Preview: Jags look to bounce back against Saints in Preseason Week 2

Riley Platt, Sports Reporter

After a disappointing preseason debut, the Jacksonville Jaguars will have a shot at redemption. Will they have made the right adjustments to take down the New Orleans Saints in their second preseason affair?

The biggest storyline going into last week’s game was Trevor Lawrence, and things have not changed this week. After only taking the field for two drives in the opener, many are expected to see a bit more of the rookie against the Saints.

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Thanks to the rough loss to the Browns, there’s been no shortage of criticism towards the Jags throughout the week. With this game taking place on Monday Night Football, though, Jacksonville will have a chance to make a statement to the whole nation.

With this being a preseason game, it’s hard to know exactly what we’re gonna see from both teams in terms of who plays and for how long. For a team as young and inexperienced as the Jags, though, we’re likely to see a majority of the starters get a decent bit of playing time.

The main source of controversy under new head coach Urban Meyer so far has been regarding who will start at quarterback. To many, it’s a no-brainer: Trevor Lawrence is QB1. However, Meyer has consistently referred to the QB situation as an “open competition” between Lawrence and Gardner Minshew.

As a result of this so-called competition, Lawrence hasn’t taken a majority of his reps with the starters. This has caused confusion, and even outrage for some, as the likely starter is missing out on opportunities to build chemistry with the first-teamers. 

As for the Saints, they also have a QB competition of their own. The battle is between Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill, both of which played last week. Rookie Ian Book out of Notre Dame took the most snaps, though, so fans may see all three again this week.

Last week’s loss is in the rear-view mirror, and Jacksonville will look to improve on the national stage. The Saints sit as a 4 point favorite, and there’s a solid chance they come out with the win.

For Jags fans, a win shouldn’t be everything. Even with a loss, just seeing signs of improvement would be a positive experience. With time, this team should improve, and the wins will eventually come as a result.

The game takes place on Monday night at 8 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN. Follow along with Spinnaker for the latest on the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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