Join jaguars.com senior editor Vic Ketchman as he tackles the fans' tough questions.
David from Oviedo, FL:
I read recently on a fantasy football site that we should expect Byron Leftwich to run more with the ball this year. Do you think this will be the case? Also, how would you rate him as a running QB?
Vic: He's not a running quarterback and I don't expect him to run for any reason other than desperation.
Todd from Birmingham, AL:
You always defend your journalistic integrity every time you are questioned, as well you should. My question is why don't you ever report the news about Jaguars players being arrested?
Vic: Arrest reports are the responsibility of the news reporter assigned to the police beat. It's what he or she does. They go to the police station and collect arrests information. When news of Chris Naeole's arrest was reported by The Times-Union, the story appeared in the newspaper's "Metro" section, not the sports section, and the story was written by a news reporter, not a sports writer. I don't cover the police beat.
Brian from Jacksonville:
Will you be sponsoring an inaugural "Ask Vic" wet T-shirt contest? Just kidding. I think it's wonderful that you are going to all this trouble during your down season to make this happen. Thank you.
Vic: You can bet there will be plenty of wet golf shirts on Aug. 19.
Josh from Raymore, MO:
Who do you think are the top five running backs for the NFL today? My picks are Priest Holmes, Clinton Portis, Jamal Lewis, Fred Taylor and LaDainian Tomlinson.
Vic: Replace Portis with Deuce McAllister to go with the other four.
Jim from Jacksonville:
How many plays of 20 yards or longer did the Jags have last season? Do you expect that number to increase this year and why?
Vic: If you don't mind, let's use plays of 30 yards or longer as the standard. It's considered a better indicator of a team's big-play ability. In 2003, the Jaguars had 18 plays that gained 30 or more yards. That was an improvement but not good enough. By comparison, the Jaguars had 16 in 2002 and only 11 in 2001 when Fred Taylor missed 14 games with a groin injury. What does that say about Taylor's value to the Jaguars offense? In 2000, the Jaguars had 26 plays of 30 yards or longer; 31 in 1999 and a team-record 32 in 1998. I expect the Jaguars' big-play potential to increase dramatically this season, for the obvious reasons: Byron Leftwich has a year of experience behind him, Greg Jones should improve short-yardage conversions and increase the Jaguars' time of possession and overall play count, Jimmy Smith is in great shape and determined to have a big year, and Reggie Williams and Ernest Wilford should give the Jaguars play-making potential at wide receiver this team didn't have last season.
Rob from St. Augustine, FL:
On nfl.com I read that Reggie Williams ran a 4.62 40. Then I looked at Bobby McCray and he had a 4.6 40. Is our seventh-round defensive end faster than our first-pick wide receiver?
Vic: James Harris said the Jaguars timed Reggie Williams at 4.49.
Howard from Homestead, FL:
The granddaddy of all bad calls would have to be the pass interference call against Miami in the national title game year before last. Pictures clearly show the Ohio State receiver touching the ball a split second before contact was made. Game over! Miami wins.
Vic: OK, last bad-call story. Go back to the Jaguars' overtime win in Baltimore in 1996. In the first half, Chris Hudson clearly fumbles a punt and it's recovered by the Ravens deep in Jaguars territory, but the officials rule the play had been "inadvertently" whistled dead and the Jaguars are awarded possession. Without that "inadvertent whistle," the Ravens have the ball, probably score at least a field goal, the Jaguars lose and there's no seven-game winning streak, Morten's miss means nothing, there's no miracle at Mile High, the Jaguars don't make it to the AFC title game and nobody is comparing any season to '96. Bad calls have a way of working for you, too.
