Most of us are encouraged, even if our enthusiasm is tempered due to the team's past performances and this being preseason.
Nevertheless, it's felt a little better to be a Jaguars fan than it has in a while after the team beat Pittsburgh.
What sort of things are you looking for in this upcoming game?
1. Continued consistency from Bortles-Bortles played well against Pittsburgh. Though he had a couple of high throws, most of his throws were on target. Several instances showed Bortles scanning the field and not locking onto a single receiver, stepping up into the pocket and not abandoning the play with a premature scramble, and making a good throw. I would like to see him do this in a hostile setting. Granted, a road preseason game is typically nowhere near as intense as regular or post season as far as the crowd goes. But having him perform well on the road will increase his confidence, the team's confidence in him, and the fans confidence overall.
2. Continued improvement in the running game-One of the things that made last week so encouraging was the team showed balance. Denard Robinson, Toby Gerhart and Bernard Pierce all had their moments on the ground as the team was able to run the ball effectively.
3. I want another big game from the passing offense-Too often in this team's history, I can recall instances where we have gone up against a team with an area depleted by injuries, only to have our team not being able to capitalize on it. In 2004, the Titans came in to Jacksonville with a depleted secondary and beat us because Garrard and company could not exploit them. A few years later, we went to Seattle, whose offensive line was decimated by injuries. Jaguars fans hoped for a big game from the pass rush. Instead, our beloved Jaguars got smacked 41-0. Though this is preseason, the Giants are an injury depleted secondary. I would like to see this young group exploit this with some big plays.
4. Improvement in the defensive trenches. Last week we played without our starters on the OL. We get some reinforcements this week. Odrick, Miller and Clemons are now healthy. I want to see improvement in stopping the run, and a stronger pass rush.
5. More from the young guys. Sure, Sample will likely have to wait another week or two to return, as will Yeldon. But can Cap Capi continue to make an impact on the pass rush? Will Cann continue to provide a good pocket and get more movement in the run game? Can Rashad Greene make more big plays in the passing game and on punt returns? Can Bennett continue to make an impact at DT? What will other UDFAs like Grant and Marshall do?
6. Will the secondary pass this test-Last week, the DBs had to go against one of the best passing attacks in football with Big Ben, Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant. There is another formidable test
this weekend with Eli Manning, Odell Backham , Jr., and a healthy Victor Cruz.
7. How deep is LB? Going into last week's game, there was wide concern about the depth and lack of experience at LB. I think that was lessened to a certain extent with the performance of the backups, but was that an aberration, or will guys like Fortt and Armbrister show they can play at this level?
8. The kicking competition: The talk surrounding it seems to have died down, as it seems that Scobee has taken control. Will Myers stick around, or will Scobee cement his spot on the team and lengthen his tenure.
9. A healthier team-As exciting as it was to see Julius Thomas, it was equally disappointing to see him out for at least three games due to injury. We need to get through this game with no further injuries.
Your thoughts?
Worst to 1st. Curse Reversed!
