Buccaneers @ Jaguars
Final Score: Jaguars 20 – Buccaneers 7
Writer: Brett Ford (@FadeThatMan)
Doug Pederson is known as a quarterback whisperer, having taken career journeyman Nick Foles and turning him into a Super Bowl winning quarterback during his time with the Eagles. Maybe, just maybe, he can do something similar with newly acquired Mac Jones in Jacksonville. Jones was easily the most interesting performer in this contest as the Jags earned the home victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Let’s dig in.
Three Up
- Mac Jones – Jones looked phenomenal, confident and decisive.
- Kyle Trask – Overshadowed by Jones’ performance, but still looked good and likely locked up QB2 standing (if he hadn’t already) with Wolford’s injury.
- Austin Trammell – Looked sharp in his route-running and gained yards after the catch
Three Down
- John Wolford– Had a rough day taking the second-half snaps, completing just 50% of his passes and was knocked out of the game in the final minutes on a big hit.
- Chase McLaughlin – Missed his only field goal chance of the day, yanking a 42-yarder wide left. He connected on his only extra point though.
- CJ Beathard – Suffered a groin injury and may have lost his job to Mac Jones.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Quarterback
Kyle Trask: 12/19, 108 Yards, TD | 1 Carry, 4 Yards
Trask was good, leading a touchdown drive for the Buccaneers on one of his four drives. Most of Trask’s throws were in short-yardage areas, as he and the Bucs dinked and dunked to move the ball upfield. On his touchdown throw, he did a great job of eluding the rush and extending the play to find his receiver for a score. Trask came back in for the final minute of the game after Wolford was hurt and nearly led the Bucs to another score but couldn’t punch it into the end zone on the final few plays.
Gene Deckerhoff calls Kyle Trask's touchdown pass to Cody Thompson pic.twitter.com/xr5igKeInn
— Bucs Rays Bolts (@BucsRaysBoltsYT) August 18, 2024
John Wolford: 7/14, 52 Yards
The last time Bucs QB John Wolford played a game on Duval soil was 2013 for Bishop Kenny. He completed 25 of 36 passes for 539 yards and eight touchdowns, and ran 17 times for 234 yards and two TDs — and BK lost 74-73 to Clay in a Region 1-5A semifinal. @BKHSFootball @Jaguars
— Gsmitter (@gsmitter) August 17, 2024
Wolford played his first game in Jacksonville since high school. Saturday night didn’t go quite as well. He completed just 50% of his passes, and was knocked out of the game in the final two minutes after he took a big hit and drew a roughing the passer penalty.
Running Back
Sean Tucker: 4 Carries, 32 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 1 Yard
Tucker showed good vision on his limited touches, gaining most of his yardage on a play where he was stopped in the original hole and reversed the field to earn chunk yardage. He also caught his only target out of the backfield. Tucker also returned a pair of kicks, including a 30-yard return, a team-high on the day.
Sean Tucker just made the nastiest cut 😮💨pic.twitter.com/naxPWCiTH0
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) August 18, 2024
Bucky Irving: 6 Carries, 26 Yards
Irving looked really strong out of the Bucs backfield on his limited opportunities. He showed some really good vision on his carries, hitting the hole when the space was there and bouncing the ball outside a couple of times when the hole collapsed. He continues to make me think that he can cut into Rachaad White’s workload.
Bucky Irving @ Jacksonville Jaguars.
All touches.2024 Preseason, Week 2. pic.twitter.com/lFyxum7M1U
— Zareh Kantzabedian (@ZKantzFF) August 18, 2024
DJ Williams: 2 Carries, 7 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Trey Palmer: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 10 Yards
The only name in this receiving corps that mattered in fantasy last season, Palmer was targeted once in the first quarter and made the catch on his only opportunity. It might be a red flag that Palmer was on the field at all in week two, considering that no one else of consequence played, but he still seems a favorite to make the team as a fourth wide receiver.
Cody Thompson: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 66 Yards, TD | 2 Carries, 12 Yards
Thompson was a solid performer for the Buccaneers offense, proving to be one of Trask’s favorite targets. He worked himself open on several good routes, including making himself available to his quarterback on a scramble play for a score. Todd Bowles commented on his performance in the post-game conference as well.
#Bucs HC Todd Bowles spoke very highly of WR Cody Thompson after the game. Bowles mentioned that the lights weren’t too big for Thompson and he was the bright spot of the offense. pic.twitter.com/hjEODajU9n
— PewterReport 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) August 18, 2024
Tanner Knue: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 33 Yards
Listed at 5’11” and 179 pounds, Knue likely reminds Buccaneers fans of Scotty Miller, a small and shifty wide receiver who seems to find ways to get open in spite of his size. He also returned a kick for 20 yards. The rookie out of Eastern Michigan is looking to stick around and make the practice squad
Devin Culp: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 18 Yards
Culp converted a third down with a catch in the red zone, and worked with the second-teamers for most of the game. Listed as fourth on the Bucs’ TE depth chart, Culp has shown speed and athleticism at the position and could be a sleeper to make the roster.
Sal Cannella: 5 Targets, 2 Receptions, 16 Yards
Jalen McMillan: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
Jacksonville Jaguars
Quarterback
Mac Jones: 16/23, 210 Yards, 2 TDs | 6 Carries, 14 Yards
Jones looked a lot more like the guy we saw in Tuscaloosa than the guy we saw in Foxborough, carrying himself and the offense with confidence and poise. He was intercepted on his first drive, but was bailed out by defensive pass interference. Other than that, Jones was nearly mistake-free. He looked especially strong on a 17-play, 80-yard touchdown drive in the first half. He returned in the second half after Beathard suffered a groin injury and led the team to another touchdown. It appears that Jones has done enough to win the QB2 job in Jacksonville, especially if Beathard ends up missing time.
Who?! @MacJones_10!
#TBvsJAX on CBS pic.twitter.com/9Fv4OHZsTt— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) August 18, 2024
CJ Beathard: 5/7, 40 Yards | 2 Carries, 10 Yards
Tough day for Beathard who left the game early after being sacked twice on the same series. Based on Jones’ performance today, Beathard stands to lose out on the backup job for the Jags. Missing time isn’t going to help his cause.
Running Back
Gary Brightwell: 9 Carries, 43 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 7 Yards
The former New York Giants running back split the lead back duties on Saturday and averaged almost 5.0 yards per carry while doing it. During his tenure with the Giants he showed tenacity and an ability to catch the ball out of the backfield as well. He could stick as a depth running back behind Travis Etienne if he continues to perform well. He also made a nice hit on special teams coverage, so that could help his cause for a roster spot as well.
Tank Bigsby: 10 Carries, 37 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 19 Yards
Bigsby looked better than he did a season ago, making guys miss and gaining yards after contact on nearly every one of his touches. He was solid in his pass-blocking opportunities and was split out wide for a couple of plays. Bigsby is one of those guys who could surprise people in fantasy this year if he makes a second-year leap. He’s become kind of a punchline, but could redeem himself if he plays like he did this weekend.
Now this looks like the Tank Bigsby I saw in college. Hopeful for a year two improvement! pic.twitter.com/f6LOXlL89A
— Ben Cummins (@BenCumminsFF) August 18, 2024
Jalen Jackson: 8 Carries, 24 Yards
D’Ernest Johnson: 3 Carries, 12 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 9 Yards
These two are likely battling for a roster spot, and Jackson got more of the opportunities this past weekend. Jackson is more of a power back while Johnson has shown versatility in a lot of different facets of the game, including special teams. That could give the veteran the edge as the cutline approaches.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Brian Thomas Jr.: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 14 Yards
Probably the most fantasy-relevant name in this whole write-up, Brian Thomas Jr. wasn’t on the field long but ran a great route and showed good body control to reel in a pass on the sideline on a deep comeback route. His footwork and route running in this clip alone make me really excited for what his potential could be this season.
Brian Thomas Jr. puts defender on skates pic.twitter.com/dshQVTLxwr
— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) August 18, 2024
Austin Trammell: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 75 Yards
Built in the mold of Cole Beasley, Trammell is a fourth-year receiver out of Rice who has spent time with multiple teams and is looking to stick with Jacksonville this season. He’s shown good route-running skills and a knack for YAC, and has put together a nice film. If he doesn’t stick in Jacksonville, it would be fun to see him go to a team with a need for a short-yardage slot receiver.
Im only still here for Trammell…
He knew the defender over-pursued, so he put on the breaks and put his legs in overdrive. pic.twitter.com/Q5M7MurwDu
— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) August 18, 2024
Parker Washington: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 38 Yards, TD
Washington showed the NFL that he could be a competent receiver late last season and continued to impress with his performance on Saturday. Washington caught a pair of short balls and then pulled in a 25-yard touchdown from Jones up the seam, finding a soft spot in the middle of what looked like a cover two zone and pulling in a tough catch in stride.
Parker "Parker Washington" Washington
@CPW11_ | #TBvsJAX on CBS pic.twitter.com/tEGP27Tcvi— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) August 18, 2024
Brevin Easton: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 33 Yards, TD
Easton looked excellent on his touchdown catch, beating his man from the slot on a corner route and pulling in a finesse pass dropped in by Jones. He caught the corner flat-footed and blew right past him with a quick deke move for an easy catch and score.
Week Two Pre-Season
Mac Jones Passing TD (2)
to Brevin Easton (1) pic.twitter.com/0uPGxq14x2— NFL TD Videos (@NFLTDVids) August 18, 2024
Devin Duvernay: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 15 Yards
Joseph Scates: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 14 Yards
Shawn Bowman: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 12 Yards
Denzel Mims: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 7 Yards
Joshua Cephus: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 7 Yards, Fumble (Lost)