Ep. 90: Lessons Learned From Season Opener | Jags A.M. Podcast

Welcome into tag Dam this Wednesday, and Kay Nannie Stevens, Brian Sexton, and John Osier are with me today as we recap some of Week.

One while also looking forward to Week two.

Now. There was a spirited.

Press conference from head coach Doug Peterson on Monday. We're going to go over some of that with you right now. We'll start out with big thing number one, closing out. Obviously, that was an issue for the team last year and it was an issue.

In Week one.

Had a great first half against the Miami Dolphins, but then couldn't quite get things done in the second half. Doug Peterson talked about the issues.

So you make that play right, you're in the anzones twenty four to seven at the end of the third, right, and then you're kicking off as opposed.

To giving them the ball to twenty. You know we can stand here and play sugar wold. It coulda all day long. Bottom line is, you know, we did not do enough to finish the football game.

And these are all the things that as coaches and players, you know, we need to fixed.

We need to fix and get corrected before you know.

Before this week, right, I think we all played Monday morning quarterback with game one of the season because of how things ended. But looking back at things now, is it as simple as you know it was that fumble that did everything? Or was it more to it than that?

No, they had more time, you know.

I mean in the fourth quarter alone, there was a missed block in the run game on the left side and a miss chip by a back on the right side.

Both that Blue plays up.

There was a quarterback misread down the field on the progression. There's enough blame to go around in a lot of places. In the end, this team has to finish. And I'd be frustrated if I was Doug too, because how do you finish well?

You just do it.

You work all week on the practice field, you're in the meeting room. You know what the assignment is. The key to this team is winning one of these close games and reminding themselves, John.

That they know how to win a close game.

And by the way, the vast majority of games in professional football are won in the fourth quarter by less than eight points. You're gonna see this week in and week out.

Yeah, it's what the league is.

And you know, Kyle, answer your question, yes, I think had they scored instead of Travis et and fumbling anything win the game, but that was not the entire game. They still led by what ten points at that point, there was plenty of ways to win the game. When Doug gave that answer, it was very much. I got a feeling he'd answered a few questions trying to sum up the game, and he said, look, we just have to finish the game. And as Brian said, this is

I think a little extra salt in the womb because of how things finished last year.

It feels like this has been a streak.

So hopefully they can break that in the home opener against the Browns this week. Our second big thing this week is gonna be backup planning.

We thought a lot of.

Great things out of the defense this week under new DC Ryan Nielsen, but they're gonna have to do some work there in the secondary. Tyson Campbell suffering a hamstring injury. That's something he has dealt with before. John, He's gonna be out for quite a bit of time, it sounds like, and they're not going to rush him back, but considering what he's dealt with with hamstrings before.

Yeah, unfortunately, now because it's happened a second time, this is what he is until we see differently, because he's gonna be aftering stand period of time. You could tell on Sunday when you watched him on the sidelines.

You know he knew what it was.

He felt it before and he was really frustrated by it. You paid him, he's your guy.

I would think the Jarion Jones will step up and have a big role. They did this Brian in training camp. They like DeAndre Prince, they like Monterrek Brown, they like the young guys. We're gonna find out if everybody likes John.

I can't believe you left me the easy answer here because it was yours all last week when we were talking about how the Jaguars would stop the Dolphins.

It's gonna be on the guys up front.

Kay.

They've got some talent.

John just went through the list, right, Monterrek Brown, Trey Prince, Jarry and Jones looked good enough early on last week.

You're gonna throw them out there.

But the key to success without Tyson Campbell really falls on the big guys up front.

They got decent.

Pressure on a quarterback that gets rid of the ball in a hurry. This week they've got another. They've got another quarterback who can get rid of the ball. But Deshaun Watson's not playing good football right now. So my sense is is that the defensive line can overcome the loss of Tyson Campbell.

For Ryan Nielson in.

His group, this absolutely opportunity for them to see that moment with Deshaun kind of spiraling as well. We'll talk a little bit about that later in the show, and later on in the week close things out with big thing Number Tis. That's O line play.

We've all been.

Discussing it for weeks and weeks and weeks months, probably at this point, saw some good things from the O lines. Doug Peterson talked about it on Monday.

We US coaches offensive coaches felt like our offensive line was taking.

Over the football game.

And when you get.

In that sort of frame of mind, the idea, especially when they're when the big guys are feeling it a little bit.

As we say, is you.

Continue to run the football right, And if that's by design, then then that's what we did.

If it's by execution, then that's what we did.

If it's by our offensive line playing well, then that's what we did.

You know what I'm saying.

John.

There were a lot of questions about the play calling at the latter end of the second half, and according Doug Peterson, he felt like the O line was playing well, the running game was doing well, and they stuck with it.

Is that all it was?

Yeah?

Well, I think the play calling the second half did absolutely come down to They had fifty plays for the whole game. I think it was twenty three in the second half. I think I have that number right. Look, if you have very many plays, it's hard to call very many runs or passes. They clearly felt and if you watched the game, you felt the two they could run and they felt like they could dictate with that.

It's the only position like that.

But it was good enough, I think, Brian to give you a hope that they can run ran better than they did.

All last season.

I agree, but it's still.

Those moments, and you know, it's supposed to be more consistent in winning time, which in the fourth quarter on Sunday felt like it wasn't as good as that for three.

You know, John, people are going to evaluate the line based on three plays. The first play, which was a sack on Anton Harrison, and then those two sacks on second down and on third down on their final drive. So I asked around. I know you did too. And it turns out that on that second down sack, that looked like it looked like Trevor held.

The ball too long.

But of course people are gonna blame the offensive line when the quarterback is thrown to the ground. Turns out there was a progression mistake, right, and perhaps Trevor held the ball because he made the wrong read. It still looks like the offensive line failed because we don't know that during the course of the game. And then, as I mentioned earlier, Anton Harrison looks like he totally whiffs on Jaln Phillips on that third down sack.

But come to find out in.

Asking the question, the back is supposed to be over their chipping. Anton Harrison had inside position thinking he had help on the outside. There was no help there. So it looks like Anton Harrison had a bad day. I even thought it looked like he had a bad day. Started the game with the sack, ended the game with the sack.

Not so, But we don't know.

That until we have a chance to talk a little bit. I think the offensive line is gonna be just fine. Do you need Cam Robinson to stay on his feet on fourth down and one, yeah, Do you need Brandon Sheriff to hold up in the running game on third down in the third quarter?

Yeah?

You need guys to play individually a little bit higher. But there's real potential for this offensive line to be a solid unit in the not too distant future.

I hope we can expect a better game out of Anton Harrison. Obviously not what we saw from him last year, so hopefully we can see a good bounce back this week.

Say it's here on Jagzam. Come up.

We'll do a little this or that after the break.

Jags fan c Fields First, Jacksonville's premier luxury autogroup. Go to Fields Auto dot com. This o's this, Welcome back to jag Zam.

We're gonna do a little this or a little that.

So let's talk about the game and we'll talk about kind of how we're looking at things going forward. Obviously things they can go the way we wanted in the season opener, so hopefully how we can change those things around. We did see good things from the running game early, but obviously issues with both Travis Etn putting the ball on the floor, which you never want to see, and then also Tank bigs to be not picking up some of those blocking plays, which has been an issue kept

OK. I'd be stunned if Travis is a fumbling issue all season, and I want to say that's because of this. I think he had five and twenty twenty two, which was his first year, had none last year, So I don't consider Travis a fumbler. I think the other day I think he was getting ready to go and cover the ball, and I think Holler made a great play.

Was great play.

So look, I was a big, big John Reagan's fan back in then. Probably my favorite player of all time wasn't a fumbler.

Guess what.

He fumbled occasionally, So you're going to fumble if you carry the ball. In the National Football League, I think the going to have an issue the coaching staff, and I don't mean a problem, but an issue. It's a

Well, you ask the question what's more concerning, and to me right now, Tank is more concerning because he was the back on the field in that key situation at the end of the game with four twenty two.

Left to play.

If you only put Tank in on running situations, the defense will adjust right and if you can't trust him, And by the way, the coaches went out of the way to say they did trust him based on the way that he played in training camp and in the preseason. So he was on the field late in the game because they trusted him. But if he doesn't shore that up, if he doesn't lock that down, John, than he's not

But when the game's on the line, it's going to be number one out there.

Yeah, because it's a I'm called pass first offense. But this offense needs to pass and be effective. So a back has to be able to function in the passing game better than he did in that big situation.

So you saw Bigsby off the four yard line goes for twenty six on the drive where Travis fumbled and gave them a position where they could now throw the ball, they could do what they wanted. He's a really good football player and an important part of what they want to do. But he's got to shore up the assignments in protection otherwise they can't trust him to be on the field.

Something to keep an eye on in the second week as they take on the Browns this week, see which way they kind of go with that.

Who gets the ball more?

Also, two out of character games, I'll say Evan Ingram and Christian Kirk. They've been wonderful for this offense for the past couple of seasons.

Both of them very sure handed.

Saw definitely one drop from Christian maybe another questionable one. Evan didn't get any really his way, or had a couple of his way, but didn't come down with them. Who do you think bounces back first? I hope they both bounce back at the same time. But who's most important? Who do you think we'll get it right? Right?

Well, if both isn't the option, I'll go with Christian because I Miami took away Evan right. I mean, they did everything they could they understand. He caught one hundred and fourteen passes the year before. He is one of the quarterback's favorite targets. He's the safety valve who came out by the way, can make a big play down the field too. So my guess would be that the Browns will again try to take him out and that will open things up.

For Christian Kirk. This week and the next week we'll see the Bills try to cover Kirk and it should open things back up for Evan.

Yeah, it's an interesting approach Miami took because they did one Evan out of the game. He had been so good last year. But I always maintain you don't want Evan catching nine passes a game. I'm sure Evan would like kept nine passes a game, but you would rather have that be more of a safety valve. Last year, to me, it felt like he was the running game

I think they would like him.

To be about a five for sixty type guy most of the season because if he's getting that, then that means you know there are weapons in this scheme that you would rather have going downfield than Evan Ingram. So I'd say he bounces back. I don't want to see him bounce back to one hundred. I love Evan, I'm sure everyon would love one hundred, but for the offensive sake, bounce back to that middle where you're sort of the engine and the option on third down.

Five key catches, probably three that converts important third downs. I mean five for sixty, and I would agree with you. I think that's where he is in the sweet spot, making important catches.

I think an outlier game for both of them, just seeing how sure handed and trustworthy they've been so far.

I have to that won't hope we don't see that again. Stay with us here on Jagsam.

We'll look around the AFC South see what else is going on within the division. For eleven years, dream Finders' Homes have been proud to call themselves the official home builder of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Visit dreamfinders' Homes dot com for all of the available inventory and go Jags.

Welcome you back into jagxam on this Wednesday.

We're gonna look around the AFC South a little bit because it's number too early to keep an eye on what everybody else is doing. Three of the teams O one one, Team one and zher start up with the Titans, who belt the Bears, a team that did not score an offensive touchdown but still won the games. So that's another team that the Jags are gonna play. They'll play them in London as well, so good to keep an eye on both of them.

But Titans, do you have some issues?

Well, they have Will Levis, right, and Will is a strong armed quarterback. Where we just talked about those guys, right, I mean, he can really throw the deep ball.

But they signed Calvin Ridley, who doesn't run precise routes. I mean when they did that, I was like, wow, he had fifty yards receiving. I think the other day I don't think they know what they are.

They were with Derrick Henry a pound the ball, bring the safeties of the line of scrimmage, go over the top of DeAndre Hopkins or whoever the big receiver was. And now they are a different type of team, new coach, new scheme.

New players.

I think their work in progress almost all season long as they try to identify what they do.

Well.

Yeah, I'm gonna sort of do a broad brush over the whole division if you're looking at it objectively. The first week played out sort of exactly as you'd expect. The Texans, who I think most people think are the best team in the division, won a game that it felt like they were in control of pushed over a good team in the division, the Colts. The Jaguars, frankly are

They played a.

Close game, so you feel like, okay, well Jaguars eight and nine, nine and eight, that's how they played the other day. And then the and the Titans are struggling. You know, they're the one team that overhauled things in the offseason, so it makes sense that they would be sort of trying to figure it out.

So sort of what you'd expect.

The shame of it is the Jaguars had such a chance to feel like they were not what I just said, right, So they've got to start winning some games and get back to where they're Coulpete with the Titan with the Texans for this game. I sili think the Titans feel like a team that are going to be trying to figure it out. Will know five or six weeks in if they're going to figure it out in time to matter this season.

Is the quarterback the guy or are they going to lean on the running backs? The defense, you know, has some really good players on it, but I.

Think they're trying to shift to where all of a sudden they look like all of the franchises what Levis is the guy?

But so far because they played cave Man balling, just beat people up.

A lot of young quarterbacks in this division. A couple other two C J. Stroud, of course we all know very well. Also Anthony Richardson back, we didn't see a ton of them in his rookie season, so this is the first we're kind of seeing him start over his rookie year again, a couple of touchdowns rushing.

As we've seen. Is he going to figure things out exactly? Obviously?

The Cult are probably the hardest team for me to try to pin down in this division.

Well, Anthony Richardson, so far, what is it four games? Is going to score up with touchdowns running? Have a spectacular play in the passing game, and then you wonder where the consistency is outside of that, which, look, I'm not criticizing when I say that he's in his fourth NFL game or fifth whatever that number is up there. You would expect, based on his scouting report coming out for him to be that right now. Can he evolve

That touchdown that we just saw, right, the one that everyone's playing on ESPN and it's all over social media, that comes up every once in a while, right because he's a big, strong arm guy and he threw it.

Up and let the guy go get it.

What I want to know, since those big plays don't happen every Sunday, can he stand in the pocket on third down and eight of his own forty five yard line and read the defense and make the correct throll.

That's what they want to know too.

Yeah, we don't have any idea, and everyone listen, everyone's always dazzled.

By these dramatic, huge plays.

But John, you used the word consistency. Can you do the same thing over and over and over?

Can you be steady?

Can you take the plays that are there for you or do you always have to try to make this dramatic, you know, highlight reel play in order for your team to win.

Steady beams dramatic any day.

Yeah, and that's what most teams that don't have it are waiting for it at the quarterbackquisition.

Questions for the Texans obviously, we know how talented they are.

CJ.

Stroud, what they've surrounded him with. What's the achilles he'll going to be for them? Because I feel like he CJ. Stroud get sacked a lot and you want to say, oh, we can do that, but then he makes you pay the next play. So like, what's the kind of I'm sure this is many people's objective trying to figure out what the game plan is for them, But how.

Do you kind of take that take him out?

I think the Jaguars did it last year and they played him over there. You know, you you assume that he's going to get some you let him not take over the game and control it. They pressured him well, so I think you sort of take that page.

And and I didn't see this game, so I.

Don't know how the Colts tried to defend him. But we saw last year in Houston this team can be beat if you sort of contain C. J. Stroud and don't let him be the entire game.

You see the play we were talking, but he hit his knees and he got up to his knees and threw a passer first down.

He's tremendous because he has that football He's really good.

He has that very very good.

Factor and the Migo Ryans is one of the bright young coaches in this game. So he's well coached. He gets how this game is played. It's tough to make him make mistakes. I don't know if there is an Achilles heal for him, it will be injuries. I would think along the offensive line that protects him that might make him vulnerable.

We'll see in a couple of weeks as Jacksonville heads to Houston, think week four, yeah, four four, So we'll keep an eye on that.

Stay with here on jag Zam.

We'll talk about what's coming up the rest of the week.

Tags fans.

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Press cover two right here, I'll play some cover two.

Shotgun for two.

A tongue of Ilo steps up.

He's gonna get hit, He's gonna get sacked. The Jags gotta mar Corn said, the free agents got it.

Bye bye, yes, yes, yes, out.

A Babby, good job man, good job man. Out of baby, big time, big job, big talk, big time, out of heavy, out of Pabby, big time stop.

Ryan Neilson was having fun on Sunday. Defense played really well. I can't fault him for that.

No matter what happened at the end of the game, the defense did play very well their first game under Ryan Nielson.

In that scheme, he's micd up.

So that'll come out later this week and we'll get to hear all of the things he had to say.

Those guys like him, They like playing for him, John because he is the real deal. He is one hundred percent authentic.

What you see from him in that is what you hear from him on the practice field, what they get from him in the meeting room. I mean, he is a high energy guy who loves ball, and it's clear that the guys should play for him are enjoying it.

Yeah.

They certainly played faster, communicated better, very encouraging start for the defense. I played well, have to win the game, Yeah, Brian.

He treats every day like game day, no doubt.

He looked at me when I said it's opening day. Tell me about how special that he's like, it's one of seventeen, and I thought, I really like him even more now.

All right, we're going to see another one of the seventeen when they take on the Cleveland Browns in the home opener tomorrow, and Jagsam, we'll just us and go in depth about what they're going to face off against with the brown See you tomorrow,