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Todays O-Zone

 

<div>Frank from Knoxville, TN:
Hey, Zone … while I agree with your premise that changing coaches for the sake of change is generally a bad idea, I gotta disagree on the special teams coach. Just because they threw caution to the wind Sunday with the onside kick and fake punt does not excuse the very poor performance overall this year by that unit. Blocked field goals, blocked punts, below average return game and poor fundamental blocking schemes have been the norm all year, not the exception. Changing up special teams by and large is much easier than installing a brand-new offense or defense and it sends the message to the staff that status quo is not acceptable and everyone is accountable. I think it's a move Gus has to make as it is a glaring weakness on a team where it should be a strength with all the youth and speed on the roster.
John: This is a common refrain, but let’s be clear here: special teams coordinator Mike Mallory will return. I’d be stunned if he doesn’t, and even beyond that … he just will. First, if you’re going to get rid of a coach you need to make sure you replace him with someone better. That will be difficult with Mallory, who is a very good special teams coach who would have a job the next day if he weren’t retained by the Jaguars (which won’t happen, as I said …) Second, the staff and everyone knows the status quo is not acceptable and everyone’s accountable; messages aren’t necessary. Third, the Jaguars have made Mallory’s job exceedingly difficult this season. Ideally, teams like to have seven or eight players who primarily focus on special teams. They’re called “core-four” players because they play on two coverage teams and two return teams. Players such as , ,  and J.T. Thomas have moved off special teams this season to bigger defensive or offensive roles and the team also released core-four players such as Chris Prosinski, Winston Guy and Dekoda Watson. and  remain, but the lack of such players could be seen as a reason for a high number of special teams errors this season. A lot of people will see that as an excuse, and that’s fine. But if you begin the offseason waiting anxiously for a new special teams coach it’s going to be a long, frustrating wait.
 

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the man has no shame

 

he totes the homer line, but in the end he still gives himself an out in case he does get fired with: "if you are going to fire the coach, you have to replace him with someone better.."

 

so in the event we fire him, he can easily flip flop and say we found a better guy and he was never wrong about Mallory.

 

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