ATLANTA, Ga. – This was about wrapping up the preseason, and the Jaguars did it.
Saturday’s 2022 pre-season finale was also about bringing plenty of opportunities to young players – and that happened in the Jaguars’ 28-12 loss to the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
A few starters played on Saturday, a day mostly about evaluation. And with the ’22 preseason now done, Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson liked the work done over the last month.
“I feel good; I feel good about the start and the way they’ve played the last few weeks,” Pederson said Saturday. “Overall, I feel good about the starter and where they are at. They are focused and ready to get this thing going.”
E.J. Perry, a rookie quarterback who originally signed with the Jaguars as a collegiate free agent shortly after the 2022 NFL Draft, started and played the entire game for the Jaguars. He completed 19 of 37 passes for 201 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions.
“I thought there was something good and something bad,” Perry said. “It was good to see guys there that I practiced with and that I was in minicamp making great plays. The scoring drive was very important. There was definitely something good to learn from. That’s what I was trying to do all this. time.”
The list of Jaguars players who did not play Saturday was long and included many of the team’s familiar names, with Pederson saying this past week that few were they will play. Those who did not include quarterback Trevor Lawrence and most of the projected starters.
Two notable Jaguars play Saturday: wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. and rookie inside linebacker Devin Lloyd.
Lloyd, the No. 27 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, started Saturday after missing the first three preseason games while returning from a preseason hamstring injury. training. He recorded five tackles.
“He came out of the game perfectly fine, he came out strong and healthy,” Pederson said. “We wanted to give him the first quarter at the end and he played almost the first half, 25 or 26 snaps. He did well. He looked good, he played fast. It was good to see.”
Shenault, a second-round pick by the Jaguars in the 2020 NFL Draft, played extensively and caught two passes for 19 yards.
Saturday also featured the Jaguars debut of kickers James McCourt and Jake Verity, with McCourt claimed off waivers Tuesday by the Los Angeles Chargers and Verity claimed off waivers Friday by the Indianapolis Colts.
McCourt made two of two field goals Saturday, converting from 54 yards in the first quarter and 38 yards in the second. Verity missed his solo attempt from 46 meters in the first quarter.
“It’s enough to go on tape, but I don’t think you can necessarily decide,” Pederson said. “I think we have to figure it out maybe this week in practice and try to go from there and make that decision possibly Tuesday or so.”
NFL teams must trim their rosters to 53 players by Tuesday at 4 p.m.
