Steelers 16, Jaguars 15: Christian Kirk and Other Winners and Losers
The Jacksonville Jaguars had some good, some not-so-good and some simply "okay" in their 16-15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night -- but who stood out the most?
Ranging from positive performances to negative ones, the Jaguars had a wide spectrum of production on Saturday night. Considering it was likely the last time we see the Jaguars' starters this preseason, that makes the night even more critical.
So, who is a winner from the losing effort, and who came out on the other side as a potential victim of the results? We break it down below.
Winners
Christian Kirk
There is no question who the Jaguars' top passing game option was on Saturday. The big-money free agent addition bounced back after missing last week's preseason game with an ankle injury, seeing a team-leading eight targets while the first-team offense was on the field. He caught five of these targets for 54 yards, including two critical third-down receptions. He was targeted on two other third-downs too, giving him four third-down targets. He won on those reps, too, and his numbers would have been better if not for some misses from Trevor Lawrence.
Ben Bartch
The Steelers are a tough draw for any young offensive lineman, regardless if it is the preseason or regular season. They run an exotic defensive scheme that challenges opposing offensive lines thanks to the number of directions they send pressure from, so they were a good test for third-year left guard Ben Bartch. And while Bartch wasn't perfect, he did have some noticeable blocks in the running game after getting the start at left guard. With Tyler Shatley taking no first-team reps, it could be Bartch's job to lose.
Jawaan Taylor
Jawaan Taylor and Walker Little are still in a close fight at the right tackle position, but Taylor came out of Saturday night's game as the winner among the two, simply because Little allowed a sack to T.J. Watt and Taylor didn't. No player should be judged too harshly for allowing a sack to Watt -- and Little did have some nice plays of his own -- but it could prove to be the difference in the right tackle battle.
"I think it's going to be early until we watch the film and really chop it up in the morning and really see. But I thought overall, pretty good. It was a good test, too," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said after the game.
"T.J. is out there, [LB] T.J. Watt is out there playing the first couple series, and it was good for our tackles to play against him and get some work in that way. We'll evaluate the film in the morning and probably have a better determination on that."
Front 7
There was no question which unit stood out the most against the Steelers. From the first snap of the game when Josh Allen sped by left tackle Dan Moore with ease, to Roy Robertson-Harris and Foley Fatukasi wreaking havoc against the run, to Dawuane Smoot and Arden Key consistently getting pressure, the front seven was fantastic. The Jaguars allowed eight rushing yards on six carries (1.3 yards per carry) in the first half, which included a 10-yard scramble from Mitch Trubisky.
Tyson Campbell
Another night, another impressive performance from Tyson Campbell. While the Steelers took several shots deep downfield to open wideouts, Campbell wasn't in coverage for any of them. He kept wide receiver George Pickens completely in check and even had one of the plays of the game when he had a big-time tackle on Pickens on third-down to prevent a first-down.
Xavier Crawford
One of the most consistent backup defenders in training camp, Xavier Crawford stood out for the Jaguars as their backup nickel defender against the Steelers. He was a sound tackler and even managed to prevent the Steelers from entering the end-zone on two of the final passing plays of the game, providing physical and sound coverage from the slot.
Tim Jones
If any player made up ground for their run at the 53-man roster on Saturday, it was wide receiver Tim Jones. Jones caught five of six targets for 70 yards, which included a big 51-yard gain after he bounced off several tackles and sped downfield. Jones looked like a consistent and reliable option on Saturday night and deserves an extended look as camp progresses.
Losers
The running game
It was once again a bad night for the Jaguars' running game. The running attack is simply missing a punch at this time, with the Jaguars rushing 30 times for 97 yards (3.2 yards per carry) and not having any single running back crack 30 yards. Travis Etienne rushed eight times for 29 yards (3.6 yards per carry) while Snoop Conner rushed seven times for 19 yards (2.7 yards per carry). Those aren't numbers the Jaguars are going to be able to win with.
K'Lavon Chaisson
Former first-round pick K'Lavon Chaisson was given ample opportunity to make plays on Saturday night, but it just didn't happen. Chaisson took snaps with the first-team defense, but he was also still on the field late in the fourth-quarter with the backups. He led the defense in snaps with 33 (58%) but finished with just one tackle as he had issues generating pressure. His lone tackle came after a catch as well. Even against backups, plays simply are not being made.
Laviska Shenault
It has been a quiet preseason and training camp for Laviska Shenault. He didn't play against the Browns last week due to an injury and played just 10 offensive snaps on Saturday, seeing one target and catching it for six yards. He failed to impress as a punt returner as well, muffing one punt and returning the other just five yards as he looked like he lacked the bust to get upfield.
Ryan Santoso
Any night where the head coach calls your performance "disappointing" is a bad night. Ryan Santoso is fighting for his job even though he is the only kicker on the roster, and going 2-of-4 in a preseason game doesn't help. Each miss was beyond 50 yards, but neither was close enough to inspire much confidence.
