Jacksonville Jaguars Earn First and Only Preseason Win Against the Atlanta Falcons, 20-16

Aug 29, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons defensive end Jonathan Massaquoi (96) returns a fumble by Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Matt Scott (5) for a touchdown during the second quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The final Thursday of the preseason generally isn’t very pretty and the Jacksonville Jaguars win against the Atlanta Falcons was no different. The quarterbacks, particularly on the Jacksonville side, were pretty bad and the offenses were stagnant most of the night. Most starters got little to no playing time and the bulk of the game was spent evaluating the bottom half of the roster. Most of the players aren’t going to make an impact this season or even make the roster, but there’s always the chance of a gem rising out of the muck. Some other quick observations:

• Justin Blackmon got a lot of playtime and it makes sense given his upcoming four game suspension to start the regular season. Blackmon needed a lot of reps in the preseason if they want to play him immediately in week 5.
• Jordan Todman looked like the best offensive player on the field. He was quick, showed a burst that’s hard to ignore,  and contributed in the passing game. Gus Bradley and David Caldwell are going to have a hard time keeping him off the roster, especially now since he’ll probably be picked up immediately by another team if he doesn’t make it here.
• Matt Scott is not at all ready to be on an NFL roster. He can’t see the field and has little to no pocket awareness. His fumble that led to a touchdown was textbook “rookie who has no idea what he’s doing.” Between not knowing what was going on pre-snap to not tucking the ball away when the defender was barreling towards him, the play was a complete disaster. His interception was nothing more than locking in on a read and throwing it late. He’s got a long way to go and his place right now is on the practice squad.

– Daniel Lago

Yell at me on Twitter @dlago89