Make no mistake...I love watching Jaguars football.  But this is my first time watching them with glasses.  It took some getting used to.  UGH!  Anyway, this is what I saw-a little more clearly than before....

1.  One of the main reasons football fans hate preseason is the risk of injury-especially catastrophic injury-to top players in games that do not count.  We were pretty lucky last year and the first two games this preseason.  Tonight?  Not so much.  Lee went down with what looks like a torn ACL.  Dareus took himself out of the game with a pectoral injury.   Finally, a DB had a scary injury, but fortunately he was not paralyzed.  He walked off on his own power, and is likely concussed.  I am not holding out much hope for Lee at this point, but I wish all three of these players speedy recoveries.

2.  Sometimes I think the criticism Bortles gets from observers around the country is gratuitous and undeserved.  But then we see performances like the one he had tonight where he threw two INTs, and I am left dumbfounded and dismayed.  I don't know exactly how the receivers were supposed to run their routes (although Moncrief seemed to take criticism from FT and Marrone for not clearing out properly on the 2nd INT), but in the absence of any other informed opinion showing otherwise, I'm left to wonder what the heck happned on that INT in Minnesota, and the first INT tonight.  If the Jaguars are to reach the Super Bowl, plays like these cannot continue.  Plays like this will not silence the Bridgewater talk.  Bortles may be able to brush it off, but it's aggravating for me to hear people want to impose mediocre QBs on us all the time.  Furthermore, it can be demoralizing to think we could have two Super Bowl caliber defenses (2006 and 2018) wasted due to bad QB play (yes I know we are in preseason and not all is as bleak as it appears).  The second half of last season and the post season showed that Bortles can play at a high enough level for us to be able to play with anyone.  He needs to get back to that level of play.

3.  I know the Falcons did not play Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman, but man I love our defense!  After a shaky start, the defense clamped down, recording three sacks on Ryan and missing out on one more.Ngakoue, Malik Jackson, Calais Campbell, Dareus, Jack, Telvin Smith, JR20, and Patmon all showed up big time.  The only completion Ramsey allowed was on a perfectly thrown back shoulder fade the receiver had to one hand while falling out of bounds.  When the Falcons got into our territory, we shut em down.  Good job, guys!

4.  When most people post on message boards about offensive coordinators, they are usually complaining about playcalling, wanting him to be fired, or talking about prospects to replace the guy we have either as HC or off. coord.  This is not one of those posts.  I don't know if this is borne more out of necessity here or what, but Hackett is an imaginative play designer-caller.  He had some nifty plays to get Grant out in the open field, continuing the play calling that kept the Steelers off balance all game long, and had the Patriots down in the first half.  Yes, he and Marrone can take some heat for going conservative in the AFCCG, but overall, I'm glad we have him here.  That combo is capable of keeping an opposing defense off balance more than most.

5.  there were a couple of interesting plays by Fournette that either indicates a change in running style, or an exhibition of skills that some felt he did not possess.  There was a run to the left (or maybe it was a catch in the flat) where LF was one on one with a DB.  I think last year, Fournette might have lowered his head and run over him.  But now, perhaps due to the new rules, Fournette tried running through him without lowering his head.  The other play was his TD, that featured him making cuts completely against the grain to weave his way into the end zone.  His performance tonight gives me hope for a big year from him.  While I am on the subject of RBs, Yeldon and Grant gave us some quality runs tonight.  If that continues, not only will it save some wear and tear on LF, but it will help to keep opposing defenses off balance.

6.  Weird to see Lambo actually miss a FG when he bounced one off the upright.  Similarly, it was comforting to see him nail one later.

7.  Rookie Watch:

• Taven Bryan-This is the first real extended look at him in a game.  His strengths and weaknesses were on display.  He showed excellent hustle in pursuit on plays run away from him, and got a couple of solid hits on some ball carriers.  There were a couple of plays where, while he was not in on the tackle, was disruptive enough by collapsing the side of the OL to ruin the play.  The personal foul called against him was complete horse [BLEEP].  He was blocked into the guy.  On the down side, there were some plays where he seemed slow off the snap, and there were other plays where his strength and pad level enabled him to get under a guy's pads and get him off balance, but whether through the lack of leg drive or for some other unknown reason, he was unable to exploit the advantage.  I see why he was considered a first rounder, I see why it made sense for the team to take him, and I see why people said he is a project.  He may or may not rank with the Jaguars all time great DLs by the time all is said and done, but I already like him better than guys like Alualu and Renaldo Wynn.
  
•  DJ Chark-was quieter today than he was in the first two games.  He had a decent kickoff return.  There were passing plays where he was open.  On the first, Blake was inaccurate with his pass.  On the latter, in the red zone, Chark appeared open but for whatever reason Blake didn't get it to him.  If Lee's injury is as bad as feared, Chark will need to step up more quickly. 
  
• Ronnie Harrison-DNP
  
• Will Richardson-Played RT in the second half, and there didn't seem to be much chaos or pressure coming from that side.  As it stands now, he has not provided a wow moment to me, but seemed pretty stable tonight.
  
• Tanner Lee-DNP...thankfully
  
• Leon Jacobs-Started at SAM and played decently.  One play in particular stand out as particularly impressive.  Ryan and the Falcons faked a run to the left and bootlegged Ryan out to the right, with a full back flaring out to the right flat.  A less instinctive and disciplined player would have pursued the RB who didn't have the ball, leaving the FB wide open for a huge gain.  Although Jacobs did take a couple of false steps, he saw the play developing, had enough athleticism to change directions and cover the FB to the flat, and the play, IIRC resulted in a sack.   That play seems to encapsulate all of the praise for his smarts and overall ability that so many have given him.
  
• Logan Cook-had a pretty good game.  It seems since that first padded practice where it seems he produced bad wobbly punts, he has been on point, and appears to have been another quality pick.
  
• Tony Adams-This is the first really extended look I had of him.  He played C, and my overall impressions are that he played well, but just as I had formulated that thought, he gave up the sack by a guy who out quicked him and got under him,.  I don't know if he makes the final 53 or not.  His ability to play all three interior positions will help his cause, but given his circuitous route to get here, will that have set him back enough to make him more a PS candidate?
  

8.  Good to see Norwell in there.  By the time he left the game, I was impressed.  Counter to the guy we signed from Denver and went to SF, he actually seemed to provide some push in the running game.  There were runs where the POA moved from the LOS to a few yards forward.  On passes, IIRC, he gave up a sack late in a play, but generally he did a very good job keeping his guy away from Blake.  He had a great pull to the right and laid a block that enabled Fournette to score.  I am excited to see what he brings to the team.

9.  I have a hard time seeing Jarrod Wilson not making this team.  As deep and as talented as this defense is, anything's possible, but he seems to make plays when he gets in the game, and he did the same tonight.  He had that PBU in the end zone late in the first half. 

10.  Good to see Fowler back, though he didn't seem to have too much impact in the game.  The off sides against him was bogus.  Also nice to see Moncrief and ASJ finally make some impact in the passing game.  We will need more of that from them.

11.  Still not sure who the 5th/6th WR/PR will be.  I still think it may be Mickens, but I'm left to wonder how Lee's injury will change the dynamic.  Would there now be room for two out of the three of Mickens, Greene and Wynn?

12.  Bottom line:  Even though the injury to Lee sucks, I think as long as Dareus' pectoral injury does not linger on throughout the season (or worse is a season ending one), we are in decent shape from an injury perspective.  Not to throw Jones under the bus, but it seems when we have been gashed in the running game this preseason, it's been when Jones was the DT, just like the pre Dareus part of last year.   Now, we have to get as healthy as possible, figure out the bottom of our roster, figure out how to eliminate the QB INTs, and prepare to stomp the Giants in week one.

Thanks again for your comprehensive impressions of the game. It's really difficult to make much of anything that happens in pre-season games for the obvious reasons. I do think, however, that certain individual performances could be significant in predicting what to expect from these players during the regular season. The ones which stood out to me were:

1. Fournette- The offense revolves around him and his highlight-reel touchdown run was very encouraging. He seems quicker due to off-season weight loss and I expect great things from 
                   him this season.

2. Myles Jack- I kept my glasses on him during several plays and he was all over the field. He and Telvin are a great duo. Both should be pro-bowlers this season.

3. Corey Grant- He keeps getting better and needs to get 5-10 touches per game. He's especially dangerous on screen passes.

4. Cody Kessler- Big upgrade at back-up quarterback. Jags can win with him if Blake gets hurt or benched later in the season.

5. Blake Bortles- He can't make mistakes in the regular season like he has committed the last 2 games. The 1 interception was terrible and the left-handed shuffle pass while under duress
                        was even worse. His toughness is a big asset and fits perfectly with the team's personality, but he must take better care of the ball. Whether this team reaches it's overall
                        potential (Super Bowl) or not will inevitably depend on which Blake we see beginning with the opener against the Giants.

6. Malik Jackson- If he performs during the regular season like he did yesterday, this defense will be all-world! He made 1 play after another and opposing offensive lines will not be able to 
                         contend with a starting line of Yannick, Malik, Dareus and Calais. Talk about picking your poison!

Spot on analysis.

I especially think you are right about Kessler.

I think he could win some games for us in a pinch.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

My impressions of the game?

I feel just terrible for Marqise Lee. I know how hard he works day in and day out. I know what leadership he exudes through his intense professionalism. I really hope he can rehab and return. 

WRs put 100% of their trust in the QB. GOOD QBs don't put their WRs in bad positions.

It's up to the QB to see trouble coming and not make a throw that leads the WR into danger. Byron Leftwich eventually lost his job when it was determined that if he continued to pay no credence to this unwritten law he would irreparably damage his entire WR corps. 

There seems to be this disconnect in modern coaching that allows a quarterback to treat WRs as disposable. This 'dime a dozen' mentality unfortunately seems to be the norm as we see more and more QBs damaging WRs and/or RBs as if this were simply a unavoidable part of the game. Keeping a completion percentage elevated at the expense of a WR is not the object of the game.

Bortles was NOT rushed heavily. He was NOT under duress. Yet he did not go through his progressions.

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This is my one worry about our roster. Our WR corp seems to just be flooded with slot receivers. We could probably get by with that for the most part but it is a glaring issue with our team.

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No pain, no gain.

I made a point of watching Norwell, and my impression of him is, he's a very large man who moves extremely well for his size.

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This is my one worry about our roster. Our WR corp seems to just be flooded with slot receivers. We could probably get by with that for the most part but it is a glaring issue with our team.

Not really. They are lacking big-bodied guys, but they really only have two "slot receivers" in the group. Cole and Greene. Of course McCardell and Hackett have them all learning each of the three WR spots, but those are the two that seem natural in the slot. 

There are other guys that can play there, but Westbrook isn't a slot guy. He's a Z.  Mickens is probably more of a Z receiver than a slot guy as well, but that remains to be seen. I have no idea what Wynn is except tiny and unlikely to make the roster. Here's hoping Lazard can get some good reps in week 4 of preseason. 

The issue becomes "who's your X receiver after Moncrief?"  Cole and Chark are the next logical guys up there, but I'd hesitate to put them at X against defenses that like to press on the outside. They should do fine there against teams that have tendencies to play off the line more or play more zone coverage though.

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The thing is, when Abry Jones first came aboard, I never saw him as a liability in the run game.  I thought we got a bargain with him.

I still like him as a player, but ever since Dareus came aboard, it just seems apparent all of the big runs come with Jones in the lineup.  I'm prepared to say, given proof, that he is not solely responsible for the failures in the run defense.  But I believe it starts with him.

Regarding the OL, it's strange how things have worked out.  By the end of last year and coming into the preseason, we felt pretty good about the tackles and not so good about the interior three.  Exiting the preseason, it seems the confidence of the fan base seems more into the interior three than it is to the tackles.  I do have faith whatever problems of the OL will be straightened out by week 1.

Completely agree on all that.

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I'll add that Bortles had a couple of plays where he moved in the pocket nicely to avoid pressure. One where he stepped forward and another where he stepped left, and he completed passes on both. It was really nice to see and it's something top quarterbacks do. Often times he runs in those situations, but here he sensed the pressure, adjusted while still looking down field, and completed the pass.

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I'll add that Bortles had a couple of plays where he moved in the pocket nicely to avoid pressure.  One where he stepped forward and another where he stepped left, and he completed passes on both. It was really nice to see and it's something top quarterbacks do. Often times he runs in those situations, but here he sensed the pressure, adjusted while still looking down field, and completed the pass.

I think his pocket awareness is typically one of his strengths.

He senses pressure pretty well and does a good job stepping up and moving in the pocket.

But that pass to Yeldon?  SMH.

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This is my one worry about our roster. Our WR corp seems to just be flooded with slot receivers. We could probably get by with that for the most part but it is a glaring issue with our team.

Even though both can function in the slot, I wouldn't classify Chark or Moncrief as slot receivers.

I could see that description fitting Westbrook, Mickens, and even Cole-though he seems able to function outside, too.

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I made a point of watching Norwell, and my impression of him is, he's a very large man who moves extremely well for his size.

Yes.

Powerful, too.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

My impressions of the game?

I feel just terrible for Marqise Lee. I know how hard he works day in and day out. I know what leadership he exudes through his intense professionalism. I really hope he can rehab and return. 

WRs put 100% of their trust in the QB. GOOD QBs don't put their WRs in bad positions.

It's up to the QB to see trouble coming and not make a throw that leads the WR into danger. Byron Leftwich eventually lost his job when it was determined that if he continued to pay no credence to this unwritten law he would irreparably damage his entire WR corps. 

There seems to be this disconnect in modern coaching that allows a quarterback to treat WRs as disposable. This 'dime a dozen' mentality unfortunately seems to be the norm as we see more and more QBs damaging WRs and/or RBs as if this were simply a unavoidable part of the game. Keeping a completion percentage elevated at the expense of a WR is not the object of the game.

Bortles was NOT rushed heavily. He was NOT under duress. Yet he did not go through his progressions.

Are you seriously blaming Bortles for a DB going low and blowing out Lee’s knee?

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Jaguars Fundamentalist

4.  When most people post on message boards about offensive coordinators, they are usually complaining about playcalling, wanting him to be fired, or talking about prospects to replace the guy we have either as HC or off. coord.  This is not one of those posts.  I don't know if this is borne more out of necessity here or what, but Hackett is an imaginative play designer-caller.  He had some nifty plays to get Grant out in the open field, continuing the play calling that kept the Steelers off balance all game long, and had the Patriots down in the first half.  Yes, he and Marrone can take some heat for going conservative in the AFCCG, but overall, I'm glad we have him here.  That combo is capable of keeping an opposing defense off balance more than most.

I'm loving Hackett. After watching Bortles struggle out of the gate, I was impressed how he sort of took the ball out of his hands and leaned on the RBs who did a tremendous job.

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'02

Baldinger on the Jags pressure in the Falcons tilt;

https://twitter.com/BaldyNFL/status/1034120265062473729

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My impressions of the game?

I feel just terrible for Marqise Lee. I know how hard he works day in and day out. I know what leadership he exudes through his intense professionalism. I really hope he can rehab and return. 

WRs put 100% of their trust in the QB. GOOD QBs don't put their WRs in bad positions.

It's up to the QB to see trouble coming and not make a throw that leads the WR into danger. Byron Leftwich eventually lost his job when it was determined that if he continued to pay no credence to this unwritten law he would irreparably damage his entire WR corps. 

There seems to be this disconnect in modern coaching that allows a quarterback to treat WRs as disposable. This 'dime a dozen' mentality unfortunately seems to be the norm as we see more and more QBs damaging WRs and/or RBs as if this were simply a unavoidable part of the game. Keeping a completion percentage elevated at the expense of a WR is not the object of the game.

Bortles was NOT rushed heavily. He was NOT under duress. Yet he did not go through his progressions.

QB's have microseconds to make a decision. There is no way Bortles can be held responsible for Lee taking a hit. It's his job to determine whether he can complete the pass. 

So much happens in the time Bortles begins his throwing motion and the time the receiver catches it... do you know how difficult it would be for Bortles to figure out if he is putting a receiver in harms way???

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My impressions of the game?

I feel just terrible for Marqise Lee. I know how hard he works day in and day out. I know what leadership he exudes through his intense professionalism. I really hope he can rehab and return. 

WRs put 100% of their trust in the QB. GOOD QBs don't put their WRs in bad positions.

It's up to the QB to see trouble coming and not make a throw that leads the WR into danger. Byron Leftwich eventually lost his job when it was determined that if he continued to pay no credence to this unwritten law he would irreparably damage his entire WR corps. 

There seems to be this disconnect in modern coaching that allows a quarterback to treat WRs as disposable. This 'dime a dozen' mentality unfortunately seems to be the norm as we see more and more QBs damaging WRs and/or RBs as if this were simply a unavoidable part of the game. Keeping a completion percentage elevated at the expense of a WR is not the object of the game.

Bortles was NOT rushed heavily. He was NOT under duress. Yet he did not go through his progressions.

Are you seriously blaming Bortles for a DB going low and blowing out Lee’s knee?

Yeah I can't put blame on Bortles for that at all. Lee was open and he hit him on stride. He ran a good 4 steps or so before being hit. He wasnt "put in harm's way" it was a bad hit by the DB.

It happens. Jax did it last year on a block against Malik Hooker. It sucks all the way around. I'm sure Kazee didn't intend to hurt Lee, even if he made a bad decision.

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IT WAS ALWAYS THE JAGS

There's no way you could blame Blake on the Lee injury.

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Baldinger on the Jags pressure in the Falcons tilt;

https://twitter.com/BaldyNFL/status/1034120265062473729

Love these clips!

Have you found any of Taven Bryan plays? I have been looking for some stuff of him from the other night but didn't manage to find anything beside the usual highlighs of the game.

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Baldinger on the Jags pressure in the Falcons tilt;

https://twitter.com/BaldyNFL/status/1034120265062473729

Cousins and Ryan were a combined 8-20 for 69 yards and 4 sacks against our Defense this preseason.

If there's anything you can take away from this preseason, it's that our Defense is ready to go. They're going to be really, really good again.

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