JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Jorge from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
There is no way Coughlin can survive this NFLPA backlash is there? Obviously, a lot of resentment toward him by players, which leads to disfunction.
There's much to parse through in this story, and it's sure to be a topic for a while. The NFL Players Association on Monday announced it had won an arbitration grievance against the Jaguars, the result of which was $700,000 in fines for a player being rescinded. Mark Long of the Associated Press reported the player was former Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. The issue according to the NFLPA was that the Jaguars "recently decided that they would require injured players to get all offseason rehab at the Jaguars' facility. When players failed to attend these 'mandatory' offseason rehab sessions in Jacksonville, they were disciplined by the club." The NFLPA challenged that making players rehab at the team facility – or mandating that they attend medical appointments at team facilities in the offseason –violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The arbitrator ruled in favor of the NFLPA. That's Monday's decision. Perhaps more newsworthy was a press release issued by the NFLPA announcing the decision, a release that read in part: "This is just one of the many grievances we had to file to protect our players from the Jaguars' actions. The decision puts a stop to the blatant overreach by the Jaguars and emphasizes the voluntary nature of almost all football activities during the offseason." The NFLPA release also stated more than 25 percent of the grievances filed by NFL players in the last two years have been filed against the Jaguars, adding: "You as players may want to consider this when you have a chance to select your next club." Jaguars Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tom Coughlin wasn't mentioned specifically in the release, but is it a bad look for the organization? Yes. Will Owner Shad Khan consider this when deciding how to move forward after the season? I'm sure Khan will consider many factors, this one included.
Art from Drexel Hill
When people wonder why players need unions, just show them a picture of Tom Coughlin. What a terrible way to represent the franchise.
Most NFL coaches/personnel people would like players at the facility in the offseason far more than the rules mandate. Coughlin certainly has had his share of issues with this. This is perhaps as high-profile and fierce a "reprimand" from the NFLPA as I can remember.
Taylor from Columbia, MD
I just read the NFLPA statement that advises players to consider the Jaguars' offenses regarding the CBA when selecting their next club! What the heck, man? What is Tom doing up there? I don't want to overreact to this news but even the potential of losing players due to these kinds of grievances seems very, very, bad for the Jaguars. Once again, I hope this is all a moot point come Black Monday. I love the Jags, always have and always will, but this is hard to explain or accept.
Fair.
Sam from Nottingham, UK
Whilst he's undoubtedly been a dominant force playing as a defensive end, given our problems at linebacker, has there been no consideration to play Josh Allen at outside linebacker to help against the run?
Not this season and not in this scheme. These Jaguars coaches consider rookie edge defender Josh Allen a defensive end and never intended to move him in his first season – partly because he is really productive where he is being used and partly because they don't want to overload a young player so early in a promising career. I expect this to be considered moving forward because Allen appears to be a player capable of handling multiple roles and multiple positions. When he's ready, he likely will thrive in more than one situation. He's that good.
Joshua from Atlanta, GA
I know you do not follow much of the national media, but why does a division with zero teams with a winning record (Insert NFC EAST) get 90 percent of national-media coverage? When a few of them are good I can at least tolerate it, but that division is garbage.
The Dallas Cowboys are one of the most popular teams in the NFL, and the other teams – the Washington Redskins, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles – are in enormous television markets. There is interest in all those organizations. That's not necessarily "fair" or pleasing to fans in other markets, but that's why.
Don from Marshall, NC
Congratulations to Head Coach Doug Marrone! He really has been very professional through the whole ordeal and he is not the problem with this team. I just hate to see a whole new staff come in. He knows what is needed to win. He's 5-5 with this team. Gardner Minshew II has his weaknesses but he knows how to win and that is the most important thing. Well done – and Go Jaguars!
Hey … one fer Marrone – and Minshew!
Steve from Out on The Road
Is this the win that changes the fate of the franchise?
You never know, but it would appear much, much – did I say "much" more? – needs to happen for any fate to be changed.
Aaron from White Hall, AK
I always laugh when I hear people say, "This NFL team couldn't beat this college team". Could you imagine a college lineman trying to block defensive ends Yannick Ngakoue or Calais Campbell? It would be hysterically sad to watch.
Yes.
Dan from Las Vegas, NV
Hey Zone, I didn't watch the game; I thought golf was the better option for Sunday. What happened? Are the Raiders that bad or did we play good game?
This one was probably a combination of both. The Jaguars' defense deserves credit for its best second half in a long time, but the victory probably doesn't happen without some poor plays by the Raiders. Two missed field goals didn't hurt, either.
Bob from Sumter, SC
Maybe you can 'splain something. The O-line is mediocre at best, no legit tight end threat, receivers don't get open consistently, team usually plays from behind. The Jaguars spent four years trying to improve the level of play around quarterback Blake Bortles when Bortles never led a come from behind fourth-quarter victory. Other than Bortles being a Top 5 pick, why wouldn't the Jaguars (at least for next season) take the same philosophy and build a better team around Minshew given the potential he has shown and success he has had with a lack of talent? Thanks.
Perhaps they will. We'll find out soon enough.
Brian from Round Rock, TX
Cut Foles after the season, or trade him if you can. Just get him gone. He already ruined one season. All the money in the world isn't worth another disastrous season.
To say Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles hasn't had the season expected is fair. To say it has been disappointing is fair. To say he ruined this season or that his presence would make another disastrous? Nah. Not fair.
Sabo from Waverly, GA
Think we need to go all in on this kid from LSU. What will Cinci do?
Draft the kid from LSU, I would think.
Steve from Nashville, TN
John, do you believe the NFL's system of awarding high draft picks to poor performing teams in order to drive parity works? The evidence suggests not all that well, perhaps you could point to San Francisco and Buffalo this year, but other teams who perennially pick at the bottom of the first round like New England, Seattle, Green Bay and New Orleans seem to always have good to great seasons no matter where they are slotted in the draft?
The NFL's draft system is designed to "promote" parity, not guarantee it. Seattle, Green Bay, New Orleans and New England have had franchise quarterbacks for a decade or more. That's more important than early draft selections.
John from Chiang Mai, Thailand
Here's a fun fact: in the years since we fired former Head Coach Jack Del Rio midseason for a "lackluster" 68-71 record, we've gone 39-92. And Del Rio's record was with the likes of Byron Leftwich and Blaine Gabbert. Think what he could have done with Gardner Minshew!
Reading that didn't feel like very much fun.
Nicholas from Djibouti
KOAF: How high was this team's spirit after the victory Sunday after breaking its 15-year West Coast losing streak? How high were you and the sideline reporters? The radio broadcast team talked about a certain stench in the air.
I'm not sure what you mean. All I know is at game's end Sunday I was standing on a corner with a suitcase in my hand. It was weird, because Jack was in his car and says to Jane – who was wearing a vest – "Me, babe, I'm a rock-and-roll band …" So, yes … things get a little weird in the Black Hole Sunday. I recall smelling no stench.