JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Chris from Mandarin
I think all the Jag fans today have got to be saying, "I love New York." I know I am.
The New York Giants beat the Houston Texans 27-21 in overtime in Houston Sunday. The Texans' loss means the 4-2 Jaguars lead the AFC South by two-and-a-half games with the 2-5 Texans having a bye week next week and the Jaguars playing host to the Indianapolis Colts. That lead is deserved because the Jaguars through seven weeks have been the best team in the South. This does not mean they will win every week. It means they are a good team that is now in outstanding position as October becomes November.
Nicholas from Fort Hood, TX
KOAF: I know it is too early to scoreboard watch but no AFC South team won this week. This next game is a big game (not the biggest) to put more distance between the Jaguars and the rest of the AFC South. I say the Jaguars won during this bye week with the exception of left tackle Anton Harrison being out with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
It's apparently not too early to watch scores from around the division. What else would a Jaguars fan do during the bye week – aside, perhaps, from reading a book or going to the theatre? Not only did the Texans lose, but so did the now 2-5 Colts (16-10 to the Minnesota Vikings) and the now 1-6 Tennessee Titans (27-24 to the Cleveland Browns).
JT from Palm Coast, FL
Jags with the exceptionally rare bye week W! That is pretty sweet!!!
Indeed.
Joel from Wausau in DairyLand
Mr. O, this has to be said whether it's "nice" or not considering what happened last week in London just for storylines. With the Texans loss against the Giants Sunday, and with the Jags supposed to have won at Wembley with the running back Bhayshul Tuten touchdown that was nullified, I guess the storylines maybe should be that the Texans should be 1-6 and only actually able to legitimately beat the Titans. I guarantee we will not see that storyline at all this week.
I have no idea what Jaguars storylines we will see nationally or locally this week. I do know those storylines don't matter. What matters is the Jaguars are good and have earned their way to a two-and-half-game lead in the division through seven weeks. They are in very good position. That's what you want through the first month and a half of an NFL season. Whatever else is written or said about the Jaguars or anyone else in the South is a nice aversion – and sometimes entertaining – but ultimately unimportant in the context of what this team is trying to accomplish.
Bobby from Summerville, SC
Hi, John. Pretty successful bye week. Gained a half game on everyone in the division.
Sometimes you win the bye. Sometimes the bye wins you. Or something like that.
JK from NY & Fernandina Beach, FL
Hey, John! Can we get one for the New York Giants? The Jags truly appreciate that win over the Texans! Houston looked sloppy and is now 2.5 games down in the AFC South, putting Jax in a very nice position in the division. But the Week 11 showdown in the Meadowlands is now looming in the not-too-distant future as an unanticipated potentially tough game. Go Jags!
The Jaguars indeed must play the Giants in Week 11. The Giants are better than some may have expected in the offseason. So, incidentally, are many NFL teams. Many teams are not as good as expected. A great man once said you never know the difficulty of an NFL schedule until about Week 5 or 6. I wish I could remember the identity of that great man.
Big Jags Fan from Jacksonville
What a perfect bye week for the Jaguars! All three division rivals lose. Jags life is good!
OK.
Wes from Ponte Vedra, FL
If my math is correct, within the AFC South, the Jags still own 80 percent of all wins this season against non-division opponents. I am feeling pretty good about that.
The Jaguars have won four of their first six games and led in the second half of the two losses. They have led or shared the lead in the AFC South all season and have established themselves as a contender for the AFC title. There has been no reason at any point this season not to feel good about the Jaguars.
John from Merritt Island, FL
Did we just gain a half game against every team in the AFC South without even playing?
Yes.
JayPee from The Vortex
I was thinking of BTJ's issues with drops. What is his strong suit? I was under the impression that it was the deep ball. Which all offseason we heard him and quarterback Trevor Lawrence were gelling with. Why do we not just start launching them to him? Let him do what he does best. In your opinion what is the best way for the team to help him get out of his funk? Short easy passes? Screens? Slants? I don't know, but we need to get him over this hump.
I don't know that this is as much a case of the team needing Thomas out of a funk as it is a case of Thomas simply needing to catch the ball when thrown to him. I do know that the answer is not Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen abandoning an otherwise high-functioning offense and having Lawrence launch deep passes to Thomas.
Jim from Jagsonville
It is a shame that Jaguars wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter's fabulous performance last week will be overlooked due to the loss. For a fella with around a dozen games under his belt, he sure passes the eye test! Go Jaguars!
People noticed.
Brian from Atlantic Beach, FL
John. Just a reminder that there are third- and fourth-round rookies making an impact around the league this year – that because you can't afford to re-sign everyone, it is better to get contributions from mid-round draft picks for all four years as opposed to just two or three years, and that two of the third-round picks along with our fourth-round selection the "experts" most panned the Jags draft for have now combined for a total of 22 snaps and four special teams plays over six games. I wouldn't consider myself a math genius, but simple calculations show that equates to an average of 1.2 snaps per game between those three players. How would you rate those picks?
Just a reminder. Players develop at different speeds and you can't judge an NFL draft class after six games. I understand fans and observers don't like hearing this. That doesn't make it untrue. I'm not a math genius, either. But I do know that.
Al from Orange Park, FL
RIP Pete Banaszak. Thanks for the memories …
Indeed.
Not Sloppy Joe from Jax
I am confident they are looking, but do you think the team will be able to obtain a defensive end that can generate sacks before the trade deadline? Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen is currently tied for 90th in sacks with 1.5 sacks with 18 other defensive terrors like Barrett Carter, Nakobe Dean and Troy Dye. Walker, with two whole sacks, is tied with the likes of Kingsley Enagbare, Mike Green and Gracon Halton. Two players the Jags passed on – Aiden Hutchinson and, GULP, Mason Graham have more sacks (just four) than Hines-Allen and Walker combined. Yikes! When the Jags couldn't get to the quarterbacks against second- and third-team offensive linemen versus the Eagles, it was a clear sign the Jags need reinforcements.
I don't know that the Jaguars necessarily will acquire a defensive end before the trade deadline, but I am confident they will aggressively explore any option to help with the pass rush. Aggressively exploring does not mean something automatically happening, but they will try.
Jesse from CA
T-Law has played very well so far this season. But in Texans game, I saw quite a few passes where he slightly overthrew his receivers by a few inches/foot, especially on deep throws. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was completing those long-contested throws. I think the quarterback play on those deep throws made a huge difference in outcome. Did you see something similar with Lawrence? If so, let's hope it's not a trend going forward and just a tough day at the office for him last weekend.
Lawrence last Sunday threw four touchdown passes with an interception and quarterbacked a team that scored 31 points against a really good defense. That points total would have been in the mid-40s if not for a questionable, questionable, questionable holding penalty and multiple dropped passes. May all of our tough days at the office be so tough.
Johnnie from Jagsonville
Thankfully that's over… that seemed longer than the Dead Zone!
It's not over until it's over.
