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Jacksonville Jaguars: Blake Bortles looks good in loss to Giants

By Luke Sims

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The Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the New York Giants 22-12 on Saturday night in Week 2 of the preseason, putting the Jags at 1-1 so far.

But it isn’t the score that matters in the preseason. It’s all about staying healthy and getting some game situations on tape so the coaching staff can evaluate the team better.

For the Jaguars there were some key developments.

Blake Bortles looked sharp once again. He finished the night after leading three field goal drives. His final stat line reads 8/16 for 98 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. The completion percentage should have been higher if not for a handful of drops.

Running back Corey Grant made a case for himself to be the primary kick returner for the Jags, bringing back two returns for 78 yards, including a long of 43 yards. He far outperformed fellow return hopefuls Tandon Doss and Nick Marshall, who both averaged 20 yards per return.

Running back Storm Johnson struggled again as he fights with Grant and Bernard Pierce for one of the final running back spots. He finished the night with four attempts for just one yard. At this point he looks like he could be an easy cut for the Jaguars, failing to provide a spark on offense and lacking utility in other roles.

Allen Robinson came up with three receptions for 64 yards, including a nice 36 yard play. He only hauled in three of the seven passes thrown his way, but he showed why everyone was so high on him through the offseason. He could be somebody special for the Jags.

Center still seems to be a tough position to sort out, especially with the Jags coaches hoping to decide the starter before the third preseason game. Stefen Wisniewski and Luke Bowanko continue to play similarly with neither really jumping out on the field. The Jags may really have to go with whoever has the bigger butt. In all seriousness, they are making it tough to make a decision, which is a good thing for the Jags.

Chris Smith managed to get a sack in the game and looked pretty solid during his time on the field. He and Cap Capi continue to seem better than Andre Branch at defensive end. Smith’s sack was the only Jags sack of the night.

The secondary limited Odell Beckham Jr. to zero receptions after he caught seven of eight just last season.

While the Jacksonville Jaguars lost this preseason game, they looked improved once again. A number of players distinguished themselves and it looks like the team is more competitive from the top to the bottom. It’s just the preseason, but so far so good.

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