JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Chris from Mandarin
Full seasons of averaging 15 points per game or less are beginning to feel like a lifetime ago. This Jaguars regime has been very therapeutic for me. I was five when the Jaguars were awarded to Jacksonville and visited the Morocco Shrine Auditorium in 1993-1994 when The NFL Experience came to town, and I cried in my college dorm room the day former Jaguars running back Fred Taylor was let go. My first job out of college was a six-month stint with former Jaguars wide receiver Jimmy Smith out in Jackson, Miss. What a long, strange trip it has been. The good times are back.
The Jaguars are good. They are 4-2 this season and have won 17-of-23 regular-season games entering Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts at EverBank Stadium. They won the AFC South last season and lead it by two-and-a-half games six games into this season. They are well-coached, the players believe in the direction of the franchise and they consistently play hard – and to their identity – nearly every week. This doesn't mean they're perfect and it doesn't mean they're going to win every game. It does mean they likely will win a lot more than they lose. If they win the division and make the postseason, they will have to earn it and win close games and go through ups and downs because the NFL is hard and most seasons – even successful ones – feature ups and downs and close games. But this is what good times, success and playoff runs look like in professional football. And yes … the good times are back. There is no guarantee of how the season will eventually play out because there are no guarantees in sports. But without question, right now, the good times are back.
Island Jim from Christiansted
Hey, head Kahuna. If I understand the playoffs correctly, I am also befuddled by all the AFC South enthusiasm. It is quite likely that the Houston Texans, who we all hate, will beat the remaining games against the Tennessee Titans and the Indianapolis Colts. They also have a great shot at beating our Jags in the late-season cliffhanger. They could lose all their remaining games and end up winning the AFC South and getting a higher seed than the Jags even if the Jags win 10 of their remaining 11 games.
I think you definitely do not understand the NFL playoffs correctly. The winner of each division is the team in that division with the best overall record – NOT the team with the best division record. The Jaguars in your scenario would finish the regular season 14-3. The Texans in your scenario would finish with a better AFC South record than the Jaguars – 5-1 to 4-2 – but the Jaguars would win the division at 14-3 because the Texans in your scenario would finish 5-12.
Alex from Shawnee
Big O. One of the biggest nonstories of the year is turnovers from the non-quarterback position ... or the lack thereof. No fumbles lost by the running backs, tight ends or wide receivers. It is something that a lot of teams are dealing with and can be an absolute killer for an offense when it happens. I think a big shoutout should go to Head Coach Liam Coen and the rest of the position coaches for preaching ball security and the players for doing so well on it!
Shoutout!!!
Steve from Nashville, TN
I noticed that the schedule says the Texans have to visit the Green Bay Packers in January. Our last five games of the season are either at home or indoors. I am having a hard time remembering when the Jaguars played a regular season game that was below freezing at kickoff.
The last game the Jaguars played in which the temperature was below freezing was the AFC Divisional Playoff against the Pittsburgh Steelers following the 2017 regular season. The temperature was 18 degrees. The last regular-season game the Jaguars played in which the temperature was below freezing was the 2017 regular-season finale against the Titans. The temperature was 23 degrees, and it was every bit that cold.
John from Jax
Hi, KOAGF. I have seen a lot of fans excited that "we won the bye week." Personally, I would have been happier if the Titans had beaten the Cleveland Browns. The Titans winning would have put them in the group with the Colts and Texans, which is still OK. However, more importantly, the Browns would have taken a step back from our upcoming AFC playoff seeding consideration should they continue to win games. Thoughts?
Just win, baby.
Big Jags Fan from Jacksonville
The Jaguars' media production team does outstanding work that makes following the team that much better. Each episode of The Hunt is a fantastic watch. The weekly production of Sounds of the Game provides us with an up-close view of the previous weekend's game. Kudos to everyone involved.
What's "The Hunt?" Is this a new "thing?" Why don't we promote it more? Why haven't I heard about this before? Why hasn't everyone? Why don't we have more staff dedicated exclusively to this? Why, Lord, why?
Stay tuned, UK from Cardiff,UK
You, KOAF, have talked of the financial advantages of London. I have no knowledge of that, but I do know London games (and presumably other international games) have always been an "NFL Festival" more than a Jags home game. I go to Premier League soccer and would not dream of wearing the shirt of a non-playing side, yet every year we see all 32 teams at Wembley Stadium in the stands for Jaguars games. Fans would rather wear their cheeseheads (one bad example of a team that will never play here if they can avoid it) rather than get behind the team that gave up multiple home games to try and build a fan base here. For most fans, the London game is the nearest they will get to a live match and they cling to historic favorites. Winning a couple of Super Bowls might help, but simply playing here is not going to significantly increase the fan base. Maybe Jaguars Owner Shad Khan will persevere after 2028 and the new stadium opening, but I can't see what is in it for the Jags. What do you think?
I think these are fair points. Stay tuned.
Tony from John's Creek, GA
O, I will admit I tend to be a glass half-empty fan. There is a lot to be thankful for. It is not easy being a Jag fan. The fact that Jacksonville has an NFL team is something to be thankful for. They still need a better pass rush. Sorry, I can't help myself.
Every team I ever have covered – from great teams to awful ones – has needed "better something." Every Super Bowl team has needed "better something." That is not to say the Jaguars shouldn't strive to be great at everything. It is to say it is not an attainable goal and not attaining it doesn't mean you can't win at a high level.
Stephen from The Jaguar Den
I think I heard on X (formerly Twitter) something to the effect of, "There is no way the NFL is going to allow a home playoff game in a stadium that is being renovated..." I don't remember who said it but I feel like with the phantom holding call on tight end Brenton Strange, it is worth being addressed. Conspiracy theorists. Take flight. GO JAGS!
X, or whatever it is called now, isn't exactly the domain of the informed. There is no "conspiracy theory" against the Jaguars. There are no conspiracies for or against teams in the NFL. The NFL does not "not allow things" and the league office does not tell its officials to call plays a certain way to influence outcomes. I understand people who do not understand this reality – and who don't seriously consider the possible ramifications of such actions – like to say things like "There is no way the NFL is going to allow a home playoff game in a stadium that is being renovated...." But it's silliness. Even if you did hear it on "X," or whatever it is called these days.
Fred from Naples, FL
I am curious as to why you would be surprised if the Jags traded for a corner before the November 10 deadline?
Because they have Travis Hunter, Montaric Brown, Jarrian Jones and Jourdan Lewis, and I would be surprised if those players aren't the Jaguars' cornerbacks if they are healthy. And because most NFL cornerbacks are interchangeable in the sense that there is only so long they can cover a wide receiver if the opposing quarterback is unpressured.
Brad from Myrtle Beach, SC
The Jaguars' lead is now two-and-a-half games over the Colts and Texans, with the Texans off Sunday. Is this upcoming game against the Colts the biggest game in team history?
It will be on Sunday.
