JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Colin from Sanford

Hey, John. Correct me if I am wrong, and I don't want to put words in his mouth, but I believe Coach Coen would disagree with you when you stated that his going for it on fourth down is a difference in philosophy. His quote after the Jaguars' loss to the Buffalo Bills in an AFC Wild Card playoff game in January mentioned the analytics and data, and I truly believe that is where his decisions come from. This is not a gut feeling of, "Let me show my team I believe in them." It is a highly intricate statistical model that the team has created and he follows because it increases the chance to win the most. This is how professional sports organizations operate in 2026. Am I right about my interpretation?

We may be into semantics here. I am confident that Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen's philosophy is to be aggressive – and he has spoken during his time with the Jaguars of needing to be able to close games and control situations by converting fourth-and-convert-able situations. There is an element of aggression in that – and that certainly qualifies on some level as a "philosophy." NFL coaches are increasingly taking this same approach of going for it on fourth down more often in what previously would have been considered "unusual" or "high-risk" situations – and analytics are a big reason. Do we ultimately label it "analytics?" Is it a "philosophy?" Perhaps it's best described as analytics dictating philosophy. The analytics say you win more often being aggressive in fourth-and-short, and it seems particularly true the closer you get the opponent's goal line. It is a percentage play, and that is certainly how many NFL teams approach it. Whatever you call it.

Sean from Oakleaf, FL

Can you recall some successful fourth-down-and-short plays from last season that sealed a victory or at least was an obvious momentum changer?

Twice in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers, which each drive resulting in field goals. Once against the Las Vegas Raiders, with the drive resulting in a second-half touchdown. Once against the Los Angeles Chargers, with the drive resulting in a second-quarter touchdown. Once against the Tennessee Titans on the road, with the drive resulting in a third-quarter touchdown. Once against the Indianapolis Colts at home, with the drive resulting in a fourth-quarter field goal. Once against the Indianapolis Colts on the road, with the drive resulting in a fourth-quarter field goal. These successes pushed momentum in the Jaguars' favor. Those successes aren't remembered as well as the plays that didn't work because fans fan, it's what they do. This is not the NFL of my youth. Sometimes you eat the bear. Sometimes the bear eats you.

Tony from Johns Creek, GA

O, old topic, same fan response. "Kick the field goal, Liam!"

Except when it works and the Jaguars drive for a touchdown.

Robert from Newport Beach

John, I am sitting on a six-hour flight getting caught up on the O-Zone and mapping out the 2026 schedule, then my mind wandered to "What is the Jags' charter flight like to accommodate all the players, coaches and staff?" I suppose three linemen aren't sitting in Row 34, Seats D, E and F.

The Jaguars' charter is very big, with an usually large number of business class seats. The positive to this is while players often next to each other in the same row, they are not jammed next to each other in inhumane fashion. This is a business trip and care – as is expected – is typically taken to ensure all those working are given every opportunity to do their jobs to the best of their ability. As should be the case.

Woody from Dunlap

KOAF: I must have been asleep at the switch. I did not realize wide receiver Tim Patrick was no longer a Jaguar until a few days ago. He made some important catches for the Jaguars last year and appeared to be a positive presence in the locker room. Am wishing him the best with his new team.

One fer Patrick.

Theodore from Jacksonville

How many wins do you see on the schedule this season and can the Jaguars repeat as division Champs?

Loyal O-Zone readers – and he knows who he is – know I am not all that big on going down the schedule game by game in May and predicting who will win specific games in the fall. While fun, it's pretty pointless in terms of accurately projecting a season. The NFL is a week-to-week league and most games are decided by a score, so how can we hope to really know in May how a game in Week 16 might go? I see the 2026 Jaguars as a team that can win 11 or 12 games and contend again for the AFC South. I don't know specifically how they will get there, but I am absolutely confident they can. They are good enough. Stay tuned.

Larry from Wattsburg(h), PA

How taxing is the number thing getting? It really is great fun, John, and most of us really appreciate it!

I am the king of all fun.

Hywel from Wales, UK

With the schedule announced, I was delighted to see the primetime game at EverBank Stadium versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. Works out perfectly for me to travel to Jacksonville to see a Jags home game. Any suggestions about how to make an occasion of it, considering the day before I will be 55? Been planning this for a while. Just hope I can get tickets with the limited capacity!

I like to let the readers weigh in on questions like this when possible, so any readers with ideas can email and I'll try to post in future O-Zones. In the meantime, Strings is still brewing Bullet Bob. The Bold City Brigade tailgate is always a "thing," particularly before prime-time games. Tickets are not really my area, though I am told they can be found here.

Chris from Mandarin

Who do you think is the better overall football player, Fred Taylor or Derrick Henry?

Yes.

Clay from Pensacola, FL

We often talk of the leaguewide offensive changes to emphasize additional or multiple tight ends, so what are defenses doing to protect against this shift? How has the Jaguars' defense prepared? Larger defenders? Will we see more safeties and linebackers on the field?

The league ebbs and flows, and defenses undoubtedly will work to adapt to any offensive trend – just as offenses will work to adapt to any defensive trend. We are seemingly at the very beginning of a league-wide trend to teams using more "12 and 13" personnel – i.e., more multiple tight ends – offensively. This move is reacting to defenses playing more multiple-defensive back, multiple safety looks in recent seasons. Defenses already in recent seasons have moved more toward "hybrid" players such as safeties who play linebacker(ish) roles and vice versa. We will see where this evolves. That's the way the world goes round. You're up one day, the next you're down.

Kason from USS George H. W. Bush

Please tell me that the rumor trade proposal for A.J. Brown is in fact just an internet rumor. My impression of Brown (could be wrong) is that he does not fit the intangibly rich profile that the Jags seek.

Trade machine!!!!

Chris from Mandarin

I get that the overseas game is important in that it makes the team 10-to-15 percent of its annual gate revenue from the one game. However there is still the problem of optics. The Jaguars will always be seen as the redheaded stepchild of the NFL if they continue to have to be propped up like this. It's similar to the perception gained when the team had tarps over sections of seats when blackouts were still a thing. If they truly have an arbitrage situation going, the rest of the league would be doing it too, particularly in cities that have lower attendance (like Cincinnati), so there has to be more to it…

If the Jaguars make the playoffs consistently, make/win a Super Bowl and are consistently one of the best teams in the NFL, they will not have a problem with "optics." At least not in any way that matters to any degree – if they even have a problem with "optics" anyway.

Mark from Archer

Why is Jimmy Smith not talked about for the Hall of Fame more?

Former Jaguars wide receiver Jimmy Smith was one of the elite receivers of his era. He absolutely should be considered more for the Pro Football Hall of Fame – and the thought here is he should be enshrined. That he is not discussed more for this honor is further evidence that Hall voting is a flawed system. The problem is that human beings are involved and because there's no way for human beings not to be involved, I expect the process will remain flawed.