The Jacksonville Jaguars welcomed the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium in Week 2 of the preseason. One of the biggest storylines ahead of the game was whether they would play their starter after sitting most of them out in the opener.
Head coach Liam Coen originally wanted to play the starters against Carolina but wasn't so sure after the joint practice between these two interconference foes. In the end, virtually every starter watched from the sidelines.
Without the starters, Jacksonville ended up losing 34-17, but the game also revealed a lot about the team, some good, some not so great. On a related note, the bout finished two minutes earlier because of weather concerns. With this in mind, here are 11 instant observations from Week 2 in the preseason.
11 instant reactions from the Jaguars' loss to the the Panthers
1. The Jaguars played much better in kickoff coverage. They gave up a long return to start the preseason opener. Props to special teams coach Heath Farwell, who has made the necessary adjustments since then. You can file this one as a win.
2. Rookie Jalen Huskey has made plays on special teams in both preseason games. Since he probably won't get much playing time on defense next season, he'll have to leave his mark there.
3. Cornerback Jabbar Muhammad left the game in the first quarter but eventually returned. He gave up a long play in the first half, but so did Christian Braswell. Both of them are competing for what could be the last roster spot at cornerback.
4. The Jaguars are dealing with injuries on the offensive line, so it wasn't shocking to see them sit out their starters against the Carolina Panthers. As John Shipley of Sports Illustrated noted, they went a step further, holding out sophomore Jonah Monheim and rookie Emmanuel Pregnon.
5, Josh Cameron caught heat in the first quarter, catching two passes for 41 yards on Jacksonville's second drive. He keeps making the case to earn a role on offense next season.
"My boy @Josh_Cameron34 ballin'!"@TravisHunterJr on kicking FGs and more.#CARvsJAX on CBS47 pic.twitter.com/PUGiMIBCUx
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) August 22, 2026
On a related note, CJ Williams also caught four passes for 22 yards. He didn't make any big plays but showed that he's quickly becoming a trusted target in the passing game.
6. Running back Ameer Abdullah got ample work in the opener and made the most out of it. He had a13-yard tote in the first quarter and later broke off a 23-yard run in the second quarter. On the other hand, he dropped a pass that could have been a touchdown.
But despite the drop, Abdullah is quietly doing a good job of securing a roster spot even though he seemed like a long shot early in the offseason.
7. Having said that, the Jaguars failed to get the running game going in the first half. Outside of Ameer Abdullah's 23-yarder, they toted the rock nine times for 33 yards in the first half. The rushing attack enjoyed a bit of a boost in the second half but nothing to write home about.
8. Tight end Hunter Long had a chance to increase his odds of making the 53-man roster but failed to impress. He was targeted in the end zone near halftime but failed to reel in the pass. Had he caught it, it would have been a touchdown.
Hunter will have one more week to make an impression but appears to be on the outside looking in ahead of the finale.
9. Penalties were a recurring theme throughout the game. The backups drew a concerning nine flags for 60 yards in the first half alone! Sure, some of these players don't get much playing time, but that's not an excuse for the lack of fundamentals.
10. The offense as a whole struggled, but Nick Mullens played better, going 6-of-7 for 65 yards. Carter Bradley, on the other hand, left a bit to be desired, completing 6 of 13 passes for just 51 yards. The depth at quarterback remains a question mark ahead of the regular season.
11. Speaking of the offense, nearly all the points the Jaguars scored came courtesy of Cam Little. Again, the starters didn't play, but Jacksonville should be a bit concerned about the second team's lack of production. It wasn't until the fourth quarter that Joey Aguilar threw the team's first touchdown pass.
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