A back-and-forth first half for the Jacksonville Jaguars gave way to a rush of scoring by the Atlanta Falcons, condemning the Teal and Black to another preseason loss before the start of the regular season. The Jaguars’ second row held their own until midway through the third quarter, when their game plans fell apart on both sides of the ball.
Their ineffective running game stalled offensive drives in the few opportunities they did get to score, and the porous defense allowed two touchdowns on grueling drives by Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder. After such an amazing effort in the first two quarters, the second-half meltdown at Mercedes Benz Stadium was a disappointing end to a disappointing preseason for Jacksonville.
Here’s a quick look at everything that happened in the Jaguars’ last preseason game:
Final score: Jaguares __, Falcons __
Jacksonville’s final result reflected how poorly they played in the second half. They were inexplicably outmatched in almost every facet of the game during the last two quarters, after playing competent and competitive football in the first two. Atlanta’s four touchdowns were more than enough to put them ahead, and with the Jaguars’ anemic offense failing to score points in the second half, the outcome became inevitable midway through the fourth quarter.
This will mark his fourth loss of the preseason, including the Hall of Fame game.
weekly prizes
WR Tim Patrick
De’Shaan Dixon
WR Tim Patrick
Daniel Thomas
Daniel Thomas’ incredible interception on the first play from scrimmage.
Fast hit analysis
27 of the Jaguars’ best players didn’t play a single snap in this game after being listed as inactive before Saturday afternoon’s matchup. EJ Perry threw his second and third interceptions of the preseason after being selected once last week against Pittsburgh in a crucial situation that cost Jacksonville the game. Tim Patrick continued his preseason streak of dominance, gaining 103 yards on three catches. He caught all the balls he was targeted at. Rookie Devin Lloyd recorded five tackles in his first preseason appearance, paving the way for him to enter the regular season with some experience under his belt. Promising rookie Snoop Conner gained just 15 yards on 11 carries in the game, which may see him drop down the depth chart next week. Jacksonville only got to the quarterback twice, with lineman De’Shaan Dixon and safety Rudy Ford recording sacks in the game.
Until next time:
The Jaguars will take a short hiatus next week before kicking off the regular season on September 11 in Washington for their Week 1 matchup with the Commanders. They’ll have the benefit of playing their starters once the games start counting, but they won’t have much going for them in terms of momentum as they enter the regular season without a win under their belt in preseason.
Both Jacksonville and Washington are in the midst of rebuilding, so the Jaguars will likely have a chance for a quick win on the road in Week 1 if they can play fundamentally sound football through all four quarters.
