JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jaguars second preseason game was a story in two chapters. The first chapter ran the for the first 16 minutes of the game when the starters were in. The second chapter, was everything after that. The Jaguars lost their second preseason game of the year, losing 24-13 to the Cleveland Browns. Here were my four biggest takeaways from the game.
Fast start for the offense
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The Jaguars offense scored 13 points in the first 16 minutes of the game. That’s a good start and it could have been better. Trevor Lawrence finished the game completing 6 of 12 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown. The Jaguars dropped two passes from Lawrence, one of which could have been another touchdown by Travis Etienne.
Etienne ran nine times for 23 yards and caught a pass for 10 yards; 33 total yards in a little more than a quarter is a good performance for the second-year running back. Perhaps the most pleasant surprise was Zay Jones. After receiving positive reviews in training camp this week, Jones was targeted on the first two snaps by the Jaguars, including a 32-yard completion on the first play of the game for Jacksonville. The Jaguars starting offense can be better, but 13 points in three drives isn’t a bad starting spot.
Tough defense
Again, let’s put the Jaguars defensive performance in some context. Deshaun Watson hasn’t started an NFL game in nearly 600 days. He got the start on Friday. He played without four Pro Bowl offensive players, running backs Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb, wide receiver Amari Cooper and guard Joel Bitonio. That all being said, the Jaguars made the Browns look like a team that was completely lost on offense in the first quarter. Cleveland’s longest offensive play in the opening 15 minutes was 7 yards. The Jaguars forced a fumble and thoroughly dominated Cleveland’s offense. It should be pointed out that the Jaguars also played without projected starting linebacker Devin Lloyd and a starting defensive back Darious Williams. And yet, they dominated. That’s a big positive.
Depth issues
The Jaguars depth issues are obvious. When you take last week’s game that included 18 potential starters sitting out and the final 44 minutes of Friday night’s game when the backups came in, it has not been a pretty scoreboard. That underlines the fact that the Jaguars are not a team with a deep roster of experienced talent. That makes it vital for the Jaguars to remain healthy this season if they are to contend in the AFC South.
What’s next?
The Jaguars will get back to work on Monday as training camp rolls on. By Tuesday, the first line of cuts are due. The Jaguars will say goodbye to five players. The week will end with a matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. That will likely be the most important preseason game for the Jaguars. I would expect to see the starters play at least a half in that one and we may see Christian Kirk make his Jaguars debut in that game as well.