The First Offensive Play

Jacquizz Rodgers didn't have far to run for his touchdown. Douglas Jones-US PRESSWIRE

The goal coming into the final preseason game is generally the same for every team – get the starters in for a series and let them make a nice play or two to get a good feeling heading into the season, while avoiding any injuries. With that in mind, the game couldn’t have started out in a more disastrous fashion for the Jaguars. After what can only be described as a comical attempt at a toss play led to a fumble recovered by Atlanta, the Falcons scored a touchdown to make it 7-0 16 seconds into the game. It wasn’t evident yet, but Mularkey clearly decided to dig his heels in and get something positive out of the first team before putting the reserves in.

A Long Pass Play for Laurent Robinson

After gaining a first down on the next possession, Mularkey dialed up a terrific play to get Laurent Robinson open deep. He was about as open as a receiver streaking down the field can get, but the ball just glanced past his outstretched fingers. At first it looked like Blaine overthrew Robinson, but reviewing the play again seems to indicate that Robinson slowed down a bit to locate the ball. Regardless, the play showed that Blaine and Laurent still have to develop some chemistry to hook up on those plays.

It’s pretty clear that if Blaine completed that pass, the first team offense’s night would have been over. Consequently, the Jags were forced to punt and Mularkey felt the need to push the first teamers out there again to try and salvage some positivity.

Mularkey is still looking for that big play from Robinson. US Presswire

Mularkey is still looking for that big play from Robinson.

4^th Down at the 1 Yard Line

Regardless of the outcome, this was going to be the last play for the first team offense. Mularkey could have gone with a safe play and just pounded it in with Jennings, but instead he drew up a quick slant for Laurent Robinson. It fell incomplete, leaving the Jags with somewhat of a disheartening end to the preseason.

It’s pretty clear that the staff really wanted to use this game to get the Gabbert-Robinson connection going before the regular season. The productivity that is supposedly showing up in practice hasn’t translated to gameday yet, but that doesn’t mean it won’t. Anyone who reads John Oehser’s QA session on jaguars.com has heard this multiple times – there are going to be some growing pains with this offense. This is basically an entirely new offensive coaching staff with two new starting receivers, a new starting running back, and essentially two new starting offensive lineman. The offense is going to have its moments and become more consistent as the season goes on.

Another item of note: I think most Jaguar fans agree with me in asking what on earth was Jennings still doing in the game? Every time Jennings slammed into a pile I held my breath. There couldn’t be a more significant injury given the current state of the team. 11 carries in the final preseason game was somewhat of a headscratcher. Nonetheless, the preseason is over. Everyone can be happy about that.

-Daniel Lago

Fortunately for the Jaguars, that’s exactly what preseason football is for – to fix suck.

"HEY! You CAN fix suck." US Presswire

“HEY! You CAN fix suck.” 

After providing the fans some euphoric moments in the first two preseason games, the Ravens brought the Jaguars first team offense and defense back down to earth.

While most pundits will point to Blaine Gabbert’s less than stellar stat line, all three phases of the game exhibited some good and some bad.

Offense

Blaine Gabbert’s torrid pace in the preseason didn’t continue against the Ravens, but he certainly wasn’t “bad.” While statistically underwhelming (11 for 21, 117 yards, one sack with 0 TDs and 0 INTs), Blaine continued to play mistake free, intelligent football. My concern from this game offensively lies with Laurent Robinson.

Laurent had a few chances to make catches and didn't pull through. US Presswire.

Laurent had a few chances to make catches and didn’t pull through.

While no one expected him to light the world on fire, he’s had some chances to make catches for Blaine in key situations and he hasn’t delivered. Specifically, Gabbert made a nice throw in a tight window to Robinson that he dropped. The throw was a tad behind RonRob, but he certainly could have pulled it in. He finished another game without a reception despite a handful of targets. It’s obviously still very early, but it would be nice to see him get into a rhythm early in the regular season.

Another minor concern for me was how often Gabbert went to Blackmon. It’s clear Gabbert has a lot of trust in Blackmon, but he targeted Blackmon 8 times in 21 attempts. While not alarming, it shows that some other players need to get open and provide Gabbert with opportunities to spread the ball around.

Rashad Jennings continued his consistent play in the preseason, and with Maurice Jones-Drew hopefully returning soon, the Jaguars are ready to field a highly effective rushing attack.

Defense

The final score would indicate that Jaguars were absolutely torched by the Ravens offense, but that would only be partially correct. Early on, the Jags’ defense showed some promise. Terrance Knighton had a sack on a key third down in the red zone to force a field goal; Andre Branch had a forced fumble late in the first half; the Jaguars got good pressure early on, but Flacco was just getting the ball out very quickly.

Torrey Smith had lots of reasons to smile last night. US Presswire.

Torrey Smith had lots of reasons to smile last night.

That’s where the critique begins – in the secondary. Without Derek Cox and a limited Rashean Mathis, the Jaguars secondary was shredded by a new look Ravens offense. Flacco made several quick throws underneath and seemed to always have an open receiver available, specifically Torrey Smith. The defense was undermanned without Daryl Smith and Cox, but some concerns about depth, especially at corner, are warranted. William Middleton and Aaron Ross were consistently victimized by the Raven’s receivers.

Special Teams

Bryan Anger continued to display his monster leg, but the punt coverage didn’t do their part. The Jaguars missed out on downing a punt inside the 5 yard line and Jacoby Jones had a few lengthy returns throughout the first half. Josh Scobee missed an easy field goal because a Ravens defender got his hand on the ball. Mike Thomas and Jalen Parmele provided the Jaguars with good field position on kickoff returns, but outside of that the special teams didn’t impress.

Again, it’s only preseason and the Jaguars struggled against a team that was one dropped touchdown away from the Super Bowl last year. This game shows that Jags still have plenty of work to do, which is to be expected. Fans need to remember that this is still a completely new offense with new weapons and there’s going to be some growing pains. But just remember, you CAN fix suck. Sometimes.

-Daniel Lago

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