. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence has matured. I don't know how to take it. It's a great place to be. Go Jags.

I agree that the Jaguars are out of the "wilderness" era, though I can't quite agree with your timeline. The Jaguars from this view were pretty much in the wilderness from 2011 through 2021, with the notable exception of the 2017 AFC South title season that ended with a trip to the AFC Championship Game. They have had three winning seasons in the last four seasons with two postseason appearances and they won or contended for the AFC South title in those three seasons. They can win the AFC South title for a second time in four seasons Sunday. The Jaguars now appear to have an elite quarterback in Lawrence –or at least very close – and sound management and high-end coaching. There are no guarantees in the NFL and few in life, but the wilderness era from this view indeed seems in the rear view.

JT from Palm Coast, FL

Fred Taylor gets left out again!? It's a shame that the "small market, no respect" card is spilling into all aspects of our team. Enough is enough. Fred deserves to be in. Do you honestly believe it will happen?

Former Jaguars running back Fred Taylor indeed was not among the 15 modern-era finalists named Tuesday for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Taylor deserves to be enshrined. He was a Hall finalist the past two years and this was his seventh season as a semifinalist. I still believe Taylor has a chance to be enshrined. Not making the finals does not mean never getting enshrined. But there is some momentum involved in this process and not making the finals after making it is not the ideal momentum.

Nick from London

So, is this the end of the road for Freddy T?

Not necessarily.

Nick from Virginia Beach, VA

Fred Taylor did not even make the finalist list?! I am so over the damn committee.

It's a disservice that Taylor isn't in the Hall. There are multiple deserving players who have been similarly disserviced because the Hall is an imperfect system in which many deserving players fail to make it for various reasons. But Taylor not being a finalist is absolutely a disservice.

Scarlet from Mount Vernon, WA

If the Jaguars win the playoffs will the NFL give them more respect? Because they definitely earned it for having a seven-win streak.

If the Jaguars win the Super Bowl, the NFL will give them a big trophy. That's the only respect that matters.

Zachary from Washougal, WA

Coach got them to get the job done. It's pretty much the same team as last year, and he (Head Coach Liam Coen) flipped the record. He's getting Trevor to care, and he's got the whole team all in. If they lose (they won't) in the playoffs, we can expect them to go back next year. This ain't Bortles and bologna sandwiches. What's your favorite episode of the Simpsons? (And why is it Stark Raving Dad?)

Lawrence always has cared. I watched the Simpsons Movie, but don't know that I've ever watched an episode straight through.

JK from NY & Fernandina Beach, FL

John, I heard national media talking about the Jags going into Santa Clara and winning it all. Coach Coen has preached "one game at a time" all season long and there is one more big one to win on Sunday at The 'Bank, which would be the biggest of all. An AFC South Championship would be an amazing accomplishment for Year One of The Triumvirate. Is all this postseason talk a distraction until the division is signed, sealed and delivered?

Not if the Jaguars don't pay attention to it.

Jeff from Jacksonville

These last few weeks have felt different. Even after two redzone turnovers and down 10 points against a good defense, I never felt the Jags were "out of it," unlike years past. It's nice.

You're watching a good team. That's how it feels.

Steve from Nashville, TN

Are you on the list of "good people" in the Jaguars' organization?

I rarely work hard. When I do work, I work to avoid being on any lists. I would have been a good Milford Man.

Armand from Jacksonville

Can coordinators be elevated to assistant head coach to avoid losing great coordinators?

No.

Jaypee from The Vortex

Another great game by wide receiver Parker Washington. Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers already resigned. Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. is coming out of his sophomore slump. What do we do with the wide receiver room once Travis Hunter comes back? Can we keep all four? Should we keep all four?

These are fair questions and premature questions, ones that will be a major offseason storyline. Hunter, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, was improving in the offense as a receiver before a knee injury ended his season after seven games this season. What appeared at the time to be a weak/struggling wide receiver position has emerged as a very changed one. And a strong one. Hunter has an elite, unique skill set. His hands and athleticism are special. I expect he will have a role on offense next season and that role likely will be significant. How it precisely looks remains to be seen.

P Funk from Murray Hill

The Pro Bowl absolutely is a broken system. What would Zone do to fix it?

Let it be broken and counsel others not to care about it so much.

Brandon from Louisville, KY

What impresses me about Trevor is his checks at the line. It was obvious Sunday that he was checking into the right plays, and it made a huge difference.

You're correct to be impressed. Coen's system is complex. Lawrence worked hard in the offseason to grasp the system and his work has paid off. He was exceptional in this area in a victory over the Indianapolis Colts this past Sunday. He's functioning at a high level in this area and only figures to improve. It's impressive and encouraging – maybe the most encouraging thing in a very impressive season for Lawrence.

P Funk from Murray Hill

So, we could finish 13-4 without a thousand-yard receiver? Crazy

I guess.

Tony from Johns Creek, GA

O, as a fan I focused on Trevor's end-zone INT. What I should have paid more attention to was Trevor's two touchdown runs and how he stood tall under tremendous pressure.

Lawrence is playing at a high level. For four or five games leading into Sunday, his high level showed in the statistics. On Sunday against the Colts, it showed in his decisions at the line of scrimmage and in multiple big-time – and clutch – throws under pressure. He had a couple of bad throws – an interception and a would-be interception – but he mostly played extremely well. As usual.

Scott from Jacksonville

Maybe I'm weird, but I liked that attempt to Washington that got picked in the end zone in spite of the results. The defender had his back to Trevor when the ball was thrown, and if that ball lands just a foot to the left, it's probably another diving touchdown catch to Parker. Instead, the linebacker turns around just in time for the ball to hit him in the hands to make a great play. I applaud the effort.

We'll pretty much be done looking back after this, but this question references an end-zone interception thrown by Lawrence late in the first half against the Colts. It was the right read because the intended receiver, Washington, was covered one on one by a linebacker. Once the linebacker followed Washington so tightly, Lawrence needed to come off the read to Washington or throw the ball quicker and higher.

Joe from Living in Et. Johns, down by the river

This has been fun. I hope we have another month or so of fun. My question, who do you think we get for Week 1 playoffs? (assuming we don't ascend to the #1 seed)

I'm guessing the Jaguars will play the Buffalo Bills in an AFC Wild Card game in Jacksonville if the Jaguars win the AFC South. We'll see.

Josh from Atlanta, GA

You're incredible, John. What will it take for Shad to see that?

I am the king of all funk.