Story by
Jaguars starters bounce back vs. Saints after disappointing preseason Week 1 vs. Steelers
- Story by
- Jaguars starters bounce back vs. Saints after disappointing preseason Week 1 vs. Steelers
The Jacksonville Jaguars operated without star second-overall pick, cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter , against the New Orleans Saints this week.
Hunter was ruled out ahead of the preseason matchup due to an upper-body injury . He participated in pre-game warmups to get a better evaluation, and Jacksonville ultimately sided with precaution. During the game, the rookie was seen with a playsheet in hand during the team's first offensive possession.
Advertisement
Still, the majority of the team's starters played, including quarterback Trevor Lawrence , who completed 8 of 10 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. Lawrence played well despite two of his top pass-catchers (Hunter and Dyami Brown ) missing the game.
In the end, the Jaguars gave up a late touchdown and two-point conversion that left the game tied 17-17, Jacksonvile's first tie in team history. Preseason games do not go into overtime.
Jacksonville sought to address the team's pre-snap mishaps and succeeded overall with the first-team offense exiting the day penalty-free after drawing multiple flags last week and during the team's two scrimmages. Jacksonville's first-team defense also exited the game cleanly.
The team's only penalty during the first half came against their second-team offense, a false start by rookie OL Jonah Monheim .
Advertisement
FINAL: Get caught up on Jaguars vs. Saints
Jacksonville's early dominance extended to the team's backups during the second quarter. The Saints were held to just a field goal on two drives, one drive resulting in a punt after a sack by linebacker Ventrell Miller .
The Jaguars' second-team offense scored a touchdown with rookie back Bhayshul Tuten on a three-yard carry before returning to the team's most-reliable player at the end of the first half, resulting in a made 53-yard field goal by second-year kicker Cam Little .
The team entered halftime leading 17-3 and all smiles after a disappointing first outing against the Steelers last week.
Advertisement
Jacksonville dominated New Orleans in most important categories, including:
-
First downs: 15 (JAX) to 4 (NO)
-
Total yards: 232 (JAX) to 70 (NO)
-
Yards per play: 6.3 (JAX) to 3.5 (NO)
-
Penalties: One for five yards (JAX) to three for 37 yards (NO)
Trevor Lawrence , Jaguars starting offense stumbles before rebounding early
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - AUGUST 17: Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars looks to pass during the first quarter of the NFL Preseason 2025 against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome on August 17, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Jacksonville's starting offense played two series against the Saints with mixed results.
Jacksonville got the ball down the field quickly to open the game with a nine-play, 52-yard drive that included three first downs. The positives on that drive were short-lived, however, with Lawrence stumbling out of the snap and fumbling the ball back to running back Tank Bigsby , who was unable to secure the football.
Aug 17, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) fumbles the handoff to running back Tank Bigsby (4) against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
The result was a turnover for the offense, and another self-inflicted error for a learning offense.
Advertisement
Coen sent the offense back out for a second drive with better results.
Lawrence led the team down the field on an eight-play, 55-yard touchdown drive. Lawrence found receiver Parker Washington in space before the third-year wideout turned upfield from four yards out to give Jacksonville its first score of the day.
Lawrence and the starters were quickly removed as the second quarter approached. Lawrence completed 8 of 10 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown.
While Lawrence executed well during the drive, he wasn't necessarily the team's best player. Running back Travis Etienne made the most of his opportunities after replacing Bigsby, who started the contest. Etienne finished the game with three carries for 24 yards and one catch for eight yards on the drive.
Advertisement
That included a 15-yard run to set the team up to score.
At halftime, Coen noted to CBS47 that he felt like Lawrence played "excellent" in the team's warm-up game for the preseason.
Jaguars defense shuts down Saints starting offense
Aug 17, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) is chased out the pocket by Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker (44) during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Defensively, the Jaguars looked for a better showing than their singular drive against the Steelers last week. They got it, and then some.
Jacksonville's defense held the Saints to nine net yards and one first down on two drives to start the game. Jacksonville sacked Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough before forcing an intentional grounding to put New Orleans in an unsuccessful third-and-20 situation.
Advertisement
Jacksonville's starting defense forced a three-and-out on the Saints' second drive of the game, allowing just five yards.
The performance gives credence to what Campanile told the media after the team's loss to the Steelers. The team allowed Pittsburgh QB Mason Rudolph to complete all seven of his passes for 70 yards and a touchdown to open the game. The starters were sat shortly thereafter without a chance to respond.
"I think we've got to do a better job with communication. I think that's probably the number one thing. That's just everywhere. Even the sideline operation, all that stuff. So, I think a lot of that stuff, first game, preseason, you see stuff like that, and you get better at everything. That's what we're focused on right now," Campanile said last week.
"I think the guys have done a great job of that last two days. So, working hard and getting that right. They did a lot of good things, too."
Advertisement
Though Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile didn't draw up exotic blitz packages, he did give the Saints different front looks that appeared to frazzle the team's rookie QB.
Jacksonville's defense held Shough to a pedestrian performance that ended with just three points scored. The rookie QB completed 9 of 12 passes for 66 yards against the Jaguars' first and second-string defense.
Jacksonville's third-string defense ultimately helped secure the win for the Jaguars after an interception near the end zone by newly-signed corner Keni-H Lovely with just over four minutes left in the game. It marked the first turnover of the preseason for Jacksonville.
Rookie watch: Rookie backs, Rayuan Lane III continue to impress in preseason
Aug 17, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) runs against New Orleans Saints safety Ugo Amadi (0) during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
The Jaguars will rely on some rookies this year, but none perhaps more than the team's backup running backs. Both Tuten and seventh-round pick LeQuint Allen made plays Sunday against New Orleans.
Advertisement
After scoring his first touchdown last week, Tuten returned for another impressive performance after rushing for 35 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
Allen operates as a pass-blocking/catching back and showed off his blocking prowess on multiple occasions and contributed with three catches for 12 yards early in the second half. Allen also had two carries for 18 yards as the third quarter drew to a close.
Safety Rayuan Lane has also stood out, but primarily for his special-teams prowess. The rookie sixth-round pick has become a favorite of special teams coordinator Heath Farwell, too, who praised the rookie earlier in camp. Lane made an impressive tackle on kickoff coverage for a second-straight week.
"What Rayuan Lane [DB Rayuan Lane III] did in the game. That's something we've seen all training camp, and it didn't surprise me. He was going to show up as a gunner outside," Farwell said.
Advertisement
What's up next?
The Dolphins loosen up before the first training camp practice of 2025.
The Jaguars will return to the Miller Electric Center on Tuesday before leaving for Miami and participating in a joint practice with the Dolphins on Thursday in South Florida.
That practice will lead into the team's third and final preseason game against the Dolphins on Saturday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius .
If you're a subscriber, thank you. If not, please consider becoming a subscriber to support local journalism in Northeast Florida .
Advertisement
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars tie Saints without Travis Hunter in preseason Week 2 game
