JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The starters sat and the reserves got their chances on Saturday as the Jaguars wrapped up a week in Detroit by dominating in a battle of the backups.
On a day where recognizable names were few, Jacksonville won its second preseason game of the year 25-7. As its roster continues to develop, the Jaguars look like they’re in far better shape from a depth perspective than they’ve been in recent history. The reserves handled Detroit from start to finish as Doug Pederson and staff continue to gain clarity on some difficult looming personnel decisions.
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“Because we played so many of our younger backups and even some of third-string guys today, I thought that they played really hard, they played physical, it was good to see,” Pederson said. “It wasn’t perfect, but I really felt like overall offense and defense did a nice job today.”
The bad news: Injuries on the offensive line piled up and threaten to linger.
The good news: Jacksonville has growing talent outside of its top 22.
The Jaguars wrap up their three-game exhibition slate on Aug. 26 at EverBank Stadium against the Dolphins. Here are the biggest takeaways from the win over the Lions.
Worrisome injuries
Regardless of what happened in the preseason, the offensive line was already going to be strained. Starter Cam Robinson is facing a four-game PED suspension. Backup Josh Wells suffered an injury during joint practices with the Lions this week.
And then came the game.
Seventh-round draft pick Cooper Hodges suffered a leg injury on a field goal in the first quarter. Hodges’ right leg appeared to get caught under another player and he twisted awkwardly and went down. He left the sideline on a cart with a knee brace on. Hodges is a Baker County High School graduate and has become a fan favorite at training camp with his pre-practice rallying cries to fans followed by a cartwheel. Pederson said that Hodges suffered a patella injury and his status would become clearer in the coming days.
Reserve Blake Hance came in and then suffered an injury of his own. That wasn’t it. Chandler Brewer (shoulder) entered the game and then left after suffering an injury. That’s four players banged up on a unit that was already facing questions. That’s not what Jacksonville needs entering the season. The starting line is set and will be even better when Robinson returns from his suspension. But the loss of depth is troubling.
The defensive questions
K’Lavon Chaisson has been a major disappointment since he was the No. 20 pick in the 2020 draft. There’s no way to window dress that. The Jaguars need to get something out of Chaisson in what should be his final season in Jacksonville. Chaisson started against the Lions and had two quick pressures on Teddy Bridgewater.
His rush on the first snap of the game nearly resulted in Chaisson getting a sack. Jeremiah Ledbetter wound up taking Bridgewater down for a loss of 9. Chaisson had another big play on third and long that forced Bridgewater out of the pocket again and was almost sacked by Yasir Abdullah.
But Chaisson continues to struggle in finishing plays. And he’s struggling against backups. That’s not a promising sight for a pass rush that needs something beyond Josh Allen and Travon Walker.
Speaking of Ledbetter, he continued his strong camp with a stellar first half. His pressure was evident against Detroit’s backup linemen. Ledbetter forced a Bridgewater fumble that Caleb Johnson recovered and ran back 33 yards. Ledbetter had five tackles, a forced fumble, tackle for loss and a sack.
Defensive line coach Brentson Buckner told News4JAX in early spring that Ledbetter had looked great and was positioned for big things. Buckner was onto something. If starter Foley Fatukasi is out for any length of time with injury, Ledbetter is showing that he’s capable of holding that position down.
“Yeah, I think we’re in a better position, we do have more depth and that’s a good thing,” Pederson said. “It creates the competition that you want, and it creates competition even for the starter. The starters are out there looking, they’re watching the same game and they’re seeing these players. It motivates the starter too, so there’s an underlying message sometimes with that.”
The points
CJ Beathard threw a 15-yard touchdown to Parker Washington to capitalize on a turnover. Beathard played the entire first half and essentially led two field goal drives before taking over on a short field for the scoring pass. Third-string quarterback Nathan Rourke played the second half and did well for the second straight game. D’Ernest Johnson is likely pulling away for the No. 3 running back spot. He had a pair of rushing touchdowns, including a 17-yarder where he turned the corner, protected the ball and crossed the goal line.
Two starters get some work
Starters sat this one out on both sides, but Pederson did get two projected starting offensive linemen some work. Robinson started at left tackle. Robinson will miss the first four games of the season due to a PED suspension. Walker Little, who is set to start at left tackle during Robinson’s absence, got the start at left guard. Jacksonville has stressed positional versatility on the line with its situation.
“I think it was very important [to test that out],” Pederson said. “If that’s the route we choose to go, it’s good for those two guys to get to work together.”
The younger players
Second-year cornerback Gregory Junior’s strong start continues. He forced a pass breakup in the second quarter, then picked off Nate Sudfeld late in the half to get Jacksonville the chance for a late score. CJ Beathard threw a 15-yard touchdown to Parker Washington to capitalize on that interception.
Junior has stacked two excellent preseason games in a row. He forced a fumble last week that saved a Dallas touchdown and recovered a fumble on a punt. Junior’s name has been on the lips of coaches and players throughout camp and he continues to deliver.
Edge Jordan Smith is another player who looked sharp on Saturday. The third-year player has missed essentially his first two years in the league due to injury. He looked to have forced a fumble late in the first half (it was eventually overturned to an incomplete pass) and had another pressure in the third quarter that flashed his ability to turn the edge. Smith got good pressure again on a play that rookie linebacker Ventrell Miller finished with a sack in the fourth quarter.
Tank looks sharp
Rookie running back Tank Bigsby continues to look like an NFL back. His style is a perfect complement to Travis Etienne and gives Jacksonville a change of pace that it lacked a year ago. He led the team in rushing for the second game in a row (13 carries, 70 yards) and showed patience and the vision to find seams. Bigsby is physical enough to attack the center of the line, and he’s quick enough to bend the corner.
The receivers
The top four slots are set — Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, Zay Jones and Jamal Agnew. Who comes after that is a tossup at best. Elijah Cooks followed a strong preseason opener with a very good game on Saturday. Cooks had a 47-yard catch against tight coverage. Tim Jones, the No. 5 receiver a season ago, had a 48-yard catch and run that was the longest play of the day. At 6-4, Cooks has size that the Jaguars lack at the position. Jacob Harris, who had a great game against Dallas, wasn’t a factor on Saturday.