O-Zone: Lots of love

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get down to business…

Dave from Jacksonville Beach, FL

Can we please stop talking about Trevor's contract? 1) There was no level of “bad” that would have prevented us from re-signing him after this season if we had waited. 2) We wouldn't have accepted his poor early play as OK if he was still playing on his rookie contract. 3) His salary has nothing to do with changing his play on the field. That's exactly the usual rate for a starting quarterback in this league.

I think that in this case your wish may not come true. While I don't think I discuss quarterback Trevor Lawrence's contract too much here in the O-Zone, rightly or wrongly – and probably unfortunately – the nature of the sports world we live in is that salaries are a topic when talking about players. This is especially true for high-profile quarterbacks. We append their salaries before their names as routinely as we describe their positions, statistics, or win-loss records. You're right that the Jaguars would almost certainly sign Lawrence in the 2025 offseason if they hadn't already done so – and you're right that fans would criticize Lawrence's poor performances either way. I wonder if the pressure of the contract has weighed on him a bit. I think that would be somewhat natural. As for Lawrence's salary being the going rate for starting quarterbacks…yeah, that's where we are these days. It's not ideal. But it is where we are.

ANOTHER hamstring injury, O? Are you kidding me? Did so many hamstring injuries hamstring the team last season? The Jaguars' training and strength staff certainly play a role in this. However, in the O-Zone they never express any complaints about it. Is it forbidden to hold these people accountable for their lack of knowledge about hamstring injury prevention? It's not EVERYTHING up to the individual players. Did the Jags staff learn NOTHING from last season's long list of hamstring injuries? This was definitely one of many factors in the team's decline at the end of last season and certainly contributed to their start this year. If the people here can demand the bosses of general manager Trent Baalke, head coach Doug Pederson and offensive coordinator Taylor, they should be able to demand the firing of the hammy fools from the Jags' training and strength staff.

I make sure to “print out” complaints about the Jaguars’ training and strength staff from time to time. I don't do this very often, mostly to save those complaining from embarrassing themselves. And I'm going to answer this particular question in what will probably be a futile attempt to clear up any misunderstandings in this area. Strength and conditioning personnel, no matter how skilled or experienced, can only do so much to prevent injuries. NFL players are people, not cars. What goes wrong with these people from time to time cannot always be controlled. However, people here can call whatever they want. They usually do, and I doubt that will change.

Our secondary needs to improve a lot against the rookie quarterback. Hopefully our D-line can win their matchups. These next two weeks are crucial to the direction of the season. They are winnable games.

I really don't understand the dignity of a man like Ryan O'Leary of the Sporting News. Sad to see what sports journalists have become.

When it comes to someone named Ryan O'Leary – who clearly did something comparatively undignified and perhaps has even a modicum of dignity – Don apparently isn't “all in.”

Glen Saint Mary, FL crash

OZ! Be careful while you are in London. I heard that bears roam the streets.

Richard from Bonney Lake, WA

The NFL owners meeting is just a week away. Have you heard any discussions about choosing the stadium of the future?

In fact, NFL owners are scheduled to vote next week on approving the Jaguars' stadium of the future, financing for which has been agreed upon between the city of Jacksonville and the Jaguars. The owners' vote at next week's NFL meetings in Atlanta, Georgia, is the final step in the approval process. It would be surprising, even shocking, if the owners didn't agree to the deal at this point. This is big news for Jacksonville and this franchise, but I don't expect any surprises.

You, sir, are of course right! I mistakenly thought of Mike Doss when referring to Bob Sanders. I apologize and thank you for all you do to keep us fans updated on all things Jags!

I am the king of all funk.

Hello, KOAGF. After a poor start, I think that if the Jaguars can win three games in each of the three remaining games, they will have nine wins and probably a playoff chance. The first set is to win three games against the Colts, Chicago Bears, New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers. With a win under your belt, that's definitely doable. In the next set, due to the complexity, there are five games to win, three of them (Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans). Hard, but possible. The final set is three out of four and very doable (New York Jets, Raiders, Titans, Colts). What do you think? Too much math?

Any math is too much math, but you essentially look at the schedule the same way many NFL head coaches look at a schedule — that is, you break it down into quarters. When coaches do this at the start of a season, it means they win three games in every quarter – or twelve. That's usually enough to win the division and secure a home playoff game. For the Jaguars it would actually mean winning nine games – i.e. having a realistic chance of making the postseason. Is it feasible? Yes. This team can play with any team and be in almost any game for the rest of the season. Can it make enough big plays to turn the season around? Stay tuned.

Larry from Wattsburg(h), PA

I don't know how you can believe that passing the ball and leaving the lead incomplete is better than running out the clock, even if the Jags are losing yardage. Aggressiveness is a good quality in football, but giving the other team little or no time shows more composure, and composure counts! #Takedownthedam Clocksir

They refer to the Jaguars' decision to throw instead of run when leading with just over three minutes left in each of the last two games. I think the throwing made sense because…wait for it…it makes sense. The Jaguars ran for one yard on first down in this situation and scored in a Week 4 loss to the Houston Texans. They completed a short pass for no gain in this situation and scored a win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5. Houston had two timeouts left and the Colts had three, meaning both teams could stop the clock well before the two-minute warning . In this situation, running to seconds and 9 or 10 with three and a half minutes left is a very efficient way to give the ball back to the opponent with about three minutes left. Given the way the Jaguars defense has played in recent weeks, is it a good idea to give the opponent the ball back with three minutes left and give them a chance to win or draw?

KOAF – The Jaguars play their next two games in London. What are the chances of the Jaguars signing British rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit for the games abroad?

Josh from Orange Park, FL

Serious question: Which blows harder, Hurricane Milton or the Jaguars' fourth-down playcall?

Your question suggests that the Jaguars aren't making good plays on fourth down because they don't convert more often when they play first downs on fourth down. That makes sense because the NFL is always about coaching.

Hey, O. Maybe I missed the love for our kicker, but big-ham Cams hitting a game-winning 49-yarder as a rookie is promising. It's nice to know we can trust him in big moments.

Far be it from me to allow “love” to be missed here in the O-Zone, for this is a place of kindness and praise. And rational thinking. Indeed, Jaguars rookie kicker Cam Little deserves a lot of love for his game-winning 49-yard field goal with :17 minutes remaining in last Sunday's 37-34 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Since being selected by the Jaguars in the 2024 NFL Draft, he had demonstrated impressive leg strength and accuracy. On Sunday he showed that he can handle a big situation. This wasn't surprising to those who have been around Little for the last few months, but it was still a big moment. Good stuff.