Jaguars fall to Falcons, go 0-4 in the preseason (but that’s fine)

It’s a good thing Chicken Little didn’t watch the Jacksonville Jaguars go 0-4 in the 2022 NFL Preseason. Otherwise, he would say the sky is falling. Sure, nobody likes to lose and one or a couple of wins could have boosted the Jags’ confidence ahead of their game against the Washington Commanders in the season opener.

While there are several things the Jaguars need to work on in the upcoming days, there were several bright spots in the preseason finale, and even though they lost 28-12 to the Atlanta Falcons, good things (and some bad ones) stood out.

Several Jaguars made the most of their chance against the Falcons

The biggest takeaway is that Tim Jones should make the roster after catching three passes for 103 years, each more insane than the last one. He helped quarterback E.J. Perry’s numbers look significantly better than they were. The former Brown product went 19-of-37 for 201 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Not bad for an undrafted free agent making his first preseason start after hardly practicing in the offseason.

The Jaguars will only carry two quarterbacks into the season and with Jake Luton no longer on the roster (again), Perry is a prime candidate for the practice squad, where he can get the chance to hone his passing skills, and avoid throwing passes like the next one.

Another player that showed out against the Falcons was kicker James McCourt, who joined the team less than a week ago via the waiver wire. The Illinois product went 8-of-8 in practice and nailed two field goals against the Falcons. He should be a lock to make the team. On the other hand, Jake Verity missed his lone attempt.

While Tim Jones and James McCourt solidify their case for a roster spot, running back Ryquell Armstead didn’t take advantage of his chance and struggled. During a punt, he missed a block that led to the Falcons stymieing Logan Cooke’s attempt. Atlanta went on to score on the next play and grab a 14-6 lead.

The Jaguars now need to trim down their roster to 53 players by August 30, and the game against the Falcons (regardless of the outcome) could play a big role in their evaluation.