The Jacksonville Jaguars’ final home preseason game of 2015, against the Detroit Lions, was played in recurrent showers in front of a late-arriving crowd that, for all I know, is still coming to the stadium even after the starters are out of the game.
Fun fact: Shahid Khan walked though the press box before the game wearing a sharp jacket and a polka dotted button up shirt underneath. That’s the kind of swag $4B buys you.
Of course, all the polka dotted shirts in the world don’t add up to a franchise running back. But it looks like the Jags might have one.
Though there are caveats, such as fumbles and health, the two things that held him back from being a first round pick coming out of Tuscaloosa.
The TJ Yeldon era began with a one yard run up the gut. Blake Bortles threw a short pass to Clay Harbor, who shortarmed it, setting up an 11 yard scramble on third and 9.
Another Yeldon run up the gut for two yards, setting up second and long. Yeldon again to the left, four yards, setting up a 3rd and 4. Then, Allen Hurns with a 7 yard sideline grab.
Another first down. And Yeldon with no gain, setting up another second and long. 2nd and ten; Yeldon in the slot, with a make-you-miss move setting up a twelve yard gain.
So much Yeldon in this drive. The Jags clearly were making a statement with him.
Then, the chunk plays. A 19 yard heave to Marcedes Lewis put them inside the 30. Bortles went deep to Allen Robinson on the next play, but nothing. A short pass to the side to Hurns for 4, and third and 6 at the 21.
Then, something like magic. A 17 yard dart to Rashad Greene set up First and Goal. Yeldon, up the gut for one yard. Yeldon, again up the gut for one. A holding penalty pushes them back.
3rd and goal from the 13, and you could see Josh Scobee getting ready.
Then, magic. Bortles finds Hurns alone in the end one, and the crowd erupts.
Takeaways from that first drive: the Jags looked like a real deal NFL offense.
I repeat: the Jags looked like a real deal NFL offense. A 117 yard first quarter; 97 of it through the air.
Even in the absence of Julius Thomas, Marcedes Lewis looked legit.
The second drive showed some positives also. A Bortles scramble set up a personal foul penalty, creating a nice 27 yard aggregate. Hurns drawing a PI penalty in the back of the end zone was notable because Bortles was able to see the play develop and take advantage of the defender being overmatched, setting up first and goal, and a touchdown on a play where Yeldon fumbled… but didn’t score.
And, oh yeah, he missed the hole. But whatever. He still got in.
Never have 8 carries for 10 yards been so encouraging.
A real deal NFL offense. The kind that stakes a team to a 14-0 lead.
The kind that starts off 7 for 7 on third downs.
The kind that goes 18 for 25, and passes for 213 yards in the first half.
Bortles looked like new-school Andrew Luck at times. The player who so often seemed so cowed after losses last year now looks poised and confident, as advertised when he came out of UCF.
And they’re going to need all of that and then some. The defensive secondary is shakier than the Chinese stock market. Golden Tate ran through them like a truck driver through a bag of Krystals, including on a play in the second quarter where he clowned Aaron Colvin so badly that they are having the DB fitted for some oversized shoes and a red nose. The pass rush is more like a slow jog. They’re going to have to win a lot of 35-31 games.
Whatever. It’s better, by far, than losing 31-3.
It’s easy to drink the pre-season Kool Aid. Jacksonville has done it before.
Let’s do the time warp again.
