Welcome to Big Cat Country’s staff roundtable!
Today, we’re reviewing Jacksonville’s season so far as the team returns from its bye week.
Question 1: Based on your preseason expectations, what’s one way the 2025 Jaguars have proven you right, and one way they’ve proven you wrong?
Dillon Appleman: I was very concerned about the pass rush heading into this season, and it’s already safe to say I was proven right. The team is dead last in the league in sacks (8) and simply can’t get to the quarterback when
rushing four. It’s starting to become a big issue that trickles down to the success of the defense as a whole.
Travis Holmes: The performance of the safety room has been identical to my preseason expectations, as I was high on Eric Murray’s film earlier this offseason, while being questionable on Andrew Wingard’s athletic limitations on the backend. However, the play of Devin Lloyd and the backup Edge group (Emmanuel Ogbah and Dawuane Smoot) were both misses for me. I questioned how Lloyd would perform in Anthony Campanile’s defense, and he has put many of those questions to bed. While being encouraged by the team making multiple depth additions at DE after staying pat there for multiple seasons, my early faith in Smoot and Ogbah may have been premature, based on the limited pass rush production.
Gus Logue: Brian Thomas Jr. has proven me wrong. Maybe something is going on behind the scenes — he doesn’t seem to be fully healthy — but it’s been sad to see Thomas’ average receiving yards per game drop from 75.4 as a rookie to 52.1 this season. I thought he would be a world-beater in Liam Coen’s offense. I also thought that Travis Etienne would have a bounceback campaign, so watching him outperform the public’s expectations this season has been fun.
Henry Zimmer: A way the Jags have proven me right is that they could win the AFC South. After Sunday, it looks a little further away, but they are still in the mix, which is something I thought they could/would do. They have proven me wrong by being much duller on offense than expected. Penalties, drops, and offensive line play have held the team back, but this team is nowhere near where I and many thought they would be operating.
Question 2: What is the biggest thing holding the Jaguars back from Super Bowl contention?
Dillon: Typically, real Super Bowl contenders have at least one real elite positional unit (or at least close to) on either side of the ball. The Jaguars don’t have one position group that even sniffs that level of praise right now. With just good to average across the board, it’s difficult to see a path for the Jags to compete with the league’s best come playoff time.
Travis: The “easy” answer is to say it’s on the quarterback and pin the issues there. The more complex answer is: the entire passing operation is holding them back. The quarterback play in the short and deep ball passing areas is near the bottom of the league due to inaccuracy. The receivers lead the league in drops, primarily in the one-to-ten-yard area. Additionally, the team’s number one receiver simply hasn’t been anything close to that for much of 2025, including during training camp. The wide receiver screen game has been nearly non-existent, in an offense built upon taking those free yards when they’re there, as a pseudo-extension of the run game. In very many ways, the issues in the operation are all over the place in this pass-first league.
Gus: My answer has changed since before the season: inexperience. The Jaguars have a young roster and a first-time head coach, offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator. I wouldn’t be surprised if the team flies into the postseason with momentum, given the relative ease of its late-season schedule, only to underwhelm in the playoffs. A lot of these guys just haven’t played (or coached) extensive postseason football. That matters.
Henry: Holding is a funny word here because it reminds me of something: penalties. This team is playing sloppily right now. Teams that commit 10+ penalties a game don’t win championships.
Question 3: What player or position is at the top of your wishlist ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline?
Dillon: Cardinals DT Calais Campbell is the one who makes the most sense to me, and it would also just be a great story. The former Major of Sacksonville was dominant during his short stint in Jacksonville (2017-19) and is beloved by Jags fans because of it. He returned to Arizona this offseason to go out where his career began but with their struggles, maybe going out where he found the most success in his career would be even more fulfilling for him. The 39-year-old would fill a massive need for the Jags as a player who actually generates push from the interior to open up rush lanes for their two ends.
Travis: My primary dream targets are Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle and/or Jets DL Quinnen Williams. Both players are what I consider number changers for this roster, with both Miami and New York possibly entering fire sale mode while looking toward the 2026 draft and possible regime upheaval.
Gus: It feels like Trevor Lawrence hasn’t been able to fully trust any wideout in his career, bar Christian Kirk. Maybe Travis Hunter will become a dependable target after the bye week (he hasn’t dropped many balls but he isn’t always where he should be). I wouldn’t mind seeing the Jaguars find a consistent, veteran receiver for the sake of boosting Lawrence’s comfort level. They should call the Raiders about Jakobi Meyers.
Henry: Can the Jags bolster the defense, particularly along the defensive line? Is someone like Giants DT Dexter Lawrence truly available? The team is close on the defensive line, but I certainly wouldn’t mind helping that unit out.
What are your bye week musings, Jaguars fans? Let us know in the comments!
