JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it…
O man, on paper, who do you think has improved their rosters the most since last year, the Colts or the Jaguars? I feel like we should be a much better team than the team that beat Indy last year.
I think the Jaguars overall improved more than the Colts in the 2022 offseason, but the Colts are a good team and they improved at quarterback by trading for Matt Ryan. Remember: The NFL is a week-to-week league. It’s hard to argue that the Jaguars were better than the Colts last season, and it’s hard to argue that they’re better now. This is true even if the Jaguars won the 2021 regular season finale over the Colts. Also: Just because a team beat another team in Week 18 of a season and improved in the offseason doesn’t mean they’re going to win against the same opponent early next season. Professional football doesn’t work like that.
Worryingly, not only does Trevor not have a game-winning drive, he hasn’t even come close. Just as the field shrinks in the red zone, it’s wide open from your end with a preemptive defense to go up against.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence led a game-winning drive against the Miami Dolphins in 2021, but it’s true that he hasn’t done it often — and he hasn’t been impressive in that situation. It’s probably safe to point out that many Jaguars games were so one-sided last season that he had relatively few late game opportunities, but regardless: Lawrence needs to come through in that situation. When he does, the perception will change.
Zone, Jacksonville week in Jacksonville! Hell, baby. My eyes will be on Yannick Ngakoue versus Cam Robinson. For this Jaguars fan, this is epic. And could mean first place in the division. GO CHASE!
Nathan is ready for some football.
In 2020, we opened the season with a win against Indy. We went on to lose every remaining game en route to the worst record in franchise history and the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Tell me again why some glimmer of hope from the first game signals that we have turned a corner and better days are ahead?
You are right. Playing well in place and showing some good things in Week 1 doesn’t guarantee anything. But do you know what guarantees future success in the NFL? Nothing. The Jaguars are playing games, and we’re discussing them here in the O-Zone. When the games start, we watch and talk about them again the following week. Guarantees are for wrestling and other scripted events. Most sports are about anxiety. If there were guarantees, they wouldn’t be fun.
I think one of my favorite tweets from last weekend was someone saying that the receivers made Trevor look good and that it’s clear we need to draft Trevor’s replacement next year. I didn’t know that one season plus one game in the second season was enough time to determine failure. Do I need to rethink how I approach everything in life?
Willfully grounding a pass close enough to an eligible receiver to escape a penalty is a skill that quarterbacks hone over time? Is there a quarterback in your experience who was good at this?
I’m not sure if I’ve thought about this or watched it closely enough to remember a quarterback who was particularly skilled in this area. I’m fine, Steve. I’m not that good.
We have a head coach. Now we need an offensive coordinator to call plays.
We’re one game into Doug Pederson’s tenure as Jaguars head coach and offensive play-caller. The Jaguars scored 22 points in their first game after averaging 14.9 in 2021 and produced 383 yards after averaging 305 in 2021. Pederson is a respected play-caller who has called games for playoff teams and a Super Bowl champion . My first thought when I read this email was that maybe it’s a little early for fans to start questioning his appeal. My second thought was considering the quick release, hot-take times we live in, I’m a little surprised it took this long.
Are we Washington Generals confused by all the NFL Globetrotters? It makes it easier to mentally absorb a loss.
The Jaguars had an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter against the Washington Commanders in Week 1. Yes, they lost 28-22. Yes, it was disappointing. But they were not confused. It was no easy victory for Washington. I understand that the Jaguars have lost too much in recent seasons. But Week 1 wasn’t ridiculous or one-sided or embarrassing. It was a pretty normal loss by NFL standards.
Do you think Sunday’s game is a must-win game? I do. If we’re 0-2 heading to Los Angeles to play the Chargers, we could be in big trouble. An 0-3 start would be devastating for the team and Jags fans.
Every game in the NFL is a must-win game until you lose. Then the next game is a must-win game. It’s a cliché, but there’s a big bag of truth in it.
Lots of talk about the Colts struggling in Jacksonville. Lots of talk about how bad Houston is and that a team that ties a bad team probably isn’t good. Those are fair points. But it should also be noted that the Colts made literally every decision in the offseason to beat the Jaguars in Jacksonville. Last year, Texas was expected to be atrocious and still beat the Jaguars twice. The Jaguars are still very bad, I expect Sunday to be a very sad day for those hyped for the chances of a Jaguar win.
I don’t know if it is correct to call the Jaguars “very bad”. I see them as a six-to-seven win streak, which isn’t great, but is probably more “kind-of-bad-compared-to-good-teams.” They certainly seem better than the 2021 Jaguars, which were actually “very bad”. Anyway, I think the Colts are “pretty good” – despite the tie in Week 1. I expect the Colts to win a close game on Sunday because I think they’re the best team in the AFC South, and I’d be surprised if they go two first games of the season without a win.
John, I’ve always liked you. Until I read you said “I like IPA” yesterday. Let’s have some Guinness instead. I want to buy.
I used to love Guinness and used to enjoy more than a few in a short period of time. I’ve found that I just can’t sit and suck up many at once anymore. Not that I won’t give it the old college try.
If we have fans who REALLY believe this is an abysmal franchise with no hope in sight and are spending “hard earned” money or even “lazy legacy” money to see it, I find that surprising. It seems they are idiots or crazy. I hope they say that to vent frustration, but don’t really mean it. But if they really feel that way, may I suggest spending that money on Sbarros and beer and try baseball? Super long seasons and less stressful.
Fans fan. That’s what they do. If they didn’t, it would be pretty boring. Saner? Less disturbing? Maybe. But probably more boring.
Adrian from A place between optimism and reality
Not a Jags question and I know you have ZERO pull but can you tell your boy Gene to talk to the powers that be to get rid of all Dallas primetime games? I understand the whole America’s Team thing, but no one wants to see it now or at any time in the last 25 years.
While the Dallas Cowboys have faltered in the postseason as often as not since 1995, they remain one of the NFL’s most popular franchises. Even longtime Florida Times-Union sports columnist and Northeast Florida cultural icon Eugene P. “Gene” Frenette can’t change that. He is powerful. But even that power has its limits.
Has it occurred to anyone that the problem with her entire fence for the past seven years has been the line office? And now the last player who isn’t good is Trevor Lawrence because the line office can’t block and he doesn’t have time to throw or think? Do we really have to live through another couple of years of this? Don’t Doug Peterson understand this, do you think at least Doug Peterson would know this.
I can’t speak to what Doug Peterson knows or doesn’t know about her fence, although a quality wood fence should last more than seven years. I also don’t know that Pederson feels for the line office. Then again, it seems to me that I don’t know much about much these days. I’m just here in my office as a writer… full of happiness, glad the security code is still working.
