3 overreactions to the Jaguars' Week 3 preseason win against the Falcons

The Jacksonville wrapped up a highly productive preseason when they beat the Atlanta Falcons 31-0. Next, they'll get ready to take on the Miami Dolphins in the season opener. Based on how things played out, along with an injury to All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill, the Jags should feel good about their chances.

Following the win, head coach Doug Pederson met with the press corps and said that he was pleased with the team's performance, pointing out that all three phases executed.

"I thought the offensively and defensively, the starters did a fine job coming in," Pederson said. "It's always tough on everyone, on those guys because you just don't know how long you're going to play. But for them, especially offensively, to come in and get the two scores like they did, put some good drives together early was good to see."

Pederson continued, "And then defensively, the same way. Being able to get those stops and come off the field all night. Even when the backups and the young guys played, they played hard and fast. Proud of everybody for the way they competed together."

But as encouraging as the Jaguars played, Pederson says they've still got their work cut out ahead of the regular season.

"Obviously, well, I think we're on track," Pederson responded when asked if the team was ready for Week 1. "I don't think that we're a finished product. We're still working on some things in all three phases but it was a good preseason. It was tough. It was physical on them. I thought they handled it extremely well. It showed obviously, in their play these three games. But honestly, it doesn't matter, right? We have to get ready for Miami."

The Jaguars will probably take a rest before they start preparing for the Dolphins. Fo the time being, here are three overreactions from the win over the Falcons.

Brian Thomas Jr. is real deal and will make plays for the Jaguars in 2024

After losing Calvin Ridley in free agency, the Jaguars needed a replacement to fill the void at receiver. they found him in Brian Thomas Jr., the 23rd overall selection in this year's draft. While the former LSU Tiger wasn't as highly touted as former teammate Malik Nabers or any of the other top receiver prospects coming out of college, he was still seen as a potential playmaker, mostly because of his ability to stretch the field.

Back in 2023, Thomas hauled in 68 receptions for 1,177 yards with 17 touchdowns for the Tigers. Moreover, he averaged a head-turning 17.3 yards per catch. His big-play capability has carried over into the NFL.

Apart from a few rough practices, Thomas generally stood out in training camp. Then, the preseason came, and he proved that his 4.33-second speed wasn't just for show, reeling in a 41-yard catch against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Louisiana native later made headlines because of a dynamic route he ran against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But Thomas wasn't done. Once again, he proved against the Falcons that he can make an impact for the Jaguars in 2024, catching a 38-yard reception. Robert Griffin III caught wind of the play and praised the rookie wideout.

When the Jaguars drafted Thomas, it was thought that he was going to need time to hit his stride but he's showing he's ready to go.

The Jaguars' offensive line looks much better

Making reinforcements to the offensive line was among the team's biggest priorities in the offseason. Among the moves they made to fix the trenches was adding center Mitch Morse in free agency and re-signing left guard Ezra Cleveland. Unfortunately, because of injuries, Jacksonville hadn't been able to watch their starting hog mollies play together until the preseason finale.

All things considered, things went well. Neither Trevor Lawrence nor Mac Jones were sacked, while Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby averaged 6.6 and 5.0 yards per carry, respectively. That was possible because of the offensive line play. After the game, Doug Pederson told the media that he was pleased with how the unit fared.

"I thought it was good. I think there's still some things we can improve on and continue to work on. But I thought overall, they did a nice job. Atlanta threw some pressures at us that were unblocked, which is gonna happen. One extra and Trevor did a nice job getting the ball out of his hand. But overall, I thought they played well," Pederson said.

If the offensive line stays relatively healthy in 2024, Trevor Lawrence and the Jags will make noise.

The Jaguars have ample depth on defense

Even though the Jaguars had several talented pieces in place, they were still missing a few game-changers, mainly on the interior defensive line. The front office wasted no time making upgrades in the offseason, signing veteran Arik Armstead and allocating several draft picks to that side of the ball.

The investments have paid off as the first-team defense and the second-stringers kept the Falcons offense at bay. Granted, Atlanta rested their starters but it was still encouraging to see players such as rookie Maason Smith flash.

Heading into the finale, Pro Football Focus highlighted Smith's promising play, noting that his pass-rush win rate of 20.8 percent was the best among rookie interior defenders.

With defensive coordinator Ryan "The Mustache" Nielsen now calling the shots, don't be surprised if Jacksonville ranks in the top 10 in points allowed next season.

More Jaguars analysis here: