the Jaguars played their first preseason game on Saturday night August 11th. The outcome was not what most fans desired, but the team did accomplish what they set out to do. The coaches got a good look at what could be coming this year with the new offense and they were able to see and get a preliminary assessment on players at all positions. Overall the Jaguars looked very good. As the preseason continues on the Jags will improve and we can look forward to a great season this year i predict.

A First Look At The Jags In Action
--Robert Bach, Jacksonville Jaguars

the Jaguars played their first preseason game on Saturday night August 11th. The outcome was not what most fans desired, but the team did accomplish what they set out to do. The coaches got a good look at what could be coming this year with the new offense and they were able to see and get a preliminary assessment on players at all positions. Overall the Jaguars looked very good. As the preseason continues on the Jags will improve and we can look forward to a great season this year i predict.

The offense seemed to do quite well with the new system and considering the need for improvement in the passing game things look good. The running game was used more to get the backs a few good hits and to keep the Defense honest. The passing game took center stage even this early.

Byron Leftwich showed why he is "THE MAN" in Jacksonville. He was precise and his passes were crisp. Byron ended up with good stats for his time under center. He was 7 of 10 for 78 yards and 1 touchdown. He only threw away one pass and the two other misses were passes dropped by Matt Jones that should have been caught.

David Garrard cemented his position as the number two Quarterback with his impressive performance. He was 12 of 16 for 153 yards. Although he did not pass for a score he ran the new offense very effectively.

Lester Ricard was a pleasant surprise with how well he did in his first action. He was 6 of 9 for 85 yards. He showed why he was worthy of a spot on the practice squad last year and a shot to make the team this year.

The only disappointment of the Qb`s was Tim Couch. He looked like he was out of football for two years. He went 2 of 4 for 11 yards and seemed uncomfortable in the pocket. Hopefully he can do better the next time around if he lasts that long.

The one glaring problem was the Offensive line. They looked unsure of assignments and tentative. Tony Pashos got beat to the corner several times and gave up a big sack on Leftwich. Hopefully coach Tice can get the O-Line on the same page and bring them to a more consistent effort.

the running game took a back seat to the passing game in the Jags first game. The only thi ng that really stood out for me in the running game was LaBrandon Toefield coughing up the ball twice. That definitely wasn`t the image he wanted to portray to the coaches considering the amount of competition at the RB spot.

All eyes seemed fastened on the passing game. Everyone was hoping for an improvement over last years dismal performance in the passing game. Well, judging from the first game i am betting we will see a drastic improvement. A combination of the new system and coaches with the amount of speed brought in at the receiver position will bring about a big improvement.

The ball was caught by thirteen different receivers in Saturday nights game. Toefield led all receivers with 4 catches. Broussard had  a good outing with 3 grabs for 66 yards. Matt Jones was inconsistent as he had some nice grabs but he also had some big drops. It was great to see the ball being slung around and successfully at that.

The Defense showed why it is the strength of the team. It held Miami to two three and outs with the first stringers. They then substituted the second string in and they held Miami to 0-9 on third down before Miami coul;d get going. The defense will be as always the power of the team.

Scobee missed a game winner and Adam Podlesh booted punts into the end zone nullifying any field position the Jags  had a chance at. The team looked good and it was a great star regardless of the score but they do need a lot more work to get ready for the season.