The Jacksonville Jaguars’ joint practice with the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday looked and felt different from a typical August workout. It was fast, loud, physical, and for long stretches, the Jaguars were the more imposing team at the Miller Electric Center.
That was especially true early. Jacksonville set a nasty tone on the first snap of the day, when guards Ezra Cleveland and Emmanuel Pregnon got into a short scrap with the Panthers defense. From there, the Jaguars’ run game started carving out the kind of daylight that can change the mood of a practice in a hurry.
That ground attack was the biggest story of the day. There were a couple of blemishes - a holding on Nate Boerkircher and a tackle for loss by Jaelan Philips - but the good snaps dwarfed the bad ones. Trevor Lawrence and Liam Coen both praised the running game afterward, and Lawrence said a few of those runs might have gone the distance in a real game.
Bhayshul Tuten stood out in a big way. It was his best practice of the summer, and probably the best one he’s had as a Jaguar.
He showed quickness at the second level, attacked holes with force, and put together several runs that reached the second and third levels. Chris Rodriguez Jr. also kept doing what he’s been doing, piling up steady yards after contract up the middle.
The backups made their presence felt, too. Ameer Abdullah broke off a long run against the Panthers’ starting defense and looked like the back who will need to step up with LeQuint Allen injured. J'Mari Taylor added a red-zone touchdown after strong edge blocks from wide receiver Josh Cameron and offensive tackle Kilian Zierer.
If the run game gave Jacksonville its edge early, Lawrence delivered the cleanest work of the day in the red zone. He was perfect there, and the Jaguars’ quarterback looked as sharp as he has all camp. He threw touchdowns on three straight plays against Carolina’s top defense.
The first one was the prettiest. Lawrence manipulated the eyes of Panthers linebacker Devin Lloyd and opened things up for tight end Brenton Strange.
On the next snap, he bought time, moved around in the pocket, and found rookie tight end Nate Boerkircher for an impressive score. Then he capped the sequence by hitting Jakobi Meyers over the middle of the end zone and floating the ball over a defender for the third touchdown in a row.
That red-zone stretch was the best part of an overall strong offensive day. The Jaguars’ tight ends gave Carolina real problems throughout the period, and the Boerkircher touchdown was a welcome sign after some quieter sessions between the two this summer.
Not everything was one-sided, though. The Panthers answered with some bigger plays later in the day, and the Jaguars’ offense went three-and-out on the final drive. Still, Jacksonville had spent the early portion of practice hammering Carolina, while the defensive line kept making Bryce Young’s life miserable on the other side of the field.
The Jaguars’ front was a constant problem for the Panthers. Josh Hines-Allen and Dennis Gardeck produced back-to-back would-be sacks on the final defensive series, which ended in an easy 3-and-out.
Across the day, the Jaguars would have had several sacks. Carolina did get some better moments later on, including big plays to Tetairoa McMillan, but Jacksonville’s pressure was a recurring issue.
Liam Coen said after practice that he was disappointed by the lack of takeaways, and that stood out because the Jaguars still haven’t forced a turnover in team drills through two joint practices.
One other notable detail: Travis Hunter spent most of the day on defense. He got a few offensive reps in team drills, but for the most part he stayed on the defensive side and finished with a pass breakup late in practice.
After a rough 7-to-10 day stretch filled with injuries, this was the kind of response Jacksonville needed. The energy felt game-like, the physicality was there from the start, and by the end of the day the Jaguars could point to a practice that showed a lot of their best traits at once.
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Up front, the offensive line is still getting sorted through injuries, with one possible setup featuring Emmanuel Pregnon at left guard, Ezra Cleveland at right guard and Walker Little at right tackle. Travis Hunter is another key piece in the mix, and after getting regular offensive work earlier in camp, he has spent almost every snap over the last two days at cornerback, keeping his role one of the most intriguing decisions in camp. [Read more 🡒]