So true story: for some reason, I swore I had read on our weekly media schedule that Saturday's practice would be held at TIAA Bank Field, in addition to Sunday's scrimmage taking place at the stadium. I was informed shortly upon arrival that no, the Jaguars were indeed practicing at the Dream Finders Homes Practice Complex Saturday.
But as it turned out: Saturday's practice would also have a "heavy emphasis" on team drills. Like, an hour and a half of a two-hour plus practice was team drills... also known as "a scrimmage."
So, we got our first look at what Sunday's highly-anticipated debut at TIAA Bank Field may look like. Who stood out? What worked? What didn't?
Let's get you ready for Sunday and next week's first preseason game (!!!) with today's notebook.
Trevor Lawrence's sneaky good day
Look, everyone and their grandmother knows there's a 99-percent chance rookie Trevor Lawrence is the starter Week One at Houston. But the Jaguars continue to give incumbent, third-year starter Gardner Minshew opportunities. Not only is Minshew appreciative: the highly-competitive Jaguars coaching staff is enjoying the battle at quarterback.
"We’re just going to keep rolling them. We’ve been trying to roll them one’s and two’s and a couple day’s Trevor’s [Lawrence] got some more than Gardner [Minshew II] and then Gardner’s got some," Jaguars Passing Game Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer told First Coast News. "CJ’s [Beathard] is back now (from the Reserve/COVID-19 List) so he’s getting reps, but we will get through tomorrow — work our way to next week and then we will see. It is all about competition and it’s been fun to watch those guys push each other.”
It was Lawrence running with the one's on Saturday to the tune of a 17-of-23 day with four touchdowns. After overthrowing Laquon Treadwell on his first pass of the day, Lawrence completed his next 10 passes. As those in attendance will attest: two of those completions to Collin Johnson (more on him in just a second) are probably picked off if Rudy Ford doesn't mistime his jump and the defenders are able to make 100-percent, full throttle contact on their teammates. But once again, Lawrence was threading the ball between defenders and spraying the ball all over the field. As another reporter and I commented: it truly appears that Lawrence understands this is practice, and he wants to try-out every risk he can. He wants to check-off every box representing every area of the field.
Moreover, as he became more and more comfortable, the difference between Lawrence in the pocket and Gardner Minshew in the pocket was evident. On one rep in the middle of practice, Lawrence didn't have many options down-field thanks to some great pass coverage by the Jaguars' second-team defense. He didn't immediately tuck the ball and run, as Minshew may have. He danced from left to right along the line of scrimmage -- and got tremendous pass-protection from his offensive line. Think Aaron Rodgers calculating his odds on each read, since most of you have seen that before. Lawrence ultimately settled on a check-down to Dare Ogunbowale... that, albeit just a 5-yard pick-up, would've resulted in a first-down.
"We want him to be poised, but have some urgency," Schottenheimer explained. "He has been almost a little too relaxed and [it's like] 'remember that first down that clock isn’t stopping to move the chains!' Subtle things like that, but I think we’re past that now to where he’s picked up on that and it’s not an issue.”
Another anecdote: during red-zone drills, Lawrence did not complete a would-be touchdown to Laquon Treadwell down the sideline, as the ball bounced out of Treadwell's outstretched hands. However, Lawrence went for the dagger. Chris Manhertz was running relatively open underneath. Lawrence knew that. But he saw his spot and he took it. Most quarterbacks in the league (and almost every quarterback that's played in Jacksonville the last two decades) targets Manhertz in that situation. Lawrence is not afraid to challenge himself.
Lawrence ended the day with arguably the throw of the day, Johnson's second touchdown, up the seam and into the end-zone through three defenders. Find the video on Collin's Instagram story. Because it was just silly.
So, QB Carousel still?
Apparently, yes. I asked Schottenheimer who would get the start on August 14 when the Jaguars host the Cleveland Browns in their first preseason game. When he said they were still evaluating, I asked if Schottenheimer, who has coached the likes of Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck, saw any benefit to having a heralded, rookie quarterback see action in that first preseason game.
"Trevor [Lawrence] certainly has played a bunch of football — he’s not going to be perfect whether he goes in with one’s or the two’s. He’s not going to be perfect. Whoever goes in and starts won’t be perfect but that’s what the preseason is."
So, we still don't know who's starting next Saturday.
We do know that the rotation of rep's with the first-team offense in practice will continue.
Minshew dazzled as the first-team quarterback Friday, but took a step back Saturday, finishing 10-of-21 with two touchdowns and an interception. He displayed Minshew ism's, both of the good (racing for a first-down pick-up) and bad (throwing the ball to the ground off his running back's feet). On one broken play, Minshew was able to safely sneak the ball over the oncoming safety's head to a wide-open Tevin Jones. On another, it took him a second to ultimately decide to go to Pharoh Cooper underneath, and, once he did, his wobbly pass took significantly longer to get there. His touchdown to Jalen Camp was due largely to busted coverage, but the touchdown to Cooper was an impressive throw (and catch). The interception by Tre Herndon on Minshew's final rep of the day was plain bad. So, an up-and-down day for the third-year quarterback. That's why they practice.
C.J. Beathard looked like a fish out of water on his first reps of the day. His first pass fell limply incomplete in the general direction of no one; it was ultimately called a sack by K'Lavon Chaisson anyways. His next pass -- albeit against the first-team defense -- was broken up by Herndon. Sidney Jones also had a PBU of Beathard, who finished 5-of-9.
Jake Luton had an even rougher go of it, with both of his first two passes batted down at the line of scrimmage (Rayshawn Jenkins, Chaisson). He did throw a touchdown to Pharoh Cooper that looked like a nice 50-50 ball when it left his hands... but it also was definitely intended for Jeff Cotton Jr., who was running a wider route. But hey, a touchdown's a touchdown! The former sixth-rounder finished 1-of-3.
Attendance, transactions and notes
DJ Chark (minor injury), Marvin Jones Jr. (personal), and Tim Tebow (illness) missed their second straight practice. Andrew Norwell (injury) was once again held out but was in attendance.
CJ Henderson (Reserve/COVID-19 List) returned to the practice field for the first time this Training Camp, running primarily with the second team defense.
In case you missed it Friday: second-year safety Daniel Thomas was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 List. With Beathard coming off the List, Taven Bryan remains the only other player on the Reserve/COVID-19 List.
Josh Hammond returned to practice in a limited capacity, but Phillip Dorsett, Tim Jones, and Josh Imatorbhehe remained out. That meant the Jaguars were still down five receivers. The Jaguars signed wide receiver-kick returner Tavon Austin Friday night so it wasn't six. By the end of Saturday's practice, Austin was running with the first-team offense. In his defense: he showed he can still be a spark-plug gadget player, taking hand-off's and catching balls from different points all over the field. It wasn't out of pure necessity.
James Robinson was in practice and in full pads, but it appeared he tweaked something in his foot during warm-up's. He was subsequently held out of all team drills.
Quick hits
- Special Teams is a point of emphasis for Urban Meyer. There was some good on that front: Logan Cooke consistently punted the ball more than 45-yards and Josh Lambo was 5-of-6 from field goal range, including a final kick of more than 50 yards. Jamal Agnew showcased why the Jaguars paid him so much to be their return-man, breaking free for a pair of 30-yard gains. And that's where the bad comes in: both those returns were called back due to penalties.
- Lotttt of flags on the ground by the end of Saturday's practice. Off-sides. Pass interference. A mysterious personal foul on guard Ben Bartch in run-blocking. Meyer couldn't have been too happy about that, although Schottenheimer felt the team had a "crisp" practice (Meyer did not meet with reporters after).
- For a second consecutive day, Walker Little saw significant time at right tackle with the second team offense. Does that mean the Jaguars are trying him out as their swing tackle? Or was it simply a means to force the rookie out of Stanford to square off with defensive end Josh Allen instead of the team's other pass rushers (who Little has largely made mince meat of)
- Little's primary competition for the left tackle spot, Cam Robinson, was decent in both pass protection and run blocking Saturday. He did get bailed out on one Lawrence check-down to Hyde, as Manhertz took on his defender and Robinson's, allowing Lawrence to complete the pass.
- Ben Ellefson and Tyler Shatley (in for Brandon Linder) teamed up for an awesome run-blocking effort to help Travis Etienne find the end-zone.
- Many have been critical of former first-rounder K'Lavon Chaisson through eight practices. They could not be critical on Saturday. He was everywhere, breaking up passes in coverage down the sideline and also picking up the aforementioned sack of Beathard. Those two highlights came on back-to-back plays, for what it's worth. He also later batted down one of Luton's passes at the line of scrimmage.
- Second-rounder Tyson Campbell, running with the second team defense, played some great defense outside against Cooper. Defensive coordinator Joe Cullen told reporters Friday that the plan is for Campbell to learn the outside and nickel corner positions -- not safety, as Meyer had hinted following the NFL Draft.
- James O'Shaughnessy had two catches and one drop in his second day back in team drills, and he bobbled the first of those two catches.
- Chris Claybrooks had nice PBU's of Minshew (to O'Shaughnessy) and Lawrence (to Collin Johnson for a would-be touchdown). Remember: the former seventh-rounder truly hadn't played much cornerback before arriving in the NFL. He was drafted as a return man. He hasn't been returning punts or kicks so far through nine practices.
- Ah, speaking of one Mr. Collin Johnson... he's earned a good night's rest. The second-year receiver had six catches on seven targets with two touchdowns. Similar to Lawrence spraying the ball all over the field, Johnson showed the ability to catch with soft hands in stride, in the slot with defenders draped over him, and his signature, 50/50 jump balls in the end-zone. Once again, with Chark and Jones Jr. out, Johnson was presented a golden opportunity to step up. He did.
The Jaguars will take TIAA Bank Field for the first time in 2021 on Sunday at 9:45 a.m.
The team will also host a free, vaccination site (Pfizer) for attendees ages 12-and-up. Interested parties just need to have secured their reservation to attend Sunday's scrimmage.
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Want to sound off? Sports Anchor/Reporter Mia O'Brien can be reached at @MiaOBrienTV and mobrien1@firstcoastnews.com