Jaguars Close Preseason with Shutout of Buccaneers
JACKSONVILLE – Following a less-than-stellar outing against the Carolina Panthers, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ final preseason contest was shaping up to be even further from a spectacle through the first two frames.
Jacksonville’s offense struggled to generate anything against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to start Friday night, and the result was a defense-reliant, 3-0 first half that kept Tampa at bay until the offense could find its groove.
However, that was not the story of the attack for long. With the defense holding up and the offense in rhythm, a third-quarter breakthrough led the Jaguars to clinch a 19-0 victory Friday night at EverBank Stadium to finish their preseason slate with a win.
“I think to cap off the preseason this way, with a physical outing and the guys playing their tails off … just continues to reinforce the message to the team that that is our style of play, that is our brand of football and for us to have success we have to play that way,” coach Liam Coen said.
For the third consecutive game, Coen confined his starters – including quarterback Trevor Lawrence – to the sideline, again putting Jacksonville’s depth to the test.
For the backups getting the bulk of the snaps, another motivator came into play Friday, with the finalization of the 53-man rosters looming. On both sides, countless players on the roster bubble took full advantage of their last opportunity to make a case for securing one of the spots when decisions are cemented Sunday evening.
Defensive end Bryan Thomas Jr. gave Jacksonville’s coaching staff the most to ponder after his elite night. He logged 2.5 sacks, five total tackles (three solo), four quarterback hurries and one pass defended. He sacked Tampa Bay quarterback Jalon Daniels twice for a loss of 12 and 10 yards, and his initial strip sack nearly led to a fumble recovery by rookie Jalen Huskey.
Thomas was at the forefront of the Jaguars’ defensive heroics that held Tampa Bay scoreless Friday.
“His play style is the right way,” Coen said. “It fits a lot of the things that we preach and that we are about as a team. When you have a gift of rushing the passer, it’s something that you can’t ignore.”
Just as it did against the Panthers, Jacksonville relied on kicker Cam Little to make any headway on the scoring front to start. After running back DeeJay Dallas came up short of the first down, Coen and Co. sent in Little for a 61-yard attempt. The Jaguars’ reliable leg put the squad up 3-0, but the score was all that came for the remainder of the half.
Spearheading the offense, Nick Mullens got the start again at quarterback and finished the first quarter 5-of-7 passing for 62 yards. But his time in the backfield was short, as Carter Bradley came in to head the second quarter. He completed two of his six attempts, mustering up 28 passing yards in the frame.
The offense’s best look yet came in the second quarter, but the offense fell flat behind the intended third-string signal-caller. Daniels fumbled, and Jacksonville’s defensive end Wesley Williams recovered it at the Tampa Bay 15-yard line, giving the offense a much-needed opportunity. However, Bradley’s back-to-back incomplete passes to Austin Trammell quickly put an end to the aspirations as the crew ceded control of the ball once again.
In the third quarter, though, the Jaguars’ offense started to pick up. With 3:45 to play in the third frame, the Jaguars capped off a 14-play, 74-yard drive with a Dallas touchdown and a two-point conversion carried out by Bradley.
Expected fourth-string quarterback Joey Aguilar then took over. After a 130-yard performance on 9 of 10 passing against Carolina, he logged seven completions on nine attempts for 57 yards Friday.
“I think both of them were efficient; I think there was a few things both of them would like to have back,” Coen said about Bradley and Aguilar. “Carter did a nice job leading the touchdown drive.”
In a highlight-worthy affair, a 63-yard return touchdown by wide receiver Michael Wortham put the game out of reach, and Aguilar found Chandler Brayboy for the team’s second two-point conversion to seal the deal for the home squad.
With the preseason behind Jacksonville, EverBank Stadium will go dormant for just over two weeks until the Jaguars return for their first regular-season contest Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. against the Cleveland Browns.
Category: Feature Sports News, Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL
