Jaguars vs. Falcons: 5 Observations

What did we see in the Jacksonville Jaguars' 31-0 win over the Atlanta Falcons?

Aug 23, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) runs the ball against the Atlanta Falcons in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Jacksonville Jaguars rolled over the Atlanta Falcons in Friday's preseason finale, leaving with a 31-0 victory and plenty of positive momentum ahead of Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins.

“Yeah, I thought both offensively and defensively, the starters did a nice job coming in. It's always tough, I know, on those guys, because you just don't know how long you're going to play," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said after the win.

"But for them, especially offensively, to come in and get the two scores like they did, put some good drives together early, it was good to see. Defensively, the same way. Being able to get those stops and come off the field all night, and even when the back-ups and the young guys played, they played hard and fast and proud of everybody for the way they competed tonight.”

So, what did we see in the shutout win? We break it down below.

Trevor Lawrence and Evan Engram continue their chemistry

Trevor Lawrence's favorite target on Friday was naturally tight end Evan Engram. With starting slot receiver Christian Kirk held out with a calf injury, Engram was the pass-catcher on the field who Lawrence has the most experience and chemistry with by far. It showed on both of Engram's touchdown catches, especially his first one where he was able to get both feet in at the back end of the end zone, something the Jaguars struggled to do last year.

“I just think it comes with the three years that they've been together, honestly, and the time they've spent. Trevor [Lawrence] knows exactly where he's going to be, and Evan [Engram] runs extremely good routes, and he's very disciplined there in detail," Pederson said. "So, it's just a complementary piece to our offense, and it was good to see them connect to that.”

Cam Little ends the preseason on a high note

Cam Little made a 40-yard field goal to end his first preseason 6-of-7 on field goals, and there is little question the Jaguars are feeling good about their rookie kicker. This preseason was all about getting Little prepared for the pressure that comes with being a starting kicker in the regular season, and Pederson did a good job of protecting his rookie from disadvantageous situations as well, including a potential 60-plus yarder on Friday.

“Yeah, he was disappointed I didn't put him out there again for that long one at the end, but I wasn't going to do that," Pederson said. "But, I think you come away from preseason feeling good about our situation there, and right now, it's just got to carry over. It's got to carry over to the regular season here in a couple weeks.”

Two key starters on defense don't dress out

The Jaguars' starting defense pitched a shutout against the Falcons' backup offense in the first-half, with the Jaguars' defensive line frequently displaying the talent mismatch on the field. The Jaguars did allow a 3rd-and-long conversion on the first drive and likely were a bit more bend-don't-break than you want to see against backups, but it is also worth noting that Arik Armstead and Foye Oluokun didn't dress. Each should be fine for Week 1, but the simple truth is we have yet to see the Jaguars' entire starting defense play together.

Maason Smith flashes

One of the most encouraging performances from Friday undoubtedly came from rookie defensive tackle Maason Smith. Smith's most impressive play was a near-sack after he had an incredibly quick win on his pass-rush. He didn't finish the sack, but he showed the athletic traits the Jaguars took a bet on with the No. 48 pick. Outside of that play, Smith also was in the backfield several times as a run defender. He is further along than expected.

Obviously need to finish, but Maason Smith with some #traits on display in preseason finale pic.twitter.com/3zCmMi2c64

— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) August 24, 2024

Offensive line gets much-needed reps

Friday's game marked the first time the Jaguars' Week1 offensive line (Cam Robinson, Ezra Cleveland, Mitch Morse, Brandon Scherff, and Anton Harrison) got preseason reps together. This means that despite going against a unit made up completely of backups, this was an important game for the Jaguars. Outside of a few penalties and missed blocks by right guard Brandon Scherff, the line did a good job of paving the way for Travis Etienne and keeping Trevor Lawrence clean. They will get 17 tougher tests this season than the one they got on Friday, but it was an important step.

“I thought it was good. I think there's still some things we can improve on and continue to work, but I thought overall they did a nice job," Pederson said. "Atlanta threw some pressures at us that we were unblocked, which is going to happen, one extra and Trevor [Lawrence] did a nice job getting the ball out of his hand. But, overall, I thought they played well.”

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