Jacksonville Jaguars Dominate Falcons in Preseason Finale
In their final preseason game, the Jacksonville Jaguars traveled to Atlanta and delivered a resounding 31-0 victory over the Falcons. The starting offense and defense looked as though they were already in mid-season form—a promising sign as they prepare for a challenging Week 1 matchup against the Miami Dolphins. Let’s break down the first few drives where the starters were in action.
Offense
Drive 1
The Jaguars started strong on their first offensive snap, lining up in a 12 personnel offset I formation and motioning Z receiver Brian Thomas Jr. to the wing opposite the tight end. They ran a weak-side counter with a fake reverse, executed perfectly with Scherff kicking out the defensive end and Engram sealing the inside linebacker. This created a clear path for Etienne, who burst through the hole for a 6-yard gain—a great start to get the offense rolling.
The Jaguars stayed in the same formation for the next play, running outside zone into the boundary. Etienne showcased excellent vision, slipping between the guard and tackle for a huge gain.
On the following snap, the Jaguars ran inside zone, with Trevor Lawrence pulling the ball and attempting to throw a speed out to Brian Thomas Jr., which fell incomplete. However, on the following play, Lawrence completed a play-action deep cross to Thomas Jr. which demonstrated the benefits of an effective early run game—linebackers overcommitted to the run, leaving the deep crosser wide open.
The next fews plays become moderate gains on a hitch and running a crunch concept. On the following play, Trevor makes a great throw under pressure after sliding to his left to give himself the extra fews seconds he needed to complete the pass. The play is very similar to the play he took the sack on in game one of the preseason, but this time he buys enough time to make the perfect throw to Parker Washington, who is having a great preseason.
The next two plays the Jaguars make small gains on split zone and toss runs. On the final play of the drive Trevor Lawrence connects with Evan Engram on a beautiful route where Engram stemmed the corner outside then came back inside where Lawrence delivered a perfect throw in between the corner and safety.
Drive 2
The Jaguars’ second drive began with a moderate gain on outside zone, followed by a quick pass to Engram in the flat for a first down. The offense was rolling, forcing the Falcons to overcommit on every play-action pass.
The Jaguars continued their success with a big gain on split zone, where Mitch Morse effectively blocked the play-side interior linebacker, allowing Etienne to remain untouched until the third level. Etienne’s vision and cutting ability were on full display here.
On the next play Lawrence, who had looked sharp all preseason, fired a laser between two linebackers on a play-action rollout, hitting Parker Washington once again. This throw, best appreciated from the end zone view, showcased Lawrence’s precision.
On the next play, Lawrence adeptly stepped up and scrambled for a decent gain after Harrison was beaten around the left edge. Following an incomplete hitch & go to Gabe Davis, the Jaguars ran inside zone twice and a toss. Lawrence then completed a stick route pass to Engram, who took it down to the 6-yard line. Two plays later, Lawrence connected with Engram for another touchdown, this time on a well-executed corner route.
Defense
Drive 1
The Falcons’ first play was a slant out of Gun Empty Quads, but Tyson Campbell broke up the pass brilliantly. I liked that the Jaguars immediately brought five defenders when faced with an empty backfield.
On the next play, the Falcons motioned their tight end into a bunch formation and ran a snag, flat, corner concept. The Jaguars were in Cover 3, but no one covered the flat, resulting in an uncontested throw that was fortunately dropped by the tight end.
On 3rd down, the Jaguars brought a 6-man hot pressure, including the safety, but the Falcons managed to complete a dig route for a first down. While it didn’t work out, it was good to see the Jaguars bringing pressure rather than sitting back.
The next play saw the Jaguars generate good pressure via Gibson (who was just traded to the Seahawks), forcing the Falcons’ quarterback to scramble for 8 yards before a holding penalty brought it back. The coverage was excellent, with the Jaguars in Cover 2 against 4-verts. On the following play, the Falcons ran outside zone, but the Jaguars’ front seven dominated at the point of attack. Gibson knocked the tackle back, forcing an early cutback, and Maason Smith flattened down the line to make the play, with Muma scraping from the backside to assist. This was textbook outside zone run fits.
Maason Smith continued to impress, generating pressure on the quarterback on the next play, though the Falcons managed a moderate gain on a dump-off to the flat. On third down, the Jaguars used an exotic front to generate pressure with five defenders, forcing an early throw that Tyson Campbell broke up.
Drive 2
The Falcons opened their next drive with a play-action pass off split zone to the tight end in the flat. Antonio Johnson, too focused on rerouting the receiver, was late to the flat, resulting in a 9-yard gain.
The following play, the Falcons run zone arc and the quarterback pulls it for a first down. Trayvon Walker surfs a bit too hard down the line and cannot redirect quick enough for a tackle on the quarterback.
The Falcons then attempted a jet sweep, but Ronald Darby made a great tackle on the crack replace. After a hitch for a first down, the Falcons ran stretch for a moderate gain, followed by a quarterback scramble and an incomplete pass. This left the Falcons with a 4th down on the Jaguars’ 38-yard line. They targeted Tyson Campbell on a go route, but Campbell’s tight coverage forced the ball into the dirt.
Conclusion
The Jaguars delivered exactly the performance you’d hope for heading into the regular season. While it’s important not to overreact to preseason results, it’s hard not to be excited about the way this team is clicking as they prepare for Week 1.