The Jacksonville Jaguars struggled to move the ball in the 31-25 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1 of the preseason. Things didn't get much better in the second scrimmage. And based on how things are playing out against the New Orleans Saints, maybe the Jags should start to get fidgety.
The offense got off to a strong start on the first drive of the game. However, Trevor Lawrence got tripped, fumbled, and the Saints recovered.
On the bright side, Lawrence is 8-of-10 for 76 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions, as of this writing. He's distributed the ball and completed passes to Tank Bigsby, Parker Washington, and Brenton Strange. All things considered, it was a strong showing by No. 16. Moreover, the defense forced three-and-out. Nevertheless, Jacksonville must stop the self-inflicted wounds if it wants to win on a consistent basis.
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Execution continues to hold back the Jaguars offense
You could make the case that one mistake shouldn't overshadow what has otherwise been a solid outing, but the truth is that the Jacksonville Jaguars have been dealing with execution issues, whether it's false start, snapping the football, or too many men on the football field.
Following the loss to the Steelers, head coach Liam Coen said that Jacksonville wasn't going to be able to beat other teams if it can't stop beating itself, and that's the thing, one mistake at the worst possible time could hurt the team massively. Does it matter if they can manage to overcome them? Probably not, but why put yourself at a disadvantage to begin with?
Moreover, if things go as expected and the Jaguars turn things around in 2025, they're going to have a few close games, and the last thing they want is for a fumble or a false start to have a role in the outcome of the game.
On the bright side, Trevor Lawrence and the offense have routinely looked good throughout the offseason and training camp, so not everything is doom and gloom. There's a reason to believe that the Jaguars have a legitimate chance to steer the ship in the right direction. But to ensure that happens, they must clean their execution. Their fumble against the Saints shows that they have their work cut out.
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