By Jeff Moeller, Florida Sports Wire
JACKSONVILLE – Are you ready for some football?
It certainly looks like the Jaguars are. So, how do they look before the opener next Sunday?
The Jags were impressive with their 3-0 preseason showing. Quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence and especially Mac Jones looked in midseason form.
The season opener against the Dolphins is on the horizon, and expectations are likely even higher than they were entering last season.
For the Jags, they have to be. With the emergence of the Texans, and the seemingly rising Colts, the AFC South isn’t a walkover for the Jags anymore. The Titans will be back, and they can easily play the role of a spoiler.
In the end, it will come down to what are dreams and what is reality. The Jags should quickly be able to distinguish between the two come next Sunday in Miami.
Running back Travis Etienne looked like could break some more holes as well as elude them, and second-year back Tank Bigsby was showcased and responded well.
First-round pick wide receiver Biran Thomas Jr. has had his opportunities to make an impact. So far, the reviews have been positive, but it will be interesting to see how he fits into the scheme in Week One against the Dolphins.
On the other side of the ball,the Jags are anxious to see if Travon Walker can raise the bar another notch to become the dominant player they have envisioned him to be. Josh Hines-Allen again will lead the defense, and some pressure of a big extension will hang over him.
Former 49er Arik Armstead was activated from the PUP (physically unable to perform) before last Tuesday before the Jags had to deactivate him for the first four games. He likely will be eased into the lineup, but his presence can be a gamechanger.
Along with Walker, the Jags are hopeful that linebacker Devin Lloyd can regain his promise from his rookie season and fellow backer Chad Muma can take the next step.
Ronald Darby was brought aboard to be a stabilizer to the secondary that has been the breaking point of the defense.
Overall, GM Trent Baalke has plenty of positive vibes about his current 53 players.
“We feel good about the 53 guys,” stressed Baalke. “You’re only as good as what the record you put out there is, so that remains to be seen. This group of guys, they work hard. They’re great teammates. They love coming to work every day. So, from that standpoint, we feel really good about the locker room. How good it ends up being, we’re going to find out 18 weeks from now.”
Next week, the Jags will begin to decipher their expectations and reality.
Are you ready for some football?
