The Jaguars’ joint practice with the Panthers on Aug. 19 at the Miller Electric Center had just about everything: some sharp red-zone work, a handful of skirmishes and, according to the report, no injuries.
Jacksonville also had several players sitting out. RB LeQuint Allen Jr., WR Parker Washington, LBs Jalen McLeod and Jack Kiser, DE Zach Durfee, OGs Wyatt Milum and Patrick Mekari, WR Trebor Pena and NT Albert Regis did not participate. CB Jourdan Lewis was in uniform but did not take snaps in team periods, while DT DaVon Hamilton saw his workload cut late in practice and was sitting under a tent.
Coach Liam Coen still has not locked in his plan for how many starters will play in the Aug. 21 preseason game against Carolina at home. He did confirm Nick Mullens will start at quarterback, and on Monday he had been leaning toward Trevor Lawrence getting a possession or two.
"I don't want to say either way yet, because I really got to go look at this tape, see how we kind of come out of it," Coen said. "I'll probably make a decision over the next 24 hours."
The practice itself got heated fast. The first scuffle came in the opening team period after Carolina’s Lathan Ransom gave Bhayshul Tuten an extra shove, which brought Anton Harrison and Emmanuel Pregnon into the mix and sent both sidelines onto the field. It took about a minute to get things settled.
The second flare-up started when Panthers safety Tre'von Moehrig hit Tim Jones a little late and Jones looked momentarily stunned. Austin Trammell then shoved Moehrig, and more players joined in. A third shoving match later broke out on the sideline between Jerome Carvin and Carolina cornerback Chau Smith-Wade, with Carter Bradley helping calm things down.
Jacksonville’s best work came in the red zone, where Lawrence and Mullens teamed up for five touchdowns in a six-play stretch during 11-on-11 work. Lawrence opened it with a 10-yard scoring throw to Brenton Strange after stepping up in the pocket, then added touchdown passes of 3 yards to Nate Boerkircher and Jakobi Meyers.
Mullens then took over after a DeeJay Dallas run. J’Mari Taylor scored on a 3-yard sweep with OT Kilian Zierer pulling to clear out a defender, and on the next snap Mullens fired a touchdown over the middle to Tanner Koziol.
Mullens had another encouraging moment early in the 11-on-11 period when he opened with a strike to C.J. Williams, who slipped between defenders Ransom and Zakee Wheatley for a diving catch. That came after a preseason outing against New Orleans last week that did not go well, following a stretch of only middling camp practices.
There were a couple of clear winners in the run game too. Tuten ran hard inside and broke loose for two long runs, while Chris Rodriguez followed with another breakaway burst down the left sideline.
The quarterbacks also had their rough spots. Lawrence was intercepted by Nick Scott on an over-the-middle throw, and Mullens was picked off by Demani Richardson.
On defense, the Jaguars did plenty of talking, even if the first-team periods stayed mostly free of fights. Bryce Young’s first five-play sequence included a Jarrian Jones pass breakup and a would-be sack by Josh Hines-Allen. Former Florida tight end Feleipe Franks later beat Jalen Huskey for a red-zone touchdown on a Kenny Pickett pass.
Against the Jaguars’ first-team defense on Young’s second drive, he was “sacked” twice, once by a Hines-Allen/Matt Dickerson split and once by Ruke Orhorhoro and Travon Walker. Jones added another breakup on Young’s final throw of that opening period, and Jabbar Muhammad also made a strong play by breaking up a Pickett throw into the end zone.
There was contact throughout, too. Huskey delivered the biggest hit of the day when he dropped Franks to the ground, though that moment never escalated.
Later, Walker jumped offside and the Panthers were charged with a false start on a play that continued, ending with a Travis Hunter pass breakup. Muhammad also tracked down a bubble screen to John Metchie III and drew a holding call on the Carolina blocker.
Rayuan Lane III got credit for a “sack” but drew coaching wrath for contact with Pickett’s throwing arm. B.J.
Green would have had a “sack” on a Young touchdown pass.
Lawrence finished 13 of 19, while Mullens went 7 of 10. Bradley and Joey Aguilar did not take snaps in team periods, likely because they are set to handle most of the work in the Aug. 21 preseason game. Lawrence’s best throw was a deep ball to Trammell for a touchdown, and he also nearly connected with Trammell on a ball that was thrown behind him and adjusted to in the air.
Cam Little went 4 for 5 on field goals in live-rush work, missing one from around 45 yards at the far end before coming right back with another make from the same distance on the next snap.
Jacksonville’s starting offensive line, from left to right, was Harrison at tackle, Pregnon at guard, Robert Hainsey at center, Ezra Cleveland at guard and Walker Little at tackle.
The Jaguars are off Aug. 20, face the Panthers on Aug. 21 at 7:30 p.m. on CBS, then get another day off before returning to practice on Aug. 23.
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