Titans @ Jaguars: Q and A With Black and Teal
By Les Bailey
The Tennessee Titans will travel down to Jacksonville for a Thursday Night Football matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars and we got a chance to talk to Black and Teal’s editor, Daniel Lago for a pregame Question and Answer session.
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It is a short week for both teams, so let’s get to it. You can find my responses to his questions at their site.
Me:
Did Mike Mularkey get a fair shake in Jacksonville, and will the fans acknowledge him and give him a nice reception Thursday night?
B&T:
Looking back, Mularkey probably didn’t really have a chance from the get-go in Jacksonville. He inherited arguably one of the least talented rosters in recent NFL history and he was tasked with fixing Blaine Gabbert, the worst starting quarterback in the NFL by a pretty significant margin. I don’t think there are any coaches from any era who could have made that team succeed.
All that aside, Mularkey knew what he was getting into. There were plenty of coaches who turned down interviews with the Jaguars because they didn’t buy Gabbert’s chances to become a serviceable starter and they saw general manager Gene Smith was a terrible decision maker.
I also wouldn’t expect a big reception for Mularkey on Thursday night – that 2012 season is one Jaguar fans would like to forget.
Me:
The Jags spent a lot of money for Julius Thomas in the offseason. With the numbers I am looking at, is his lack of production due to his injuries, like Jimmy Graham in Seattle, they are not sure how to use him, or is it the fact Peyton Manning isn’t throwing to him?
B&T:
I think it’s a combination of several factors, the most prominent one being the reps he missed after hurting his hand in the preseason. The practice time he missed was vital in getting into a rhythm with quarterback Blake Bortles and Thomas has clearly struggled with getting on the same page as the young signal caller. Thomas also looks a little bit slow and might not be in the greatest shape. Whatever the reason, he’s been a disappointment thus far.
Me:
The Titans are second only to the Jags in available cap space. Is the owner like the Adams family, not wanting to get up off his wallet?
B&T:
The Jaguars have been frugal over the last few seasons by choice, as they’ve acknowledged they want to build through the draft and they knew when they started their rebuild in 2013 they were a few years away from competing for a championship. They stood pat and didn’t go after any pricey free agents until this past offseason when they went and got Thomas, Jermey Parnell, Jared Odrick, and a handful of other immediate starters. The plan was always to start making a push in year 3 of the rebuild and the lack of spending certainly isn’t because owner Shad Khan isn’t willing.
Me:
How are Jags fans accepting a possible four game schedule in London?
B&T:
I’m not sure what you mean by a four game schedule – I assume you are insinuating they will play 4 games in one season over there. I don’t see that happening anytime soon because the logistics are just outrageous and Shad Khan has shown he is committed to keeping the Jaguars in Jacksonville. It’s not really a talking point amongst Jaguars fans because it’s just not a credible rumor.
Me:
Is Blake Bortles going to become a top-tier NFL quarterback?
B&T:
I sure hope so. Bortles was the worst starting quarterback in the NFL last year when he was a rookie by most metrics, but it’s not a leap to say he’s the most improved second year player in the league. Derek Carr is getting a lot of the attention in Oakland, and rightfully so, but Bortles has improved in almost every discernible way. His ceiling is sky high due to his improvisational skills and his ability to push the ball downfield on a consistent basis. He still has to work on some things, mainly his accuracy and the occasional boneheaded play, but the rate he’s improving at is encouraging.
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Me:
Who wins this one, and why?
B&T:
I think the Titans honestly might be the better team, but I think the Jaguars have a few things going their way on Thursday. They’re coming off an emotional win – one they shouldn’t have gotten away with – against the Ravens and they gutted it out despite Bortles playing his worst game of the year. I think the Jacksonville offense gets back on track with their full complement of weapons and wins this one at home.