O-Zone: Like a Prayer

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get down to business…

I think this is just a sarcastic response. Roster information should be accurate before every season, as a matter of fact. You are a journalist and should know better. The fact that Jeff Lageman is laughing at the Jaguars’ posted weights should be a clue. If the team can post a new photo every year, they can certainly post an updated weight taken at the beginning of training camp. Or after. Your response sounds like pure laziness on the part of the person who maintains the roster on the team’s website. Ridiculous. I’m willing to bet Gary from St. Augustine would agree.

You’re referring to the Jaguars not consistently – or even annually – updating player heights and weights on the team’s website. My answer to the previous question was that NFL teams typically don’t update such things and that it’s a football team area, not a website. That wasn’t a sarcastic response. I know that because I tried my hardest to come up with a sarcastic response and failed. It has nothing to do with journalism. And it’s not laziness on my part or anyone who runs the team’s roster on the website. The people who run it have no control over whether teams officially re-weigh or measure players and simply post the height/weight on the list. I don’t anticipate that changing. If it does, great. Either way, I’ll figure out some other way to be lazy. As long as it’s not too much work.

Hey KOAGF. I hear Taylor Swift is currently drafting plays for the Kansas City Chiefs to consider. Of course, that’s all we’ll hear all season long; when the Swiftees play. I think it’ll be during the playoff game against the Jags. Do you know if the Culligan Water girl has started drafting plays for the Jags yet? KC wouldn’t stand a chance.

On Sunday, the Jaguars will play the Miami Dolphins in the 2024 regular season opener at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Has former Jaguars backup quarterback CJ Beathard been released due to an injury settlement and is he still eligible for assistance from the Jaguars medical staff and their facility to rehab his groin injury, or is he on his own?

I imagine the Jags are getting a little tired of perpetuating the decline narrative over the last seven, eight months, and that a “brutal” schedule early in the season might be appealing to the team?

In my opinion, these kinds of “narratives” often bother fans of teams more than they do players and coaches. In this case, the Jaguars have healthily embraced the idea that they fell apart at the end of last season because, well, you know, they fell apart. Will a brutal schedule be appealing? Let’s see how they handle that.

Will anything short of a Super Bowl appearance earn the Jaguars a spot in the 2025 season opener on Thursday night?

Yes. No. Maybe. I don’t know.

Kevin from Jacksonville Beach, Fl

Hi John. Under the old onside kick rules, the ball had to travel 10 yards to the 45 before it became a live ball. How far does the ball have to travel before it becomes a live ball under the new rules, now that both teams line up on the receiving team’s 50?

Under the NFL’s new “Dynamic Kickoff” rule, teams are not allowed to attempt an onside kick until the fourth quarter, and may not do so unless they are losing. They must also declare to the referee that they are attempting an onside kick. Other than that, the old onside kick rules apply, unless the kick goes beyond the receiving team’s 30-yard line. If this happens, it is an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for the kicking team, and the receiving team is given possession of the ball at the kicking team’s 20-yard line.

John from Merritt Island, Florida

Absolutely. I just want to say this ahead of time. Brian Thomas Jr. burns Jalen Ramsey for a 75-yard TD on the Dolphins’ first defensive play.

John is full of confidence heading into the Jaguars regular season opener.

As we quickly approach the start of the NFL season, let’s not forget about another sporting event that ends this weekend that looks like it could be really special for American fans. Yes, there’s a guarantee that an American will play in the US Open final, potentially the first major win for an American in over 20 years. There should be a fun match between Tiafoe and Fritz on Friday, and now I know I’ll be tuning in after the Jags game on Sunday to watch the men’s final. Will you be doing a quick post-game analysis or putting some of these articles aside for a while while you watch the game?

Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz will indeed play in the US Open semifinals on Friday, and it’s really great to see American men’s tennis making a comeback. I like both players, and I think Fritz might have a slight edge. I liked how he played against Alexander Zverev on Tuesday. I won’t be watching on Sunday. It’s match day, and match day comes first. Duty calls.

Big fan of the Jacksonville Jags

Who will be the Jaguars quarterback in Week 1 against Miami?

I expect Darnell Savage to play the nickel position in most situations.

Is the weekly “Rotating Captain” new this year, or have I just missed it? Either way, I’m all for it.

Head coach Doug Pederson has named a rotation captain at the end of the week before each game in each of his last two seasons with the Jaguars.

Johnny O, I’ve heard a lot about our offensive line. Pete Prisco and Tony Boselli agree that this offensive line is not a physical mauler type, but more of a “mobile” guy who is agile and has good feet. Why is that a bad thing? If I remember correctly, didn’t the Denver Broncos of the 90s have one of the best running games of this generation, led by a smaller offensive line? You plan/select plays based on personnel, right? Why can’t the Jags have a successful running game with what we have?

Sure. The Jaguars can run with their current staff. There’s no law that says you have to fight your way into an effective NFL running game, and few teams in the modern era even try. That’s all I have on the subject for now. I’m a little distracted by Boselli and Prisco agreeing on something.

Deane from Sands of Daytona

Yo, O-Zone!!! We have some serious firepower at wide receiver – Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis, Brian Thomas Jr.. Considering Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey likes to try to shut down the opposing team’s “main” receiver. Who do you think he’s turning on out of those three receivers? Ramsey can’t cover them all at the same time! What do you think, O-Zone???

I’m saying I have no idea who Ramsey will be guarding on Sunday. I’ve never pretended to know what was going through his mind when he was here from 2016 to 2019, and I certainly don’t pretend to know now. I don’t know if the Jaguars have a quarterback that a cornerback needs to track all over the field. I also know they have a lot of very good quarterbacks, and that’s what it takes to be successful in Pederson’s offense.

Do you think Jalen Ramsey was thinking about his fans in Jacksonville when he ran away with a sore back to win the Super Bowl with the LA Rams? He could have been one of us, but we only keep good players here. It’s nice to see him mature with smack talk. The Dolphins have a ton of talent and will be tough to beat if they put in the time this offseason. I know the Jaguars did their homework and something tells me they’re good. Go Jaguars!

As for him not thinking Jalen Ramsey is cool while still respecting the Dolphins, Don remains reassuringly, if a little bemused, “fully into it.”

Bradford from Orange Park, Florida

So, with “…my emotions don’t rise and fall based on the results of Jaguars games”…I’m reminded of my wife recently telling me – she’s working from home on Sundays now – that I can no longer scream anguished and/or gleeful profanities while watching Jaguars games end in a tie. I’d like to think we’re all friends. If you could all pray that I have that kind of strength and discipline, it would be greatly appreciated. I’m sure I’ll need it.