Jaguars Mailbag: What is the Concern Level Entering Week 4?

Throughout the season, we will be taking questions on the biggest questions facing the Jacksonville Jaguars.

You can submit your questions every week by tweeting them to the Jaguar Report Twitter handle or by submitting them here.

This week we take questions on the offense, the concern level after a 1-2 start and a bad loss to the Texans, and more.

Q: Why does it seem like the Jaguars always need a “spark” before they start playing well?

A: I think this is probably true for more offenses than most think. In most cases, generating explosive plays early on in the game does seem to carry over. Once a team finds its rhythm and figures out what works against a certain team and scheme, they start rolling. The Jaguars are a team that is especially rhythm-based, even more so than other teams. You saw it in the second half of last week, for example. Once they popped a few of their old big plays off, the entire offense woke up. Here is what Press Taylor said on this today, too.

"We haven’t achieved the standard we expect for ourselves, that’s something we’ll continue to chase. That’s an ongoing process forever and always. I think if you have a little bit of success early in those games, where maybe we stalled out in certain situations, it changes the feeling and the rest of the game as you go. We’re going to keep plugging, keep chipping away at it until we get this thing turned.”

Q: What ways do you think the Jags can use offensive play-calling to help give up less pressure?

A: Honestly, I think they are already doing as much as they can. They aren't pushing the ball downfield, with Lawrence having a middling average depth of target and one of the fastest time to throws in the NFL. They have placed an emphasis on Lawrence getting rid of the ball quickly over three weeks, which suggests they know the protection is an issue. They have also run screens at a relatively high clip too, especially in Week 3. They are working around the offensive line, but it is clearly limiting their ceiling

Q: Why have the Jags moved away from attacking the middle, of the field with Kirk ETN & Engram to attacking the outside with Ridley and Zay?

A: I am honestly not sure. Maybe they viewed it as the next step in their evolution as an offense, but it is obvious that this offense needs to run through their advantages in the middle of the field. Engram specifically deserves to see more high-leverage targets. Engram has arguably been their best and most consistent skill player this season but the Jaguars have yet to truly funnel the passing game through him. If they decide to, their fortunes could change.

Q: Will Baalke receive the blame/be the fall guy for poorly managing the pass-rush situation and interior offensive line if it costs us the playoffs?

A: I don't think anyone will "be a fall guy". I do think the Jaguars are hoping the pass-rush gets a big jolt when they get Dawuane Smoot back on the field, with the same being said for a future DaVon Hamilton return. With that said, I think it is pretty clear the Jaguars' strategy regarding the pass-rush depth was flawed, even with a small sample size, and I would imagine that impacts their future decision-making.

Q: Ridley is playing slightly better than his stats indicate due to the PI he's drawing but worse than what we expect out of him. Should we have eased him in more with him being out of football so long?

A: I definitely agree that Ridley has been better than people think, even with the four drops he has been credited with. Ridley has been given some of the tougher assignments in the offense, largely because he has been the offense's primary focus in the passing game. With that kind of volume is going to come some inconsistent play, but there will be opportunities for boons, too. He is two dropped passes from two more touchdowns and another 50+ yards, so the plays have been there. Odds say eventually they will be made.

As for easing him in, I think the Jaguars honestly had a sound strategy for him. You traded for him to be a big part of the offense, so he had to be ready to play a big role by Week 1. He got eased in quite a bit during the offseason and training camp, so I do not think that is a reason for his numbers being a bit down.

Q: Can our offense play a complete game?

A: I think so. It sounds like we are singing the same song over and over, but the plays really have been there for the Jaguars. Whether it be untimely drops, failure to keep feet in bounds, missed third-down blocks, unlucky and untimely turnovers, and everything in between, the Jaguars have found ways to beat themselves. Defenses haven't done much to force the Jaguars into bad situations outside of a few Chris Jones rushes at defensive end. Otherwise, the Jaguars have gotten in their own way. If they can get that out of their system, then they can be just fine.

Q: Has Trevor shown enough to get the next big contract and be the highest-paid QB?

A: I personally think so. I think Lawrence has, honestly, been better this year than he was at times last year. He has been accurate more often than not and has made a handful of poor decisions with the ball, all while doing a good job of mitigating pressure behind a struggling line. If there is one thing he can get better at, it is letting the play and routes develop a tick longer here and there. Otherwise, I think Lawrence has elevated his play this year, even if the offense hasn't elevated around him.

Q: What changes would you make to the defense to get more pressure on the QB?

A: Go back in time and sign Arden Key? Hope that Dawuane Smoot and eventually DaVon Hamilton make a massive impact? Otherwise, there aren't reinforcements on the way. Maybe the Jaguars can look into a pass-rusher closer to the deadline, but the Jaguars have made their bed at pass-rusher. They are already blitzing at a high rate, so it isn't as if they aren't trying to create one-on-ones. Players just aren't winning them at a high clip right now.

Q: Why don’t they play with more tempo? I feel like they get whatever they want when they speed things up. Against the Texans when they played with tempo, touchdown Kirk.

A: The Jaguars are 14th in no-huddle rate right now according to Sports Info Solution, so it is clear that there is still some room they can make up in that regard. I am not sure why the Jaguars do not roll with tempo more often, though a lot of that ranges on specific situations. The Jaguars had a lot of success with it vs. the Texans, so it will be interesting to see if that carries over into next week.

Q: Was Tim Jones the right WR to replace Zay? For an offense that revolves around swing passes and bubble screens, why not go with someone else? Is he our next best blocking WR?

A: I think so. Parker Washington was never going to replace Zay Jones and his role in the screen and run game, and Elijah Cooks is a good bit more inexperienced and unproven than Jones. Jones has proven to be a strong blocker in the past and there is a reason the Jaguars feel like they can rely on him in that role, especially when you look at the alternative options.

Q: John, is Walker Little playing better at LT right now than Cam did last season?

A: Walker Little is playing the best football of his NFL career right now. Cam Robinson had a good season at left tackle in 2022, too, so it can be argued that the two are close to each other in terms of pure production given the small sample size. I do think if Little played to this level for the entire season at left tackle, it would be worthy of Pro Bowl consideration.

Q: What should the level of concern be there, since they are in fact fixable but at the same time it’s Week 4 and they’ve only gotten more frequent.

A: On a scale of 1-10, probably a solid 5 or 6? The Jaguars have plenty of time to get on track, and their early-down success indicates they will be able to sooner rather than later. With that said, issues at pass-rusher and offensive line were predictable all offseason long and there isn't much help coming. I don't think the Jaguars' issues with their pass-rush will be fixed, but I do think the drops and turnovers on third-down will even out sooner rather than later.

Q: I have a family member that is of the opinion that Trevor is no better than Daniel Jones at this point and that we’ve seen his peak by now. Thoughts?

A: #WatchTheGames.

Daniel Jones is a perfectly fine quarterback. Trevor Lawrence is a completely different animal, though. Just watch how the two teams operate on offense and you will see their belief in each quarterback's ability.