JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it … Richard from Jacksonville:
The Falcons lost because of the same reasons the Jaguars have lost for the last few years. Too arrogant to take the field goal when you have been granted the opportunity. Take a knee on second and third down while in field goal range and the game is yours. The Falcons started a plan to kill the clock and were unable to fully commit. When you start a plan you can't become wishy-washy in it.
John: The Falcons were an elite offense this year. Their quarterback, Matt Ryan, was the NFL's Most Valuable Player. They put the game in his hands. He shouldn't have taken the sack in that situation. Its inexcusable. But to blame the approach? Nah. You have to get rid of the ball, and you can't hold on the ensuing play. But mostly, you can't take the sack on second down.
Andy from Jacksonville:
After watching the Super Bowl, I am OK if the Jags draft multiple quarterbacks each year in hopes to find the next Tom Brady.
John: There's a chance you could draft every quarterback in the draft for the next five years and not find him, but sure …
Mike from Vero Beach, FL:
Watching the Super Bowl, there was no doubt the NFL is about real as WWF. In a season that saw a drop in ratings and slow Super Bowl sales, they needed a super game and between a good play here and there it was too obvious the officials were there to ensure a close game and Falcons played really soft in the fourth. It is a sad thought but one that is growing among fans.
John: Stop. You need to stop.
Daniel from Honolulu, HI:
Wow, Zone: was this the biggest choking performance in the history of the NFL by the Falcons or was it a statement about the legacy of Brady and Belichick? The Falcons will never come back from this.
John: It's far more of a statement about Belichick, Brady and the Patriots than it is about the Falcons. The big, big error by Ryan and the Falcons obviously was not getting three points in the above-mentioned situation, but aside from that Sunday's game was about New England and not the Patriots. As far as the Falcons coming back from this … yeah, that will be tough. I don't know how they'll do it.
Bill from Hawthorn Woods, IL:
Life isn't fair.
John: True that.
Pradeep from Bangalore, India:
Hi John, why does the NFL Network give no any attention to Jags? Second year in a row during Super Bowl halftime show when they were covering all teams in a video clip lasting approximately 10 mins, there was not even a single frame belonging to Jaguars. Other teams were covered minimum of three clips. The 49ers got good attention too. Aren't we better team than 49ers? This sucks ...
John: Yeah, the Jaguars need to win more before I invest energy in worrying about how many highlights they get on NFL Network.
Michael from Middleburg, FL:
I thought you had to be out of football for so many years to get into the Hall of Fame (Jerry Jones). And getting beat out by an owner and a kicker ... that doesn't say much for Tony Boselli.
John: Your first thought is incorrect. Players indeed must be retired for five years before being eligible for the Hall of Fame. But there is a separate category for contributors, for whom there is no such waiting period. Jones, the Cowboys' owner, was selected to the Hall Saturday as a contributor. As for Morten Andersen making the Hall and Boselli not making it … yeah, that surprised me. Still, Andersen making it in no way says anything about Boselli. Andersen is the NFL's all-time leading scorer and got selected this year. Boselli was one of the best left tackles in NFL history and he appears likely to get into the Hall sometime soon. One player's honor says nothing about the career of another player.
Jaginator from Section 124:
Terrell Davis's induction "should" greatly strengthen Boselli's case. The huge knock against Boselli's career is the relatively small number of seasons/games he played. But Boselli played in 91 games and Davis only played in 78. Of course, I know that this isn't an apples-to-apples comparison. But I really don't want to hear any complaints about Tony's supposedly-too-brief career after they elected Davis this year.
John: Davis' selection to the Hall Saturday indeed will increase Boselli's chances. The selection of former Seattle Seahawks safety Kenny Easley won't hurt, either. All three players likely would have been first-ballot Hall-of-Famers had their careers not been shortened by injury. With Easley and Davis in, here's guessing the longevity argument starts to carry less and less weight when discussing Boselli.
Jeremy from Bossier City, LA:
Kenny Easley?
John: Easley without question deserves to be in the Hall. One thing for Jaguars fans to remember: Easley was selected as a senior candidate, which means he was separate from the five-modern era candidates. That means his selection had no effect on whether or not Boselli was selected. But Easley absolutely was Hall of Fame worthy. He was the 1981 NFL Rookie of the Year and 1983 Defensive Player of the Year, and was an elite-level player. Kidney issues cut his career short, but when he played he was on a par with defensive backs such as Ronnie Lott. He belongs in the Hall.
Chris from Houston, TX:
A kicker over Tony Boselli, the most dominant offensive lineman of the 1990s? I'm getting tired of the small-market bias (seems to affect the calls the Jaguars get or don't get, as well as the individual recognition of the players).
John: Boselli not getting in the Hall had nothing to do with market size and everything to do with there being 15 qualified candidates for five slots. The Hall selection committee is well aware of Boselli's credentials. The Hall selection committee members know how good he was. There is no issue of people not respecting Boselli, and the fact that he played for the Jaguars isn't really a topic when discussing his Hall chances with voters. I spoke with at least 10 Hall voters during Super Bowl week. All believe Boselli is very worthy and most believe he will get in soon. Every player has a case. Not all can get in every year. That's the main issue here.
Nathan from St. Augustine, FL:
Was honestly surprised Boselli didn't make the Hall of Fame. Was very surprised that Jason Taylor did. Next year's class includes Ray Lewis, Brian Urlacher, Randy Moss. And Jeff Saturday. Tough class for any era. What's your feeling for Boselli's chances next year?
John: I was a little surprised on Saturday when Taylor got in, too – and I was particularly surprised that so many observers considered Taylor a lock. His seemed to be a case of the numbers perhaps being slightly more impressive than the player. As far as next year, it indeed is a more star-studded class. I wouldn't want to see Jeff Saturday in before Boselli. I covered Saturday with Indianapolis for 10 years and like him very much. I think he should get serious Hall consideration as time moves forward, and I do think eventually could get in. But he should not get in over Boselli. As for next year's class, give me Lewis, Urlacher, Moss, Boselli and Brian Dawkins. And yeah, that means I don't see Terrell Owens getting in. That will cause the annual T.O. February Outcry – and I would lean toward putting Owens in – but my understanding is it would be surprising if it happens soon.
Ray from Orange Park, FL:
No T.O? What a joke. Typical media grudge-holding …
John: This is a common view of fans when it comes to Owens not being in the Hall, but I don't get the feeling from voters that his Hall exclusion has very much to do with his often-difficult relationship with the media. What comes up far more often among voters when discussing Owens is the fact that multiple teams opted to not retain him when he was in the prime of his career. Teams don't typically willingly let Hall of Fame players out of their buildings. That factor is weighing heavily against Owens, and I don't sense much of a change on the horizon.
Chance from Windsor:
Jalen Ramsey is not the Defensive Rookie of the Year even though he played four more games than Joey Bosa – and Tony doesn't get into the Hall? Did the Jags get snubbed?
John: Boselli did get a little snubbed, but we've covered the reasons for that already. Did Ramsey get snubbed by not being Defensive Rookie of the Year? Yeah, perhaps. If Ramsey had had another two-or-three-game stretch somewhere during the season to match his four-game finishing flourish, I think he would have been the DROY. As it was, Bosa had double-digit sacks and that statistic usually is going to trump interceptions and pass breakups – unless the interceptions really, really stand out. The positive here for the Jaguars is Ramsey was second in DROY voting and I have a feeling he's going to easily play to and above the level of his rookie season pretty routinely. My guess is there will be plenty of awards and honors for Ramsey to more than make up for the one he didn't receive Saturday night.