NEW ORLEANS, La. – Senior writer John Oehser, senior correspondent Brian Sexton and team reporter Kainani Stevens offer quick thoughts on the Jaguars’ 17-17 tie with the New Orleans Saints in Preseason Week 2 at the Caesars Superdome Sunday
John Oehser, Jaguars Senior Writer…
Message received. Much went right for the Jaguars early Sunday, but most significant was how it looked for most of the first half. That's because it looked clean, which was the buzzword for Head Coach Liam Coen and quarterback Trevor Lawrence following a tie in which the Jaguars dominated the first two quarters. Coen throughout the week emphasized eliminating pre-snap penalties, calling them the "theme of the day" following a 31-25 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Preseason Week 1. Lawrence during the week called self-inflicted wounds the "story of camp." The Jaguars not only led 7-0 when the starters left the game and 17-3 at halftime Sunday, they committed just one first-half penalty – none when the offensive and defensive starters were playing the first two series. "You definitely felt a better sense of urgency of the alignment assignment, getting lined up," he said. "The shifts and motions were clean. I was pleased with the operation, especially coming from what we were trying to emphasize last week." Said Lawrence, "We made a big emphasis on it this week in practice, and it was good to see a carryover. The guys really owned it and we were a lot sharper. It was definitely improvement." The head coach speaketh, the players listeneth. That's a decent enough sign.
Better and better. We've reached the point in wide receiver Parker Washington's growth where he may be making the coaching staff work harder – or at least differently – than originally expected. Washington, a sixth-round selection by the Jaguars in the 2023 NFL Draft, has been one of the best stories of 2025 Training Camp with at least two of the best days of any Jaguars wide receiver. This is significant because Washington entered camp as the clear No. 4 receiver behind Pro Bowl wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., veteran free agent Dyami Brown and rookie No. 2 overall selection Travis Hunter. Parker Washington caught two passes for 19 yards Sunday and his seven-yard touchdown reception gave the Jaguars a 7-0 lead with 2:33 remaining in the first quarter. "It's going to be tough to keep that guy off the field the way he's playing," Lawrence said. There were multiple encouraging storylines for the Jaguars Sunday. The solid play of Lawrence. Encouraging flashes from the running game. A strong defensive effort. Washington's continued emergence deserves a place among them, because Lawrence is right: He's more than just a good camp story. A player playing this well needs to be on the field.