BALTIMORE, Md. – Let's get to it …
Michael from Orange Park, FL
O-Zone. This seems to me to be a time for the Jaguars to make a statement and show the NFL who really runs things. The Ravens have been good for a long time. Out with the old, in with the new I say. Why not us?
The Jaguars won the AFC South last season and lead the division by three games entering Thursday night's game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. They are 18-6 in the last two regular seasons. The Ravens did not make the postseason last season and are 4-4 this season. This is not to say the Ravens are a bad team. Not at all. I expect they will play well and push the Jaguars Thursday. They absolutely could win the game. But to suggest that the Jaguars are the underdogs and need to knock off an established power to prove themselves doesn't give them enough credit for their reality. I don't know if they're "running things" – or even what that means. I do know the Jaguars are good and I expect they will be good for a while. If they're the "new," they're already in.
Jason from North Pole, AK
I saw a statistic this week that Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has been pulled early in eight of his last 15 games and missed a total of 89:05 game minutes in the process. He is currently amongst the league leaders in touchdown passes with around 100 less passing attempts compared to the other quarterbacks in that conversation. How much is this going to hurt him in the perception of voters during postseason awards? Have the Jaguars gotten too good for Trevor Lawrence to win MVP??? But seriously, it feels like he could easily be leading the league in touchdowns by a wide margin.
It's possible Lawrence has missed a few touchdowns by leaving games early this season. The other side of that is he has played well in those games, and his touchdowns have given the Jaguars big enough leads that he has been able to leave the game – and they wouldn't be throwing much late in games with big leads anyway. I don't know how to predict what would have happened had Lawrence stayed in those games and I'm not smart enough to know how missing a few touchdowns at the end of games will shape how NFL Most Valuable Player voters think. Those who vote for that award typically lean toward standout players who have been critical to uber-successful teams rather than being obsessed with statistics. My thought is that if Lawrence and the Jaguars continue playing as they have played so far this season, Lawrence will have a very good chance to be the NFL MVP. My other thought is they're 5-2 with 10 games remaining, and the Jaguars need to win a lot more for this conversation to gain real traction.
Chris from Mandarin
It feels like Trevor is finally in his Peyton Manning era. I don't mean that he is as good as Peyton. I mean we finally have a coach and staff that are in lockstep with him and things are set up to contend for the next however long. I think it is more probable than at most other points in team history that the team will contend for a championship year in and year out. It seems like the Jaguars are going to get a lot of bites at the apple so to speak and hopefully in one— or ideally, multiple – of those years, things will break for us the right way at the right time. I just remember watching Manning as an opposing fan from about 2003-2011 and they were always in contention. During those years, the Colts were a model of consistency and they made it work in the 2006 and 2009 seasons going 1-1 in the Super Bowl. I think we're similarly positioned. It really helps to have a strong red-zone defense like the Jags do, but Trevor really is the lynchpin.
Good eye.
Yetidaddy from Nowhere Yet Somewhere, maybe everywhere!
OK, some could see this as a trap game: Undrafted rookie quarterback Joe Fagnano will get the first start of his NFL career, a homefield advantage for a team that has historically been good at home and now really has nothing to lose. BUT! Change comes fast in the NFL, in fact change happens week to week. We have a front office that has been top shelf, we have a coaching staff that has been as good as any in the league, We have a top 5 (I believe No. 1 ) quarterback, we have a No. 1 defense against the run, we have a superior run game even with running back Derrick Henry on the other side, our tight ends are better, etc. etc. etc. None of this guarantees a win. But the lights, Thursday Night Prime Time ... this team will be ready. Besides Lawrence, what is the most important key to victory? Staying calm, coaching, run game, preventing the deep ball?
I've never believed much in trap games in the NFL. Most teams regardless of record have a chance to beat most teams, and most games tend to be decided on a handful of big plays either way. It's entire possible the Ravens could beat the Jaguars Thursday. If that happens, I doubt it will have much to do with the Jaguars overlooking the Ravens or not being ready. Despite the record, it's very possible the Ravens will simply make enough big plays at big moments to win. I don't expect that to happen. The thought from this view is that the Jaguars will play physically and with intensity, and that Lawrence and this offense will steadily make enough plays for the Jaguars to win – and perhaps be in control in the fourth quarter. I expect the Jaguars' defense to harass Fagnano into a mistake or two. Key to victory? Be physical, be smart and make big plays when the opportunities are there.
Your Momma from Jax
My point about the corner is we have tons of pressure already. We have Danny Striggow and B.J. Green, who are better players than given credit for. You would rather lose draft picks for a defensive end on the back end of his career than a corner who can close the gap? That's all your going to find out there defensive end-wise while cornerbacks are typically more readily available. Has anyone traded for a defensive end yet? Nope.
I suppose you can keep hoping the Jaguars trade for a cornerback before the NFL's November 10 trade deadline. I expect this hope will lead to disappointment. I just don't see the Jaguars giving up equity to address the position.
Jeff from JACKSONVILLE BEACH
Are we going to get flexed out of Sunday night because of the Cowboys?
The Dallas Cowboys aren't usually flexed out of prime time because they're the Cowboys, though it has happened. Stay tuned.
Nicholas from Fort Hood, TX
KOAF: I don't believe in coincidence. Mrs. O-Zone is healthy coming off a knee injury right when we lose our nose tackle for the year. Time for her to lace up those shoes, hook on shoulders pads and grab a helmet and plug her into the defensive line.
It's November. Christmas trees must be decorated and small, pricey, breakable items must be placed on shelves. Mrs. O-Zone's window to contribute on the field therefore has passed.
JAY from THE BURG FL.
This is where you forge that iron and really test your metal. Three road games in November, against teams that are coached to hit. First up, Baltimore. Anytime, anyplace ... ready,
Good teams tend to be good wherever they play. The Jaguars are good. They beat the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos on the road last season and beat the Cincinnati Bengals on the road this season. Are road games tougher than home games? Sure. Should the Jaguars be scared to go on the road? Certainly not.
JayPee from The Vortex
How much will the defensive scheme change to accommodate D-Ham's replacement? Obviously, he was a very key clog in how we operated and cannot "just" be replaced.
I don't expect significant notable changes in the Jaguars' defensive scheme because there's not all that much exotic scheming involved with how DaVon Hamilton played. He played nose tackle, which meant taking on blocks and filling gaps. Players such as Matt Dickerson and Albert Regis now much take on blocks and fill gaps. I expect some dropoff in the middle of the line in Hamilton's absence. That doesn't mean the Jaguars can't be really good there. But there's a drop-off between where the Jaguars have been against the run with Hamilton and really good.
Aaron from White Hall, AR
This Thursday's game against the Baltimore Ravens is the most important game in franchise history.
Damned right.
