The Jacksonville Jaguars wrapped up their 3 game preseason with a win against the Atlanta Falcons on Friday Aug. 23rd. No losses in the preseason have fans and all watching with the naked eye a little excited in North Florida. QB1 Trevor Lawrence finishes with 11 out of 14 pass completions and 3 touchdown passes. New offensive weapon Gabe Davis and first round draft pick Brian Thomas Jr. got 1 and 3 receptions respectively. Travis Etienne Jr. had 11 carries for 49 yards and a receiving touchdown. The defense has played inspired football through all their 3 games in August. With veteran presence from Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker might be indicate the return of the old "Sacksonville" moniker for the guys in teal. There is plenty to be excited about as the Jaguars head into their week one game against the Miami Dolphins. With all that excitement, there are some things that may cause true football fans to pause.
The Jaguars have questions in several key positions heading into the season. The biggest being their offensive line. If this line can't stay healthy or quickly get depth in the next week, the offensive production will suffer. We saw backup quarterback Mac Jones at times run for his life in the preseason and that is something no one who roots for the Jaguars wants to see. Ezra Cleveland, who currently is the starting left guard, has battle injuries all through out training camp. Cam Robinson has battled injuries throughout his tenure in Jacksonville. Keeping Trevor Lawerence upright must be a high priority this season.
The next question is at the defensive back position. Obviously they have the veteran savvy of Andre Cisco and the newly contracted Tyson Campbell, but outside of that, everyone is still uneasy on what we will be getting. Now unlike the o-line, their is some depth their depending on Coach Pederson's decides to cut players.The Jags have Andrew Wingard, new signees Adrian Amos and Tashuan Gipson Sr., Daniel Thomas and Tre Flowers just to name a few. However, their collective consistency is the problem. Only time can answer the question of their play as we look forward to the start of a new season.
Ultimately we all know that the preseason doesn't count when it's all said and done. We also know that everyone who had on a teal and black jersey won't necessarily be doing so in the coming weeks. What matters now is how the Jaguars prepare for the next game. The team opens up the season in Miami on September 8th and this year's team could either bring absolute joy to the First Coast or some of the same old feelings.