In their final tune-up before the regular season, the Jacksonville Jaguars delivered a commanding performance, shutting out the Atlanta Falcons 31-0 in Week 3 of the preseason. The game, played on Friday night, showcased the sharpness of Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who guided two long touchdown drives against an Atlanta squad composed mostly of players fighting for roster spots.
Lawrence was efficient and effective, completing 8 of 10 passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns. Both scoring throws were to tight end Evan Engram, with Lawrence capping the first drive with a 6-yard pass and following it up on the next drive with a 5-yard strike. With those two drives under his belt, Lawrence called it a night, having thoroughly demonstrated his readiness for the upcoming season.
The Jaguars’ success was expected, given that the Falcons opted to rest most of their starters. New head coach Raheem Morris decided to play it safe, benching not only the team’s top players but also key backups, including rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr., the eighth overall pick in the draft. Penix, who had only appeared in one preseason game, remained on the sidelines, a decision Morris defended by citing his desire to avoid injury and his confidence in what he had seen from Penix during practice.
Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, who signed a four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons in the offseason, also sat out the entire preseason as he continues to recover from an Achilles injury that ended his final season with the Minnesota Vikings. Cousins has been practicing and is expected to be ready for the regular season, as the Falcons aim to break their six-year streak of losing seasons.
On the other side, the Jaguars (3-0) chose a different approach. After resting most of their starters in the previous week, they returned to action and made the most of their opportunity against a Falcons team that looked overmatched from the start. The stats told the story, with Jacksonville outgaining Atlanta 412-157 in total yards and recording 30 first downs compared to just eight for the Falcons.
The Jaguars’ first touchdown drive was particularly impressive. After an unnecessary roughness penalty on a punt return backed them up to their own 8-yard line, Lawrence directed a nine-play, 92-yard march down the field. Key plays included a 19-yard run by Travis Etienne and a 38-yard catch-and-run by Brian Thomas Jr. Engram capped the drive with a leaping catch in the back of the end zone on third-and-goal from the 6-yard line.
Jacksonville’s second possession was equally effective, with Lawrence leading a 13-play, 62-yard drive. The highlight was a 2-yard run by Tank Bigsby on fourth-and-1 at the Atlanta 19, followed by Lawrence’s second touchdown pass to Engram.
When Lawrence’s night ended, former New England Patriots starter Mac Jones took over as the Jaguars’ backup. Jones, who is looking to rejuvenate his career, made a strong case by throwing a 13-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Cooks just before halftime. Jones continued to impress in the third quarter, directing another long drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Jalen Jackson.
The only blemish on the Jaguars’ performance was a 33-yard touchdown pass from Jones to Seth Williams that was nullified by an illegal shift penalty. However, they still managed to add three points with a 40-yard field goal by Cam Little.
Jones finished the game completing 13 of 18 passes for 113 yards, while the Falcons’ quarterbacks struggled. Taylor Heinicke, starting in place of the resting Penix and Cousins, completed just 8 of 17 passes for 81 yards. Undrafted rookie John Paddock took over in the second half but couldn’t ignite the Falcons’ offense, which managed just 25 points across three preseason games.
As the regular season looms, the Jaguars look sharp and ready, while the Falcons are banking on their rested starters to reverse their fortunes once the games start counting.
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