Jacksonville Jaguars 20, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7: 5 Observations

What did we see out of Mac Jones and the Jacksonville Jaguars in their 20-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday?

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones (10) gets off a pass during early second quarter action. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at EverBank Stadium for the Jaguars second preseason game of the season Saturday, August 17, 2024. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union] / Bob Self/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

Another night, another preseason win for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Most starters on both sides sat out during the Jaguars' 20-7 preseason victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, giving plenty of backups and depth pieces on both sides of the ball a chance to stand out.

So, what did we see during the preseason bout? We break it down below.

Mac Jones takes a stranglehold on No. 2 QB job

Doug Pederson said earlier this week that C.J. Beathard and Mac Jones were still competing for the No. 2 quarterback job. If Saturday was any indication, that competition should be over. Jones didn't have a perfect outing, with sacks and some missed throws popping up, but he also converted a 3rd-and-15 and a 3rd-and-17 and led three scoring drives. He ran a smoother operation than Beathard did before Beathard's groin injury, and this battle should be considered over and done with.

“Well, we knew two quarterbacks, that once Mac was done, he would have to stay ready in the second half. That's always a given. I thought overall, Mac played a solid football game," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said.

"He was obviously into it. You saw his intensity out there. Made some great throws. Just led the team like expected. And for him to come back off the bench there late in the game to throw this touchdown pass to Brevin [Easton]. He loves playing. He loves playing the game. He did some great things tonight and helped us win this game.

Backup offensive line has up-and-down performance

Other than a series from Walker Little, Ezra Cleveland and Anton Harrison, the Jaguars mostly played their core backups on the offensive line on Saturday. There were some bright spots, with Cooper Hodges performing well in the running game and Cole Van Lanen pitching a shoutout in pass-protection at right tackle. But the Jaguars also had some issues, with Hodges and left tackle Javon Foster both allowing three pressures apiece according to Pro Football Focus, while left guard Tyler Shatley and guard Blake Hance had some down moments as well. Ultimately, the Jaguars quarterbacks were sacked five times and lost 51 yards.

“Listen, they did a great job. Some of their pressure packages were timely. We got edged a little bit on a couple of those sacks," Pederson said. "And the secondary. Their secondary covered our guys. So, a little bit of everything. We’ve got to take a look at the film and obviously make some corrections and improve a little bit there."

Chad Muma has another solid performance

The standout performance on defense likely came from linebacker Chad Muma, who got to take reps at inside linebacker with Foyesade Oluokun and Devin Lloyd sitting out the game. Muma singlehandedly stopped one Buccaneers drive, stopping a run at the line of scrimmage on one play and then making a tackle in coverage to allow zero yards after the catch on another. Muma has had a solid preseason and training camp and will have some kind of role in Ryan Nielsen's defense.

Tank Bigsby gets fed the ball

The Jaguars seemed hell-bent on getting Tank Bigsby more reps on Saturday, which makes sense considering he had just 15 carries in the final seven games of the 2023 season. Bigsby posted a decent statline, recording all 37 of his rushing yards after contact and catching three passes as the core piece of the offense. Bigsby didn't have some type of transcendent performance, but it does appear he has at least raised the floor of his game and has bought some trust from the coaching staff.

“Yeah, I think Tank is really improving. Obviously still some work to do. He did a nice job up again. He ran tough, took care of the football," Pederson said. "Obviously, we'll take a look at the tape and watch it. I really think he's done some really good things for a young player and going to help us offensively and just continue to grow as a running back.”

Rough night for two receivers fighting for a roster spot

It seems as if Parker Washington and Devin Duvernay have the No. 4 and No. 5 receiver spots on lock, and it didn't hurt that both made some big grabs. Tim Jones is likely the leader for the No. 6 spot con considering his important role on special teams. That leaves a potential No. 7 spot -- if the Jaguars even carry that many.

Two of the early camp favorites for that spot were Elijah Cooks and Joshua Cephus, but both had plays they will want back. Cooks dropped an accurate pass from Jones that would have resulted in a first-down and then some, while Cephus fumbled during the second half for the Jaguars' only turnover. Austin Trammell had a solid night, but the Jaguars likely need outside depth more than they need another slot receiver.

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