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Jaguars News | Jacksonville Jaguars - jaguars.com

O-Zone: Wide-eyed optimist

JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Matty from St. Augustine, FL

Do you think the best way moving forward is to go back to good old smashmouth football? I mean, we were a very predictable team when we were a run-first scheme. But seeing how rookie running back James Robinson is our bright spot, shouldn't we try going back to that style of game? It sure does keep the defense off the field if it works. And he is our star at the moment.

A couple of thoughts on your thoughts. One is that while Robinson indeed has been very productive through three games, he has been productive within the framework of what the Jaguars are doing offensively. If you start simply turning around and handing the ball to Robinson, he likely wouldn't be nearly as productive. And you don't want to do that, anyway: if quarterback Gardner Minshew II can't produce and make plays, you're not going to win many games – and you don't want him as your quarterback moving forward. The Jaguars also have enough good receivers that you don't want to eliminate them from the offense. And offensive coordinator Jay Gruden's offense is about the quarterback distributing the ball to a lot of different skill players and not about overemphasizing the run. Remember, too: it's difficult to run much more than the Jaguars have run in the first three games when your defense is struggling early in the first quarter. Sticking with the run is difficult if not impossible when you're down by 14 points.

Chris from Mandarin, FL

Between the 1940s and early 1970s, the College All-Stars played the NFL Champion in a charity game. The college team won a good number of times. It wasn't blowout after blowout when the NFL team won, either.

I'm well aware of the College All-Star game. More than that, I (unfortunately) am old enough to have watched several stagings of the game. But the statistics you cite don't have all that much to do with whether a great college team would beat the worst NFL team in this era. The College All-Star game was a preseason game that pro teams generally considered a nuisance – and the NFL team won the final 12 games of the series. The college team in the All-Star series also was a college all-star team, which meant a team of the nation's best college players could no longer beat a team playing for nothing. Remember: the best college team (and even a theoretical all-star team) has starting players that will never even make an NFL practice squad; every NFL team consists solely of players good enough to play in the NFL. All you have to do is stand on a Southeastern Conference sideline one day and an NFL sideline the next day to understand the enormous difference in the violence of the NFL game compared to that of the college game; it's basically a different sport. But hey … believe what you want. Argue all you want. It's the difference between men and boys. The men would name the score.

David from Oviedo, FL

KOAF: Once we determine which games the Jags should win, how is the other team notified of the bad news?

Beeper.

Dave from Duval

I'm not trying to be insensitive to those affected, but the Titans or any other NFL team that can't line up and play on game day should have to forfeit. There is a real possibility that organization may be affected longer than a week. Wear a mask, social distance and use proper hygiene – and if you can't field a team under the rules, you forfeit. What happens if they can't participate in a game next week either? You see my point. Did the NFL have a COVID-19 postponement policy in place prior to the start of the 2020 season?

I do see your point, but COVID-19 is too complex a situation to simply have a flat rule that any team that can't line up and play should forfeit. There are situations where a person can be infected even taking the appropriate precautions (remember: many players have families, which include children who are in school). And no … the NFL doesn't have a blanket "postponement" policy in place. The league is handling the situation as it should – on a case-by-case basis with the idea of doing everything possible to play as many games as possible as safely as possible to get a full season played. We're four weeks into this and have had one game postponed. If that plays out over the course of the season it will have been a remarkable success. Stay tuned – and stay sensitive, Dave. Stay sensitive.

Ed from Ponte Vedra, FL

Does anybody care we came in No. 22 on this week's poll, better than other 10 teams – and the fact we were ranked No. 32 at the beginning of the season and they (national media) wanted us to believe we were tanking the whole season for a tall skinny long-haired college quarterback? I do!

Ed is "all in."

Greg from Section 122 and Jacksonville

Given the struggles our defense has shown in the last couple games, do you believe if we win the toss the team will be more likely to take the ball so we can score first? One common thread in all our games is we are always playing catch up. Expanding on that, it seems the defense has run lots of zone coverage with little blitzing or pressure on the opposing quarterback. So any chance they see this and start sending linebacker Myles Jack or someone else to blitz? It appears our front four isn't very good at getting pressure.

Jaguars Head Coach Doug Marrone has said multiple times in the last week he will consider taking the ball moving forward if the Jaguars win the pregame coin toss. This would mark a change from his long-standing approach of deferring and taking the ball in the second half, The Jaguars have yet to score on their first offensive possession, so taking the ball hardly ensures the Jaguars will "score first …" but considering the defense has allowed scores on all three game-opening possessions, I suppose taking possession first is worth trying. As for the Jaguars' defensive approach … yes, they have noticed they have trouble getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks with four down linemen. A big reason for this is they haven't been in nearly enough quality pass-rushing situations – i.e., third-and-longs. But I still don't know that you're going to see an all-blitz-all-the-time approach. This is a young secondary that hasn't covered well yet this season. Blitzing only leaves the group more vulnerable.

Eric from Duval

I am pretty sure that every big game in the Marrone era his ballclub comes woefully underprepared and outcoached. Should be ashamed of themselves.

This is categorically incorrect and ignores many Jaguars games in 2017 and early 2018, though I'm also pretty sure it's always coaching in the NFL.

Jess from Glen Carbon, IL

John, in a recent "O-Zone" one person had a comment/question about Jaguars defensive coordinator Todd Wash and part of your response was "I supposed I'm reaching – or have reached the point – that I can't stomach saying the same thing about this every day."I'm not sure about your other readers, but I reached that point a long time ago. Whether it's Wash, defensive tackle Taven Bryan or whomever, you consistently choose to post the same subjects from mostly the same readers if not daily certainly multiple times each week. You probably get multiple submissions on the same subjects day after day so I'm sure you get quite fed up with reading the same regurgitated drivel from the same "fans" day after day. So are we. Or at least I am. If you're not getting comments/questions on other subjects, at least choose different submissions. You're better than this.

Evidently not.

Russell from Strongsville

Who is going to be the kicker with Josh Lambo on injured reserve and Brandon Wright being released?

Thirteen-year veteran Stephen Hauschka. That's why the Jaguars signed him this week. (Editor's note: The Jaguars also signed fourth-year veteran Aldrick Rosas to the practice squad this week.)

CC from Duval

Can you help clear something up for me please? The Jags have how many fourth-round picks for the 2021 NFL Draft? I said four: Foles trade, Bouye trade, Ramsey trade and our own. So that means we have two first-round and two second-round picks and four fourth-round picks, right?

No. The Jaguars received fourth-round selections in the 2020 NFL Draft for quarterback Nick Foles (Chicago) and cornerback A.J. Bouye (Denver). The Jaguars currently have 10 selections in the 2021 NFL Draft: their own allotment of seven selections plus a first-rounder from the Los Angeles Rams (cornerback Jalen Ramsey trade), a second-rounder from the Minnesota Vikings (defensive end Yannick Ngakoue trade) and a fourth-rounder from the Rams (Ramsey trade).

zac from Austin, tejas

The idea that you're a "glass is half full" writer is rich.

Everything is awesome. Ask anyone.

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