Following the rough 31-25 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Jacksonville Jaguars needed to bounce back against the New Orleans Saints in Week 2 of the preseason. Although they came close to coming out on top, the game ultimately finished in a 17-17 tie. Nevertheless, there were plenty of things to like.
Apart from a fumble early in the game, the Jaguars' first-team offense looked sharp. Ditto the defense, which was able to hold the Saints back after struggling to contain the Steelers' offense in the opener.
With that in mind, here are four critical observations following the Jags' tie in Week 2 of the preseason.
Trevor Lawrence looks in command of the Jaguars offense
Trevor Lawrence got tripped on the Jaguars' first offensive drive but otherwise looked good, going 8-of-10 for 76 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. On top of that, as a whole, the offense only committed one penalty throughout the game. That's a sign of progress after an underwhelming showing vs. the Steelers.
It's worth noting that Lawrence may not play in the preseason finale, so if he doesn't, he left on a high note.
Related:A talking head just offered the most baffling Trevor Lawrence take ever
Travis Etienne appears to be RB1 for the Jaguars (for now)
After giving most of the carries to Tank Bigsby in training camp, the Jaguars threw a curveball when they gave Travis Etienne the starting nod against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Either they want to show the former Clemson Tiger to teams interested in trading for him, or they want to see what he brings to the table.
Either way, the Jags once again started Etienne against New Orleans. That said, Tank Bigsby, Bhayshul Tuten, and LeQuint Allen also took advantage of their chances to prove they deserve a role in the Jacksonville backfield last year.
All four running backs appear to be locks to make the 53-man roster, but how the depth chart looks come Week 1 of the regular season remains to be seen.
The Jaguars defense also came through vs. the Saints
As noted before, the Jaguars' defense had trouble stopping the Steelers in the opener, mostly because of communication issues. Fast forward to the Saints game, and the unit looked noticeably sharper, limiting the Saints to three points in the first half (and nine until late in the fourth quarter).
Granted, Jacksonville faced off the likes of Spencer Rattler, and Tyler Shough. But this was precisely the kind of games in which the Jaguars defense needed to come through. They did.
Andrew Wingard is solidifying his case to start for the Jaguars
The Jaguars are holding a three-way battle at safety, and it looks like Andrew Wingard is in the front seat following a strong outin against New Orleans.
Just days after reeling in an interception in the second Jacksonville scrimmage, Dewey logged a sack in Week 2 of the preseason. The competition could come down to the wire, but it's fair to say that the seventh-year veteran should feel good about his chances.
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