Jacksonville Jaguars @ Atlanta Falcons
Final Score: JAX 31 – ATL 0
Writer: Cesar Escajeda (@cescajeda13 on Twitter)
412 yards on offense and 30 first downs for the Jaguars – oh man. Considering Jacksonville ran their starting units against the bottom-of-the-roster hopefuls in Atlanta, you would probably expect this sort of outcome. Nevertheless, it was pretty fun to see, if slightly lopsided.
Three Up
- Evan Engram, TE (JAX) – Fantasy TE1 for 2024? What a performance by the 29-year-old former Ole Miss Rebel. Granted, he faced Atlanta’s twos and threes (maybe even fours) in their secondary, but he still brought in two TDs on 4/4 targets and was clearly Trevor Lawrence‘s favorite weapon on the night. The level of competition will obviously be stiffer, but Engram is flying high entering the regular season.
- Brian Thomas Jr., WR (JAX) – The rookie WR hit the ground running with a 38-yard catch on the Jags opening series. Lawrence looked his way early and Thomas flashed some promising athletic ability. Christian Kirk sat this game out with a calf injury, so it might be hard to tell what a regular game will look like in terms of target share – still, it’s good momentum for the star rookie entering Week 1.
- Parker Washington, WR (JAX) – Washington looked spry running with the Jaguars starting unit, amassing 35 yards on 4 catches (5 targets). I can’t speak for what the final depth chart in Jacksonville will look like come September, but in my eyes, he outperformed one of the ‘down’ performers tonight.
Two Down
- Gabe Davis, WR (JAX) – 2 targets, 0 receptions. The longtime Buffalo Bill was a hyped deep-threat acquisition in the offseason, but looked to lack a connection with Trevor Lawrence in this one. If Brian Thomas Jr. (or even Parker Washington) can do the job better, how much playing time (or fantasy opportunities) will Davis really get this year? Time might fix this as the season progresses, but it was disappointing considering the talent (or lack thereof) that Davis went against tonight.
- Taylor Heinicke, QB (ATL) – Heinicke wasn’t awful, but he simply didn’t do much with this game. A former starting QB is expected to move the offense down the field and put his team into position to score – he just couldn’t deliver. To be shut-out on the night just doesn’t sit well, even if he’s the likely QB3 in Atlanta anyways.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Quarterback
Trevor Lawrence: 8/10, 92 Yards, 2 TDs | 1 Carry, 9 Yards
Lawrence looked damn sharp to close out the Preseason.
Notes
- It has to be emphasized (multiple times) that Atlanta did NOT field their starters in this one. You still expect your franchise QB to perform, however, and Lawrence did just that. He played two series and led the offense up and down the field for two TDs, both to stud TE Evan Engram. Don’t let that fool you though, as Lawrence found multiple receivers open during his playing time and spread the ball well. It’s a very nice way to start the regular season for sure.
Missed Opportunities
- All I would note that was missed were his shots downfield to Gabe Davis. They didn’t appear to be massively off exactly, but it didn’t inspire a lot of confidence that they couldn’t connect, either.
Mac Jones: 13/18, 113 Yards, 1 TD | 1 Carry, 8 Yards
The offense did not miss a beat with the former Patriot first-round pick.
Notes
- How broken was New England last year that Jones looked as bad as he did there? It is night and day, as Jones made smart decisions, looked confident, and carved the Falcons defense up nicely in his extended time in Week 3 of the Preseason. He carried on with what Lawrence started, leading the Jaguars to points on three of his five drives. It was a solid effort to cement his QB2 status for Week 1.
Missed Opportunities
- The illegal shift that wiped away Jones’ 33-yard bomb to Seth Williams was a travesty.
E.J. Perry: 2/2, 4 Yards | 3 Carries, -5 Yards
Running Back
Travis Etienne: 7 Carries, 46 Yards (6.6 Average) | 1 Reception, 1 Target, 3 Yards
Etienne was impressive in limited action.
Notes
- Etienne saw the field as a starter and made quick work of the Falcons’ second-tier unit, carving them up at an average of 6.6 yards per carry. He hit the hole with speed and looked elusive, even impressing the Falcons commentators with how he squeezed through tacklers. Lawrence looked his way in the passing game as well, and while it wasn’t much, could be a boon to fantasy owners as the regular season approaches.
Missed Opportunities
- Etienne got two goal-line carries that he couldn’t punch in at the beginning of the game. It was slightly worrying, but not enough to shake confidence in the potential that he brings to the table as a scorer.
Tank Bigsby: 8 Carries, 40 Yards (5.0 Average) | 0 Receptions, 1 Target, 0 Yards
A nice change of pace option in Jacksonville.
Notes
- Bigsby spotted in with the starters but didn’t do much with his playing time until featuring heavily with Mac Jones and the second unit. He did good damage there, running hard and ripping off a nice 14-yard gain in the 2nd quarter. He flashes promise but is little more than a handcuff at this stage in Jacksonville.
Missed Opportunities
- Getting time with the ones is good, but as I mentioned, he didn’t do much with it. He only gained 2 yards on 3 carries with Trevor Lawrence and the starting offense.
Gary Brightwell: 12 Carries, 49 Yards (4.1 Average) | 2 Receptions, 2 Targets, 4 Yards
D’Earnest Johnson: 5 Carries, 32 Yards (6.4 Average) |1 Reception, 1 Target, 5 Yards
Jalen Jackson: 6 Carries, 19 Yards (3.2 Average), 1 TD | 0 Receptions, 1 Target, 0 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Evan Engram: 4 Receptions, 4 Targets, 28 Yards (7.0 Average), 2 TDs
Engram’s ADP is going to skyrocket after this one.
Notes
- What else can I add that his performance hasn’t been said already? Lawrence clearly favored Engram as a target, particularly in the red zone where he made quick work of the outmanned Falcon defenders, catching a leaping acrobatic TD to start the scoring off. It was impressive to say the least and surely amplifies Engram’s value as the fantasy season kicks off.
Brian Thomas Jr.: 1 Reception, 1 Target, 38 Yards (38.0 Average)
The young WR showcased his deep-threat prowess in ATL.
Notes
- Lawrence looked Thomas’ way on his first two throws (the first being negated by a penalty), finding him deep downfield for a nice 38-yard gain on the Jaguars opening possession. That was all she wrote for Thomas on the rest of the night, but it still led both teams in receiving yards and was a nice sampling of what the promising first round selection out of LSU can do.
Missed Opportunities
- It would have been cool to see Lawrence look his way a few more times throughout their series together, but alas it was not meant to be. They’ll save it for the season opener, apparently.
Parker Washington: 4 Receptions, 5 Targets, 35 Yards (8.8 Average)
Ran with the ones, looked like a one.
Notes
- Washington ran some crisp routes and got open consistently, earning 35 yards through the air with Christian Kirk out. There’s a rapport visible with Lawrence, and it’s nice to see a depth option showing out with his given opportunities.
Gabe Davis: 0 Receptions, 2 Targets, 0 Yards (0.0 Average)
How very whelming.
Notes
- It was limited action, but ultimately disappointing for Davis. The shots are there at least, but there are better options available on the roster. Boom or Bust, indeed.
Austin Tramwell: 2 Receptions, 2 Targets, 27 Yards (13.5 Average), 0 TDs
Elijah Cooks: 2 Receptions, 2 Targets, 23 Yards (11.5 Average), 1 TD
Brenton Strange: 2 Receptions, 2 Targets, 19 Yards (9.5 Average), 0 TDs
Devin Duvernay: 1 Reception, 1 Target, 15 Yards (15.0 Average), 0 TDs
Atlanta Falcons
Quarterback
Taylor Heinicke: 8/17, 81 Yards 3 Carries, 4 Yards
Not much to say about this one.
Notes
- A mid performance, albeit with lesser talent across the board for Heinicke. It’s hard to take much from his night since he wasn’t exactly playing with world-beaters on offense, but you’d expect more from a former league starter. It’ll be interesting to see what Atlanta does with their QB room, given the fact that Kirk Cousins and Michael Pennix Jr. sit atop the depth chart.
Missed Opportunities
- It would’ve gone a long way if Heinicke had led the Falcons to a score against the Jaguars starters.
John Paddock: 1/3, 4 Yards
Running Back
Spencer Brown: 11 Carries, 51 Yards (4.6 Average)
Jase McClellan: 4 Carries, 12 Yards (3.0 Average) | 1 Reception, 1 Target, 11 Yards
Carlos Washington Jr.: 4 Carries, 7 Yards (1.8 Average) | 1 Reception, 1 Target, 7 Yards
Dylan Drummond: 1 Carry, 2 Yards (2 Average) | 1 Reception, 2 Target, 5 Yards
Notes
- All four RBs for Atlanta are vying for a spot behind entrenched starter Bijan Robinson and backup Tyler Allgeier, but none of them looked particularly effective to close out the preseason. Washington Jr. drew the start but was stuffed on, seemingly, run after run. McClellan looked a little better, finding space to move forward on a handful of his carries. Brown got the bulk of the work for the remainder of the game and was probably the most efficient. It will remain to be seen who stays on the roster come cutdowns, but for fantasy purposes most of the RBs tonight should be off most people’s radar.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Casey Washington: 2 Receptions, 6 Targets, 31 Yards (15.5 Average)
The sixth-round rookie did a good job tonight.
Notes
- Washington found himself in a good position on his catches early in the night, springing out for a long 20-yard gain on the Falcons’ opening possession. He had good hustle and looks like a good depth addition for Atlanta to start the season.
Missed Opportunities
- Heinicke and Washington couldn’t connect on several throws for various reasons. It would have been solid to see what the rookie could do with more chances in space.
Chris Blair: 2 Receptions, 4 Targets, 18 Yards (9.0 Average)
John Fitzpatrick: 1 Reception, 2 Targets, 9 Yards (9.0 Average)
Jesse Mathews: 1 Reception, 2 Targets, 4 Yards (4.0 Average)
OJ Hiliare: 0 Receptions, 1 Target, 0 Yards (0.0 Average)