Gus Logue of Big Cat Country joins BRB for five questions.
It has been a long and lousy season for the Jacksonville Jaguars and their fans. Obviously, as Houston Texans fans we have been there before. We know all of the common haunts the time of year. When will the coach be fired? What will the Jaguars do with a high pick? Who is to blame for what has happened?
This is simply a carbon copy of the Texans 2022 campaign right down to the race to the first overall pick. As we stand today, the Jaguars are in the “lead” for particular slot. Our questions began with the coaching but moving onto the quarterback as we tried to get Gus Logue of Big Cat Country to start talking about what went wrong.
Battle Red Blog: There have been a lot of stories surrounding Doug Pederson’s job security. Is there any way you see him keeping his job?
Gus Logue: No, not really. It would take the Jaguars not only winning out and making the playoffs, but also winning multiple playoff games to convince ownership to give Pederson another year. Technically, the Jaguars have a non-zero chance of winning the Super Bowl, which is the only thing keeping me from being 100% confident that the Jaguars will clean house in January. But yeah, it’s headed in that direction. Pederson’s offense has grown stale and none of the hires he’s made are good enough to save him.
BRB: Trevor Lawrence is almost a year into signing the big contract. How does everyone feel about him?
GL: I’d say it was a mixed bag until a few weeks ago. There will always be some who are hung up by his pre-draft expectations and current salary number, but most Jags fans accept that Lawrence is at least the caliber of quarterback worth keeping around long term — even if it means a gaudy contract for a player with one career playoff win. Now, after two dreadful starts by backup Mac Jones (one of which being the worst loss in franchise history), the popular opinion in Jacksonville is that Lawrence has been held back by the organization and could blossom into a surefire top-10 quarterback with better tools around him. It really took Jones stinking for eight quarters for a lot of folks to see how much Lawrence drags up the team on his own.
BRB: Are there any specific success stories or pleasant surprises you want to highlight from this season?
GL: I appreciate the question! The Jaguars’ season has dampened an otherwise gorgeous Jacksonville fall, but here’s a short list of success stories: 23rd overall pick Brian Thomas Jr. looks like a real star and someone the rest of the division will have to worry about for years to come; slot corner Jarrian Jones, nose tackle Justin Jefferson and kicker Cam Little are other rookies who have progressed nicely; second-year pros Tank Bigsby, Parker Washington and Ventrell Miller have emerged as playmakers and fan favorites; and Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker and Tyson Campbell are still kicking ass as defensive pillars. While this roster isn’t close to contending, it has far more pieces than most teams that are last in its division, and Lawrence is the cherry on top. It’s an enticing situation for head coach candidates.
BRB: Jacksonville is obviously one of the contenders for the first overall pick. Are there any specific players or positions you feel they should target?
GL: The Jaguars should undoubtedly focus on the trenches. They lose at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and it’s especially worrisome on offense, considering Lawrence must be protected. LSU left tackle Will Campbell is someone Duval citizens should familiarize themselves with. That said, the top two prospects in the class are arguably cornerbacks Travis Hunter and Will Johnson, and Campbell could really use a long-term running mate. He’s held down his side of the field but the Jags still have a historically bad pass defense. Best-case scenario for Jacksonville is likely securing a high enough pick to get Hunter or Johnson, or trading down and still landing a highly-rated lineman.
BRB: Fanduel has the Texans favored to win (-5.5) but they were huge favorites this past Sunday. How does everyone feel you see the game going?
GL: I see the Jaguars making it a close game and covering the spread, but failing to emerge with the win in the end. Houston is at a massive rest disadvantage — in their last seven games, they’ve played four away from home and lost four games by one score. They don’t have their bye until next week while Jacksonville is fresh off its own bye. If Jones is playing, throw it all out the window and assume the Texans win big, but I’m assuming Lawrence will suit up and keep it close for the Jags.
We have been in the exact same shoes that Jaguars fans have been. We know what that pain feels like. We hate to rub it in, but we hope that pain lasts at least one more week so the Texans can get to 8-5. We want to thank Gus for indulging our questions for the second time this year and answering them promptly. He has always been a pleasure to deal with. For more on the Jaguars, you can read his stuff at Big Cat Country. We want to wish them and the folks at Big Cat Country the best of luck for the remainder of the season.