Jacksonville Jaguars fail to impress vs Saints, drop 2nd preseason game

Looking at how the Jacksonville Jaguars played against the New Orleans Saints in Week 2 of the preseason, it’s not surprising to see why they only got a primetime game in the 2021 NFL regular season. Here are a couple of observations about the Jags’ 21-23 loss to the Saints.

Rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence was unspectacular, completing 14 of 23 passes for 113 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. You have to take into account that he didn’t get much help from the offensive line and the running game. Still, you probably expected a better performance from the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, as he’s failed to score a touchdown in back-to-back games.

Then again, Gardner Minshew wasn’t much better, going 13-of-31 for 149 yards and one interception. Surprisingly, C.J. Beathard was the Jaguars’ best quarterback against the Saints, completing nine of 14 passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns.

The Jaguars didn’t have an answer for Saints wide receiver Marquez Callaway, who hauled in five receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey also feasted on Jacksonville’s secondary, catching four of five targets for 74 yards and one touchdown.

To add insult to injury, quarterback Jamies Winston had a field day, going 9-of-10 for 123 yards and two touchdowns with an almost flawless passer rating of 157.5. You know there’s something wrong with your defense if you make Winston look like Peyton Manning. Take a look at the first overall selection in 2015’s draft torching the Jags’ secondary. Watching this clip should make defensive coordinator Joe Cullen’s blood boil.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1429967924664565763?s=20

The Jacksonville Jaguars will have their work cut out.

It’s true that the preseason games don’t count in the standing but the Jaguars have struggled to move the ball and put points on the scoreboard for the second consecutive week. It’s not just one thing though. The playcalling was questionable. The Jags insisted on running the ball in early downs even though they didn’t have much success. This led to several third-and-long situations, which left Lawrence in a tough spot. In total, the Jaguars carried the ball a total of 20 times for 45 yards and an average of 2.3 yards per carry.

Also, the offensive line failed to protect the rookie quarterback. He was sacked just once but he was constantly pressured. The fact that left guard Andrew Norwell and center Brandon Linder were out didn’t help matters. But regardless of who suited up, the unit didn’t do a good job of protecting Lawrence.

The Jaguars’ defense didn’t fare much better and allowed touchdowns in the first two drives. They limited the Saints’ offense to just one more touchdown the rest of the game but they couldn’t stop them from throwing the ball at ease. You can argue that they did an adequate of containing New Orleans’ rushing attack but that doesn’t account for much when you can’t stop the passing game.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will take on the Dallas Cowboys in their last preseason game. There is still time to fix all the issues they have experienced in the last two games but head coach Urban Meyer isn’t probably thrilled. It’s not time to panic yet, but the Jags aren’t up to a good start.