It was another fairly disappointing outing from Jacksonville in its second preseason game against the New Orleans Saints in Monday Night Football. The Jags’ first-teamers saw extended action in this one, but they were thoroughly outplayed by the Saints group. Some late offensive firepower made the final score much closer than the game felt, but New Orleans still walked away with a 23-21 win.

With multiple starters out on the offensive line, the offense couldn’t achieve much success for the second week in a row, at least not until late in the game. Likewise, the defense didn’t present much of a challenge against the starting Saints offense, giving up two quick touchdowns to open the game.

If the Jaguars are going to take a major leap in 2021, they’ve yet to show it during the preseason. But with that being said, let’s take a deeper look at some of the silver linings and causes for concern from the loss.

Lawrence continues to separate from Minshew

After seeing just two series in the first game, coach Urban Meyer handed the first overall pick the keys for the entire first half. He finished 14-of-23 for 113 yards, and though it was hard for him to do much when he spent most dropbacks running for his life, he had some nice moments when he was able to hang in the pocket.

Lawrence handled the pressure much better than he did in the first game when he (even admittedly) held onto the ball for too long. Despite facing immense pressure, Lawrence was only sacked one time despite facing a lot more hurries.

He found some success on the play-action, and perhaps his best play of the game came on a 15-yard pass to Laviska Shenault Jr. while rolling to his left off a play fake.

While Lawrence could have been sharper on some throws, Gardner Minshew II didn’t do much to stake a stronger claim in the quarterback race. He finished with slightly better passing numbers than Lawrence (13-of-21, 149 yards) but he also threw an interception in the end zone.

To make matters worse for Minshew, he was once again outshined By C.J. Beathard, who led two quick touchdown drives when he entered in the fourth quarter. Beathard went 9-of-14 for 121 yards and two scores, and his play could entice the Jags to move on from Minshew if they get a decent trade offer.

First-team defense torched

Jacksonville spent a lot of money and effort in improving its defense this offseason, but those improvements haven’t been very noticeable in the first two preseason games. The Jaguars made New Orleans quarterback Jameis Winston look elite in his brief outing, as he was 9-of-10 for 123 yards and two scores.

Those scores went to Marquez Callaway, who had 104 yards, and they both came on deep balls in which Callaway beat notable cornerbacks (beat Tyson Campbell on the first which Shaquill Griffin had a shot at, too, and Griffin was beat again on the second).

Edge rusher Josh Allen was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list before the game, and Jacksonville’s pass rush sorely missed him. It couldn’t get much pressure until the Saints pulled most of their offensive starters in the second quarter.

At that point, the team found some success against the backups led by quarterback Taysom Hill. Jihad Ward and Dawuane Smoot each brought him down for sacks as both continue to build on strong preseasons. Still, the Jaguars could have been better, and it appears the defense is set to be a limiting factor in 2021.

Other notes

Jacksonville’s lack of depth along the offensive line was exposed on Monday night. Starters Andrew Norwell and Brandon Linder weren’t active, and Ben Bartch and Tyler Shatley, who started in their place, both struggled. Further, the Jags gave rookie Walker Little the start at left tackle (Cam Robinson sprained his ankle), who did not look ready at all. He gave up the pressure that caused an inaccurate third-down pass from Lawrence, and the rookie passer facing pressure from his blind side was a common thing. For his sake, the Jaguars can’t afford injuries up front this year.
The running game struggled to get established once again. James Robinson was the leading rusher with five carries for 13 yards, and aside from a nine-yard scamper from Lawrence to convert on a third-down, there wasn’t much going in terms of the run game. Rookie Travis Etienne didn’t play in the first quarter, and after entering in the second quarter, he had to leave after just three plays with a foot injury and didn’t return. He posted just three scrimmage yards.
This offense is missing D.J. Chark Jr. badly. Aside from Marvin Jones Jr., who is quickly becoming Lawrence’s favorite preseason target and led the Jags’ starting group once again with 50 yards, the rest of the group struggled to gain separation against the talented Saints defensive backs like C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Shenault had 36 yards, but aside from the aforementioned play, almost all of it came on check-downs. Tavon Austin, meanwhile, continues to make a strong push to make the team. He had 37 yards in the game. Several potential practice squad players also had strong showings in Jeff Cotton, who led the team with 50 yards and a touchdown on four catches, and Josh Hammond, who had a 33-yard play and showed some nice toughness after the catch. Second-year player Collin Johnson also caught a 24-yard touchdown from Beathard.
While Jacksonville’s starting secondary was concerning, the backups struggled as well. Tre Herndon is week-to-week with an MCL injury and didn’t play, while Chris Claybrooks struggled to contain receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey, who had 74 yards and a score. Herndon’s eventual return should solidify the group a little bit, but it remains a major weakness heading into the regular season.
There’s still not much separation among the tight end group, either. Luke Farrell led the way with 25 yards on two catches, while Ben Ellefson (one catch, 13 yards) and Tyler Davis (two catches, 12 yards) each also made grabs in the passing game. James O’Shaughnessy, who is arguably the Jags’ best receiver at the position, nor Chris Manhertz were targeted.