With a dominant 20-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Jacksonville Jaguars preseason Week 2 matchup featured multiple key players having great days.
Jaguars Preseason Week 2 Winners
In the Jaguars preseason week two matchup versus the Buccaneers, the Jaguars saw their defense come through, and the backup quarterback position all but solidified. While it was a team effort, these three players stood out as having winning weeks for the Jaguars.
Mac Jones
In his first long extended action in a Jaguars uniform, the former first-round New England Patriots quarterback put together an impressive day. Jones went 16 of 23 for 210 yards, an average of 9.1 yards per pass, and two touchdowns. There wasn’t much that went wrong for Jones on Saturday, as he led the Jaguars offense to two touchdowns, one on the Jaguars second drive that lasted 10 minutes and went 80 yards in 17 plays.
His second touchdown drive came in the fourth quarter after 2023 backup C.J. Beathard got injured, and was pulled from the game. Jones’ second touchdown drive lasted only four minutes, covering 68 yards total. His second drive was capped with a 31-yard pass to Brevin Easton down the right side of the field for a touchdown.
With Jones coming back into the game and playing as well as he did, it gave way for the Jaguars to name him their number two quarterback without nearly as much debate. Both Beathard and Jones are veterans, but Jones proved his upside and consistency with his stellar play from the Jaguars preseason week two matchup against a resilient Buccaneers defense.
Another winner from the second preseason game for the Jaguars came from Jones’ first touchdown recipient.
Parker Washington
In his second season in the NFL, Parker Washington has a lot of intrigue. However, with three wide receivers ahead of him on the depth chart, Washington has an uphill battle for playing time on the offense. In the Jaguars’ preseason Week 1 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, Washington was a winner for his efforts on special teams, this week he flashed his offensive upside.
In his second game of the 2024 preseason, Washington was targeted three times and made all three receptions. He had 38 yards, 12.7 yards per reception, and a touchdown from backup quarterback Mac Jones. The touchdown came on third and 17 from the Buccaneers’ 25-yard line. Washington, running up the seam, caught a pass in between three defenders for a touchdown to give the Jaguars the lead early in the second quarter.
Washington emerging in the preseason as a legitimate receiving threat is a huge boost for Jacksonville, as Christian Kirk is dealing with an injury leading into the season. In the meantime, it’s becoming more apparent that Washington would be much more than a third wide receiver on a lot of other NFL teams. There’s a lot to look forward to with Washington as he heads into his second NFL season.
As opposed to Washington who is entering his sophomore season, the third winner from the Jaguars preseason week two game is a veteran that’s bounced around the NFL, and is trying to find a new home, and might’ve just found it with Jacksonville.
Tre Flowers
Entering the Jaguars preseason week two matchup versus the Buccaneers, Tre Flowers was considered a depth addition to the Jaguars secondary. The veteran cornerback came to Jacksonville to compete for a cornerback spot with Darious Williams leaving. Now, after putting together a performance that earned him the PFF “Player of the Game”, Flowers is looking to not only make the roster but potentially earn starting reps.
In his second game with the Jaguars secondary, Flowers held his targets to only two receptions on five targets, culminating in a measly nine yards. To add to the low yardage totals, he also had two pass breakups. Overall, his coverage was about as good as it could be, and Flowers more than earned the Player of the Game nod from PFF.
As part of the defense that held the Buccaneers to only seven points, Flowers earned his flowers for his play in Jacksonville. If he puts together another solid performance in the final preseason game, Flowers has a chance to make a huge impact on the 2024 Jaguars season.
Honourable Mentions
As with every game, there are plenty of unsung heroes or under-appreciated players. Maason Smith and Yasir Abdullah continued their impressive preseason. Both pressured the opposing quarterback, one for Smith and two for Abdullah, to go along with an incredible pass rush win rate of over 30 percent. Smith and Abdullah coming into their own for the Jaguars’ defense would be a massive boost for a defense that needed a pass rush in 2023.
Cam Little continued his impressive preseason, this time hitting two field goals on his birthday. Cole Van Lanen and Walker Little both were great along the offensive line, while Tank Bigsby put together a solid performance that is encouraging going into his second year.
Overall, a lot of the players the Jaguars needed to see improvement out of, like Tank Bigsby and Yasir Abdullah, are putting things together. The youth on the Jaguars is standing out, with Maason Smith, Parker Washington, Abdullah, Bigsby, and Cam Little just from this week out. But, veterans like Mac Jones and Tre Flowers have also stood out during the Jaguars’ preseason. There’s plenty of optimism heading into the 2024 season for the Jaguars, and a lot of that optimism originates from the impressive performances of the three winners from the Jaguars preseason Week 2 matchup.
Main Image: Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK
