By Jeff Moeller, Florida Sports Wire
Two preseason games down, and you should have a good feeling about the Jaguars.
Right?
All around, they looked good against the Saints Sunday afternoon in the Caesars SuperDome in their 17-17 tie. Never put any stock in preseason wins, losses, or ties.
It’s about performance. And the Jags had it.
Jags’ fans can get excited about a possible preview of what is to come.
Trevor Lawrence played in two series this time, and he looked even sharper than last week. He hit some key passes down the middle and managed to roll out when needed. Lawrence finished eight-for-10 for 76 yards and a touchdown.
In two preseason games, Lawrence is 14-for-17 for 119 yards and a touchdown. It is a small sampling, but a good one. If Lawrence can work with that efficiency during the upcoming season, he will silence his critics and have the Jags in contention.
Don’t forget backup quarterback Nick Mullens, who had another efficient day, going 14 of 17 for 112 yards.
Head coach Liam Coen hasn’t unveiled the Jags’ deepball, but the short game certainly has worked well.
Parker Washington is having a good camp, and he continues to show how he can be a valuable receiver this season, and not just an effective kick returner. With the attention turned to Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter this fall, Washington could have a breakout season.
New defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile has brought a more aggressive style, and he’ll incorporate his share of blitzes. The Jags had three sacks, six quarterback hits, and five tackles for losses.
Their running game didn’t put up glowing numbers, but the Jags may go the route of running back by committee. Travis Etienne’s workload should increase, and Tank Bigsby is proving his worth. The upswing has been rookies Bhayshul Tuten and Ja’Quinden Jackson, who both can provide a much-needed deep running game.
The Jags will close it out this week with practices with the Dolphins before they end the preseason in Miami Saturday night.
For the Jags’ faithful, the season and home opener against Carolina couldn’t come any sooner.
Yet, Lawrence would rather keep everything tempered. He can also sense a new commitment in place.
“We’re taking it step-by-step,” noted Lawrence. “We’re looking forward to the practices with the Dolphins to get some contact during the week.
“But it’s really day-by-day. We have to keep making plays and keep showing up. We have to keep trying to get better. We have to be mentally perfect and be perfect operationally.”
Having a good feeling yet? We’ll see.
Photo Courtesy New Orleans Saints
