JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it... Mike from Middleburg, FL:
I am hurt and confused. We need to stop improving so much. We need the first draft pick. Please stop ignoring me, Mr. O – I can't sleep at night, dude.
John: I included this question in O-Zone late night because I was worried about you, Mike. I want you to sleep, so here's what you do: stop worrying about the draft. This team is improving. It's going on before your eyes. And it's real. Winning is a good thing. It should make you feel good. So, sleep, Mike … sleep. And if this didn't help, take an aspirin.
Alexander from Section 410:
It feels good to win. I'm really happy for Cecil Shorts III winning at "home." If Blackmon comes back next year, will Shorts still be considered the No. 1 wide out?
John: If they're both playing at their highest level, I'd say Blackmon would be the No. 1 wide out. And if Shorts is your No. 2 wide out, then you're in pretty good shape at wide out.
Danny from Jacksonville:
3-13??
John:I seriously, seriously doubt it.
Mike from Section 238:
Well, we now have more wins than last year. I'm going out on a limb to say that the team never gave up on Coach Bradley and we are definitely seeing improvement. What say you, Super O?
John: It most certainly didn't. And as we get further along in this story, it's pretty evident that fact – the part about not giving up on Bradley – was critical. There was every opportunity for that to happen. The two games entering the bye week were tough. Even though the team knew the beginning of the season would be tough, 0-8 heading home from London wasn't what anyone wanted. But Bradley did not change at 0-8. He stayed true to his approach. A lot of coaches change in tough times, and players sense that. It's rarely a good thing when it happens. Bradley didn't change. It may be too simple to say that's the only reason for three victories in four games and significant improvement, but it darned sure played a role.
Garrison from Baton Rouge, LA:
Great catch by Cecil, but the game ball should go to Chad Henne for putting together that game-winning drive. He threw two BEAUTIFUL passes. The first pass when he dropped it perfectly to Ace Sanders on a third-and-long and then he threw it in the right spot in the end zone to Cecil. Jedd Fisch called a great game as well.
John: Fisch did call a good game. No doubt. He took some heat from fans early in the season, but the reality was the Jaguars were trying to figure out just what they were working with offensively, and as Gus Bradley said Sunday, that can take time. As for Henne, no doubt he deserves credit. He made big-time throws Sunday when it mattered the most.
Marty from Jacksonville:
O-man, you reported 69,000 fans in the stands at Cleveland. No way. From what I saw on TV, at least half the seats were empty.
John: Yeah, you're right. That number is official announced attendance. It was pretty empty.
Mike from St. Augustine, FL:
Good thing we didn't get rid of that terrible team that lives here. That game took me back to 1995. We have a gritty bunch of guys who are killing themselves to win. Let's Go
John: It's getting interesting, isn't it? In less than a month, this has become fascinating to watch.
Shawn from the Mean Streets of Arlington:
3-13? Just kidding. This keeps getting better and better.
John: It does, doesn't it?
David from Kingsland, GA:
I've heard Henne say more than once he doesn't know why he has so many balls batted at the line of scrimmage. Yet on every one I've watched he is staring down his receiver from the time he takes the second step in his drop until he releases the ball. All the defensive lineman has to do is watch his eyes. I realize this may not be an easy thing to correct but is he just not being honest when he says he doesn't know why he has so many?
John: I'm sure he's being honest. If he could correct it, he would.
Lance from Jacksonville:
You know what? This could have been the fourth win in a row.
John: Yep. The Jaguars have played well in their last four games. They have been their best four games of the season. For a team that emphasizes daily improvement over pretty much everything else, that's significant.
Daniel from Jacksonville:
It's apparent that no Jaguars staff since Coughlin has had any clue about quarterbacks. And even TC believed in having extras around. I got $100 that says Caldwell will never draft a guy who has a significantly better career than Gabbert will end with. Keep my email handy and we will compare notes in five and 10 years? In fact, I predict Gabbert will be starting somewhere when Caldwell gets fired unless Caldwell gets canned before next season.
John: I included this in O-Zone late night because it made me laugh. Heh. Heh.
Jeff from Atlantic Beach, FL:
If Coach Bradley and his staff are able to get this type of effort out of this "rebuilding from scratch" roster, what is he is going to accomplish when this team is built to contend?
John: A lot.