JaguarsTalk: Jaguars vs Browns - Preseason Game 1
JaguarsTalk: Pre-Season game numero two (for Jacksonville) is in the books
I don’t know about you but upon the clock hitting zero I was flooded with text messages from long-time Jaguars fans sarcastically saying how it was now obvious, after a loss to the Cleveland Browns, that Jacksonville was going to the Super Bowl. It was the same song and dance I heard last week after the loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in the HOF game. My response to these naysayers is simple. I realize that for decades Jacksonville has been horrible, though that is not entirely true since in 2017 they should have made it to the Super Bowl to play, ironically, Doug Pederson’s Eagles, but let’s ignore that season in order to justify the “woe is me” attitude I continue to come across. At least Jacksonville has an owner who cares about the city, is willing to spend money on a winning coaching staff and opens the wallet for needed off season acquisitions. I have been a lifelong Redskins fan. I was with them through the great Joe Gibbs era (the first one) as well as the not-so-great Joe Gibbs era. I watched them win NFC East titles and Super Bowl championships, but ever since Daniel Snyder bought the team it has been a dumpster fire. So much so that they even changed the name. I have just as much reason to pout in the corner, every football season, as Jaguars fans. I’d convincingly argue, I have more reason. The saying it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all is totally bunk, especially when applied to football. I was in Jack Murphy stadium for Super Bowl XXII. I loved hard. It hurts so much more now that they can’t play their way out of a paper bag than had the Redskins never seduced me with their Vince Lombardi trophies and oh so sweet winning ways. So pick your head up Jags fans, dust off your happy place and follow me on this one.
Yes, the Jaguars lost their preseason game to the Cleveland Browns. But did they? The real Jags, the actual Jags that will be suiting up every week come the regular season didn’t lose. Those Jags won the game. That’s not entirely true. They didn’t just win, they dominated. They dominated a pretty formidable offense too, led by Deshaun Watson. But that was to be expected, at least by me and the rest of the JaguarsTalk crew. That’s what we’ve been preaching for the past several months. The Jacksonville Jaguars starting defense is for real. If you watched the first three series of last night's game, it was obvious that the Jags are a much better tackling team. They swarmed, they plugged holes, they made open field tackles that in seasons past would have been broken for touchdowns. The speed with which the first team defense played last night was impressive and starting linebacker Devin Llyod wasn’t even on the field yet. It’s early, we get it, but understand that also means there is plenty of time for the Jags D to get even better. Last night was a decent measuring stick for Jacksonville and the Jags defense shut down, and shut out, Cleveland’s offense to the tune of zero points and a turnover.
In Cleveland’s first offensive series they went three and out. Deshaun Watson was 1-5, for seven yards, the entire time game. Now I know Watson has a lot on his mind right now but holding the former Clemson Tiger to seven yards is impressive. I literally think I have a shot at gaining more than seven yards on five pass attempts and I sometimes have trouble even counting to seven. Holding Watson to just one completion is a testament to the speed of Jacksonville’s pash rush. If that wasn’t enough to get you excited, Rayshawn Jenkins forced a fumble during the second Cleveland offensive series and Shaq Griffin cleaned up the mess, taking it to the Browns 21-yard line. That turnover led to three more Jacksonville points. Am I a little nervous that the Jacksonville offense couldn’t punch it in on their first two drives? Am I wanting to see a little more from their run game, especially when close to the endzone? Am I annoying when I ask questions as if you are here to answer them? Yes, to all three. However, when I really think it through, Pederson wasn’t game planning the Browns defense so he wasn’t using his full skill set when play calling against a specific opponent. The other bonus is that both Jags kickers made field goals and thus the kicking controversy continues. Everyone loves a good kicker controversy. Okay so somehow we were led astray, let’s get back to the defense.
Andre Cisco was fired up from the beginning. When the team was on the field warming up he was bouncing around, getting in the face of the cameras, completely jacked and ready to go. He showed us how ready during the first quarter when he locked up everything that came his way. Imma call him “The Vault.” Cisco was dominant. So was 2021 pick Tyson Campbell. Campbell had a tremendous Chick Fil A day including a very nice, big gain saving open field tackle. Not only did Jacksonville shut down the Cleveland passing game but they stopped the run (granted it wasn’t Nick Chubb toting the rock, but I don’t think he would have fared much better). That was a big question mark after the second and third team let Vegas run wild in Canton. After the first Browns series, longtime Jags fans were heard exclaiming that “this defense is a much better tackling D than last year” (actual quote from actual people). The bottom line is that the Jags first team defense played exceptionally well and that helped the Jags offense get some decent field position, leading to points on the board. Oh, and let’s not forget number one draft pick Travon Walker who continued to shine and improve from last week. Now that we’ve talked about the side of the ball that wins games, we can talk about the side of the ball that sells tickets.
The very first play of the very first series of the first team offense was a 32-yard perfectly placed pass to a decently covered Zay Jones down the sideline. The crowd went wild at The Bank. Lawrence had a great debut with 95 yards and a touchdown, including another mid-range pass to Jones helping to get them in field goal range later in the first quarter. In looking at some of Trevor's stats, it is interesting to note that he performed considerably better with play action than without. He had the same number of completions on half the number of attempts when running play action and his yards per attempt were three times higher. Something to keep in mind Coach (Pederson definitely reads JaguarsTalk). Lawrence finished the night playing the entire first quarter and the first minute of the second. He was 6 of 12 with no INTs. He looked poised, and confident. So much so that at one point he ran a keeper, gaining multiple yards, ending with the perfect slide that would have made the Dodgers’ Trea Turner proud (YouTube it. It’s like he’s on ice). The first team offense scored three times on three possessions and looked good the entire time. They should have gotten more 7s than 3s, however. It was good to hear Trevor Lawrence agree with us (when speaking about the touchdown pass to Engram), “Obviously, that’s the goal, to end with a touchdown. It helps a lot when you turn field goals into touchdowns. We had some opportunities and didn’t finish in the red zone.” Do not fret however, as we have always preached here at JaguarsTalk, it is the defense that is going to win the games and the offense just needs to be efficient. That is exactly what they were tonight, in front of nearly 60,000 fans.
And now for the bad news. A complete lack of depth. Like the week prior against the Raiders, the second and third teams for Jacksonville just flat out pooped the bed. Both offense and defense were bad. The only bright spot for the pine riders was draft pick Chad Muma who seems to be coming into his own running the defense. Cleveland’s RB, Ford, might as well have been driving his namesake through the massive holes in Jacksonville’s defense during the last three quarters of the game. Cleveland outscored Jacksonville 24-0 after the starters took a seat. That is worrisome. I know Coach Doug Pederson referred to it as “hero ball” for those who are really trying to stand out and make the team. In their attempt to catch the coaches’ eye they more often than not blow their assignment and cost the team. But that can’t be the only issue going on. Depth in the grueling 17-week NFL season is what is needed for bad teams to be good and good teams to be great. Right now it doesn’t look like the Jaguars can afford to have any injuries at all. Let’s hope the coaches can get the back-ups ready for prime time because it’s coming at some point. Now, wipe that pout off of your face and go to your happy place, ‘cause there is a lot of good going on in Duuuval.
Let us know what you thought of the first pre-season Jaguars home game of 2022 in the comment section below.