12 instant reactions from the Jaguars' win vs. Buccaneers in preseason finale

The Jacksonville Jaguars finished the preseason on a strong note, shutting down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19-0. Although the win won't count in the standings, they should feel good about their dominant showing heading into the regular season. Next, the Jags will turn their attention to trimming down the roster to 53 players.

Circling back to the preseason finale, there were, without a doubt, plenty of things that stood out in Week 3 of the preseason aside from the shutdown. A couple of undrafted rookies made their case to make the 53-man roster, and at least one of them should get the nod.

With this in mind, here are 12 instant reactions from Jacksonville's shutdown win over the Bucs.

Instant takeaways from the Jaguars' win vs. the Buccaneers in the preseason finale

1. Hunter Long got off to a strong start, reeling in a 34-yard catch from Nick Mullens. While that may not be enough to make the 53-man roster, the former Boston College Eagle could help teams in need of help at tight ned.

2. Right guard Daniel Faalele didn't play against the Bucs. That may be a strong sign that he's a lock to make the team. Then again, it wouldn't be highly unlikely to see Jacksonville trade him after giving up a sixth-round selection for him.

3. Pass rusher Bryan Thomas Jr. had a strip sack that was ultimately ruled an incomplete pass. The good news is that the former South Carolina Gamecock later had a sack that actually counted. He had another one in the third quarter for a total of two.

Once again, Thomas built his stock ahead of cutdown day. He's done everything he can do to get the nod, and the Jaguars probably want to risk losing him on the waiver wire.

4. Kicker Cam Little is already in midseason form, kicking a 61-yard field goal without effort. I don't talk much about him, but that shouldn't take anything away from him. Heck, it's truly a shame the former Arkansas Razorback was snubbed from the Pro Bowl last year, the last one he could have made since it's now been abolished.

Anyway, according to Gary Smith of The Florida Times-Union, Little is 20-of-21 in kicks during the preseason. That just goes on to show just how dominant he's.

5. Rookie defensive end Wesley Williams had somewhat of a quiet preseason but changed that against the Buccaneers. Although he didn't force a fumble, he did pick up the football during a failed exchange between the center and the quarterback.

6. Quarterback Carter Bradley missed a pass that could've put the Jaguars 10-0 ahead of Tampa Bay in the first half. He targeted wide receiver Austin Trammell in the end zone, but the throw was slightly behind.

7. It seemed like Austin Trammell was going to make up for it on the following drive when he reeled in a 10-yard grab. Unfortunately, left tackle Kilian Zierer negated the play with a holding penalty. Poor Trammell can't catch a break. On the other hand, Zierer's odds of sticking around took a massive blow.

8. Quarterback Nick Mullens also had his second encouraging showing in a row after struggling in the season opener. His throw to Hunter Long inflated his statline, but still, Mullens went 5-of-7 for 62 yards. While the backup position remains a question, he quelled concerns at least a little bit.

9. It may have been too little, too late, but running back DeeJay Dallas broke off a long run in the third quarter and put Jacksonville within scoring distance. He toted the rock on the following carry but wasn't able to get into the end zone.

Before the game, the former Miami Hurricane seemed like a long shot to make the team. His odds of sticking around didn't increase after the finale.

10. After two strong showings in the preseason, Trebor Pena was somewhat quiet in the preseason finale. By the end of the third quarter, he only had one reception for 11 yards on three targets and one run for three yards. He then caught another reception but wasn't nearly as electrifying as he was in prior games.

Having said that, Pena did enough in the preseason to warrant consideration for a roster spot. However, his bid will ultimately come up short because the Jaguars are stacked at receiver.

11. The Jaguars defense outright dominated the night. Up until the third quarter, Tampa Bay hadn't reached the end zone. Jacksonville forced eight punts and registered a fumble recovery.

12. When the game was about to end, Michael Wortham made sure everyone was watching when he returned a kickoff for a touchdown to make it 19-0. Like fellow receiver Trebor Pena, Wortham won't make the cut, but teams who need receiver depth could claim him off waivers.

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