(08-20-2019, 05:05 PM)Omaha\s Number 1JAGSFAN Wrote: We are just weeks away from the start of what undoubtedly will be the most important season in the history of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Unfortunately, once again it has been two steps forward and one step backward, so we can never get ahead. I'd like to think somewhere between 12-4 and 15-1 is our range for the regular season, but there are a number of items the Jags must muddle through in order to reach the dominance of 2017-18.

The Favorable:

1) The Jags caught a major break last week when the Chiefs preseason game was delayed due to weather. A 6:30 start was pushed to 7:30, and the Chiefs lost one hour of preparation time for their opener against us. As we all know, the NFL is not only a game of inches, but also a game of seconds and routines and for once mother nature was on our side. If the opener comes down to the last few seconds or the Jags utilize a rarely used formation in the preseason that now the Chiefs don't recognize, we could have a huge, huge advantage. Starting 1-0 in the NFL is huge and I truly believe that lack of preparation, the extreme heat, and a raucous opening day Jaguar crowd will doom the Chiefs. 

The Non Favorable

1) I'm not sure what Nick Foles needs to do to get of out of Marrone's doghouse, but he sure better figure it out quick. While I understand that we have an established culture in Jacksonville and it's Foles job to fit in or get out, I just don't think Minshew is the answer. Marrone has made it pretty clear it's his way or the highway, and I'm wondering at this point if Foles, after all of his fanfare, makes it to week one of the regular season. This is highly, highly concerning. Marrone is simply not going to play those whose attitudes don't fit in and I for one am appreciative of his hard line stance this preseason. I don't recall any attitude issues that Foles had in Philadelphia, but perhaps they are a franchise that cuts corners and looks the other way.

2) Schedule....Once again, Goodell is clearly screwing us. One week on a Sunday at 12, the next week on a Thursday, then a Sunday off followed by a Sunday at 3:25. Then, after we finally play a few 12:00 games in a  row,  then it's hi ho, hi ho, its off to London we go to play at get this.....8:30 in the morning!!!! Then, after London, it's a mixture of 12:00 games and 3:05 games. How are we ever supposed to get in a routine????  It's bad enough the Jags have to play 11 on 18 each week, but I'm seriously starting to wonder if it's now 11 on 19....11 players + 7 referees + Goodell = 19. 

3) Goodell. See point 2. Last year, when we were about to go on a run, he took us off a prime time game and moved us to the 12:00 slot. We just cannot get ahead with this guy. I am just hoping he doesn't call off week one because of the heat, or even worse, make us play the Chiefs at a neutral cooler, site. I see that New England has a night game in week one so it would not shock me if Goodell proposed moving the Jags-Chiefs game to cooler New England at like 11am...ORRRRRR, imagine Goodell moves the game back one hour to compensate for the hour the Chiefs lost to allow them time to catch up. It's just ridiculous we have to go through this or have these thoughts go through our heads.

We have a lot to clean up here in the next few weeks. I am not overly optimistic going into what will be a critical pre season Ponce De Leon Cup game this Thursday night vs. the hated Dolphins.

"What do I know of cultured ways, the gilt, the craft and the lie? I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky. The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing; Rush in and die, dogs - I was a man before I was a king."