As exciting as the win was, the last thing that matters in a preseason game is the final score. You of course want to watch the starters in the early stages of the game, and watch individuals trying to make the team in the later part.

Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-US PRESSWIRE

The Jaguars opened up Friday night’s game with a 9 play 80 yard drive. It was a bit more run heavy than last week’s opening drive, but similiar in execution. Rashad Jennings had some impressive runs. He had 6 carries for 42 yards all by his lonesome in the opening drive alone. He continues to prove that he is ready to be the lead back in Jacksonville. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry and ended the night with 62 yards on 11 carries. Blaine Gabbert continued to throw short and intermediate passes, but at a high completion rate. He’s playing safe, smart and very tough. He saw a little pressure in this game, but stood tall and delivered. He capped the drive off with a 16 yard bullet to 2012 5th overall pick Justin Blackmon for a touchdown. Speaking of Justin Blackmon, it’s apparent he’s an extremely physical receiver who is able to get separation at the line of scrimmage. He ended his night with 48 yards on 4 grabs and a touchdown. I saw two catches in particular where he was able to shake his defender, and it turns out he’s got a mean stiff arm. Just ask Curtis Lofton. Is Blackmon the answer? He’s definitely better than anything this team has had in a long time.

Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

Drew Brees and the Saints more often than not answer right back because that’s just what they do. They were well on their way. They had some good gains on their opening drive. At first our linebackers seemed to have a very difficult time running with their arsenal of backs and receivers. Paul Posluszny did a good job of floating sideline to sideline, and whenever the ball carrier would burst through into the second level it seemed as if “Poz” was always there to either make the stop or chase him down before he could gain any more yards. Posluszny swatted down the pass that stopped the Saints in their tracks and forced them to settle for a field goal.

Blaine came right back and led his guys down the field for a 14 play, 66 yard drive. Colin Cloherty, who seemed to catch everything thrown his way, caught the 15 yard score. There’s a play in the 2nd quarter, however, that really caught my attention. 12 minutes and 55 seconds to go until the half. The Saints seemingly brought heat from everywhere. Gabbert didn’t flinch. He stood and hit Mike Thomas for a first down. That play in itself showed our quarterback’s progression. He actually looked like an NFL quarterback.

The Saint’s second drive of the night didn’t last very long at all. It was ended pretty quick by a Mincey sack forced fumble, and a Terrance Knighton recovery. The Jags took over in Saint’s territory, and while they didn’t get 6, they were able to get 3.

Later in the second quarter, Brees did take the field and pretty much threw the ball all over our defense. If halftime arrives and you hold the Saints to only 10 points…I’d consider it a small victory nonetheless.

Our starters on both offense and defense did well last Friday night. It’s clear that we will be running a lot of high completion pass plays and the running back by committee approach led by Jennings and Owens has been more than successful this preseason. Blaine no longer has happy feet and completed 13 of 16 passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns which is highly encouraging. Our offensive line still needs to get healthy. Bradfield had a better game at left tackle than he did right tackle and Whimper was OK on the other side, but the Saints aren’t really known for their destructive pass rush. Yes, they can get after the passer just as good as the next team, but their defense isn’t feared or mentioned with the likes of teams like the Steelers or Ravens. Facing teams with more aggressive defenses like the Bears and the Texans will really put this line to the test and hopefully by then Monroe and Rackley will have returned and Britton will be playing his natural position at right tackle.

We still don’t seem to have a deep threat. That could come back to haunt us when facing offenses that put up a lot of points like the Patriots, Lions, and the Packers. We’ll have to find ways to score quick if we get caught up in a shoot out.

This year’s defense will be much like last year’s. They play very tough at the line of scrimmage, and have the potential to get penetration but have to do it more consistently. I’d like to see our defenders shed blocks a little better and do a better job of tackling. Too many times they’d get tangled and the ball carrier would just fly on by. The front 4 looks ready. Especially Andre Branch. He plays with speed and held his own against pro-bowl tackle Jermon Bushrod.

Yes, Tucker’s unit made the Saints settle for a field goal and forced a turnover but unfortunately for us if this were the regular season the Saints wouldn’t have taken Brees out at the half.

I don’t know why we didn’t, but Mularkey totally let the Saints get away with one. I believe it was Andre Branch who chased down Lance Moore and knocked the ball out of his hands. It was clearly a fumble. We can’t let those calls get away during the regular season. I’m confident we won’t. After all it’s preseason for the coaching staff too.

What’s the other thing we watch for in preseason games? Individuals and their position battles. You can really get a feel for what coaches think about certain bubble players by where they start in case of injury. For instance Kyle Bosworth was starting for Daryl Smith. Does that mean he has a leg up on young linebackers like UDFAs J.K. Schaeffer, Julian Stanford, and 5th round pick Brandon Marshall? Probably.

Looks like Mike Brewster is officially the back up center for BRAD Meester, and Kevin Rutland, not Antwon Blake, ran with our ones in nickle situations.

Speaking of rookies like Schaeffer and Blake…Schaeffer had a nice 2 yard TFL and Blake had an AMAZING tackle on a punt return stopping the PR in his tracks for no gain. If they want to make this team, they better play special teams.

I liked the protection converted defensive lineman Drew Nowak provided but as the game went on, particularly on the last drive of the 4th quarter, he seemed to get sloppy.

Keith Toston was on his way to having a very good game with a long run of 40 yards. He would have been on his way…until he injured his hamstring. Hopefully it’s not serious.

The two players on the 2nd and 3rd team defense who really impressed me were Chris Prosinski and 2012 7th rounder Jeris Pendleton. Prosinski ended the night with 5 tackles and made some nice ones in space. He showed good pursuit and good hustle. Pendleton is a very large man and totally collapsed the pocket on one play. I hope there’s room for him on our already crowded defensive line rotation.

Chad Henne had a poorly thrown ball intercepted. Then he was attacked out of nowhere by one of the Saint’s 2nd teamers. Henne actually did alright though. Yeah he got knocked down, but dragged down the back up defender with him using one arm. The best part was when Henne walked to the sideline. Did anyone else see Gabbert say to Henne, “man…f*ck that guy.”?

Palmer threw the game-winning touchdown. He hit receivers Chastin West and Mike Brown on the game winning drive, but the Saints didn’t help themselves much by committing several penalties. It looks like Palmer took a page out of the Gabbert playbook and hit Kevin Elliot in the end zone for the game before getting drilled. Palmer’s numbers were much more pedestrian this time around and that’s putting it nicely…but one threw a pick and the other won the game. Just stating facts.

So almost all of the local news stations are bragging about being 2-0 in preseason. That’s just how starved this city is for a winning team. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone bragging about that. It’s preseason. Don’t get caught up in the hype. We don’t know how this team will perform come regular season.

We DO know:

-Gabbert HAS improved

-The offense includes a healthy dose of run/pass

-Losing MJD hasn’t hurt us

-Rashad Jennings can carry the load

-Our defense and kicking game SHOULD be two of the best in the league

And that’s something to be excited about. It’s enough to get this fan base excited about football again and hopefully revitalize the city’s passion for this team.

-David R. Johns

The Colts may not have to wait long. Andrew Luck made Jaguar fans very sad after his terrific preseason debut. Jamie Rhodes-US PRESSWIRE

The Colts may not have to wait long. Andrew Luck made Jaguar fans very sad after his terrific preseason debut.

Likewise, some teams who have the most important piece in place (quarterback) know they can compete for a playoff spot and beyond based on the performance of other units on the team (Saints, Patriots, Packers, …). So where do the Jaguars fall in that spectrum? Let’s do a quick breakdown on both sides of the ball comparing the Jaguars and this week’s opponent, the Saints.

Offense

Aug 9, 2012; Foxboro, Massachusetts, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) prepares to make a pass during the first quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE

The comparison here starts and ends with the quarterback. Drew Brees is an All-Pro QB coming off a historic passing season and a massive new contract. Blaine Gabbert is the most scrutinized QB in the league coming off a horrific rookie season. While some buffoons outside of Jacksonville claim the front office doesn’t believe in Blaine and or that Blaine looked bad in his first preseason game and could somehow be worse than last year, reports coming out of the Jacksonville paint the story of a more confident quarterback ready to improve in his second year. New Orleans’ fans have no reason to believe Drew Brees will drop off significantly.

The Saints have an underrated rushing attack spearheaded by four capable backs – Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles, Mark Ingram and Chris Ivory. Despite having the league’s leading rusher, the Jaguars still ran for almost 10 yards less per game than the Saints (123.1 to 132.9). If Maurice Jones-Drew comes back anytime soon, the Jags might be able to develop a potent two-headed rushing attack with Rashad Jennings.

Despite losing Carl Nicks, the Saints still have a solid offensive line. The Jaguars are currently in a minor state of flux due to injuries, but they should have a solid unit if everyone is healthy to start the regular season.

Even with their revamped receiving unit, the Jaguars will still likely lag behind the Saints in production. Drew Brees has effective weapons in any direction he looks: Marques Colston and Lance Moore on the outside, Jimmy Graham down the seam, Darren Sproles out of the backfield. Again, most of this production depends on the quarterback, and substantial improvements by Blaine will yield improvements in the receiving core.

Defense

The defensive side of the ball is a completely different story between the two clubs. The Saints replaced their defensive leader in Jonathan Vilma with Curtis Lofton (I consider it an upgrade) and they are installing a new system after moving on from disgraced defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. They have a few nice pieces in place like Malcom Jenkins and Cameron Jordan, but the defense is likely going to have a hard time keeping pace with the offense and protecting the leads Drew Brees is going to provide.

June 12, 2012; Jacksonville FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Paul Posluszny (51) during an indoor minicamp at Jacksonville Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-US PRESSWIRE

The Jaguars are coming off a strong defensive showing in 2011 led by coordinator Mel Tucker. Despite getting no help from the offense and a slew of season-ending injuries, the unit finished 6^th overall in total yards allowed. Newly acquired linebacker Paul Posluszny and veteran Daryl Smith lead one of the best one-two linebacker punches in the NFL and the defensive backfield should be strong with Derek Cox, Dwight Lowery, Dawan Landry, Rashean Mathis and Aaron Ross. The Jaguars also addressed their most pressing defensive need in the draft by snagging Andre Branch in the second round. Pairing him with Jeremy Mincey and healthy versions of Terrance Knighton and Tyson Alualu should result in an even better defense than 2011.

Coaching Staff

Both clubs faced big changes on the sideline this offseason but with two different outlooks. New Orleans lost one of the brightest offensive minds in football when head coach Sean Payton was suspended for the year. Interim head coach Joe Vitt is also suspended for the first 6 games. Few would argue that this puts the Saints at an advantageous position.

The Saints decided to hang 10 feet of irony in their practice building. Presswire.

The Saints decided to hang 10 feet of irony in their practice building.

Contrastingly, the Jaguars are in the middle of a wholesale culture change led by head coach Mike Mularkey. The Jags have improved at nearly every coaching position and the result is a staggering difference in practices this year compared to last. The real barometer will be the regular season, but the early dividends from the new coaching staff are promising.

                 Head-to-Head Comparison

As one would expect, the Saints are significantly more reliable offensively than the Jags, while Jacksonville is putting a stronger defense on the field. The Saints have an elite offense, so the Jaguars shouldn’t feel too bad about all the X’s on the Saints side. If Blaine can improve, the Jaguars might be able to claim an offensive advantage over a few other teams. Unfortunately, Blaine still “crumbles” in the pocket, so I guess we’re screwed.

-Daniel Lago

With the Jags going to the Superdome this week, how can we expect the Jags’ signal caller to do?  Will there be another superb 89 yard drive against a weak defense, or will he crack under the pressure of the ex-Gregg Williams blitz attack?

The Saints are a team in flux.  The offense will still burn you every which way and the defense may still be powerful enough to make sure they can win some games when the defense does need to step up.  Fortunately for Gabbert, it’s the preseason and he doesn’t need to get into a shootout opposite Drew Brees.

However, he does need to show that he can excel against a unit that has been quite intimidating over the past five or so seasons.

Let's not see something like this against the Saints. Source: Douglas Jones-US PRESSWIRE

The ability to stand up to pressure has been shown, as has Gabbert’s ability to throw the ball with a bit more authority than his first year.  Will this be a continuation on Friday?  That’s the real question that everyone wants to know.  I think that it’s possible – maybe even probable.

The Giants were the Super Bowl champs.  The Saints are perennial contenders.  Game two of the preseason will be another David vs Goliath matchup for Gabbert.  He needs to keep cool and know that what matters is playing well, not trouncing the opposition.  Football isn’t really a sport like golf or tennis where you play within yourself, but in this case Gabbert needs to keep that in mind.

With Justin Blackmon in for this game, the Jags should be able to spread the ball around a bit more.  Laurent Robinson and Gabbert have a relationship being built, but look for Gabbert to try and fire some to Blackmon to see what he can do.  Mike Thomas made a big move last week to show why the Jags should keep him around and will probably want to demonstrate his skills are still sharp.  Everyone will be vying for a roster spot more competitively because as the preseason progresses, open jobs become more scarce.

With increased receiver play (at least anticipated) Gabbert should be able to do pretty well in the few drives he’ll be on the field for.  I predict Gabbert will fall somewhere along the lines of 7 of 12 for 74 yards, no thrown touchdowns, and an interception against a ballhawking defense.  Hopefully no fumbles for Gabbert as well.

Thoughts?  We’ll see how it plays out tomorrow.

- Luke N. Sims

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