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JACKSONVILLE, FL. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars held their annual preseason scrimmage in EverBank Field on Saturday evening, in front of an announced crowd of around 19,000 fans. The scrimmage seemed to be up-tempo than in season's past, without a lot of individual drills taking up half the time. There were plenty of 11-on-11 team drills, two-minute, and red zone.
The best news out of the scrimmage was there were no injuries, something that's plagued the team in the scrimmages in the past, but there was also no live tackling. The team kept it simple, they didn't throw the ball deep, there wasn't any wildcat, and most of the running plays were off-center.
The quarterbacks: The competition between Chad Henne and Blaine Gabbert continues to be a slap fight, as neither really took a step forward in the scrimmage. Gabbert had a couple of touchdown passes, one being a beautiful throw to Brett Brackett in the back of the endzone, where Gabbert dropped the ball over the defender and right onto Brackett's hands. Henne also had a nice jump ball touchdown pass to Marcedes Lewis, but overall it was a lot of short passes and check downs.
Gabbert's ankle didn't seem to bother him, as he actually looked pretty good rolling out to pass to elude pressure. Henne on the other hand was sacked what seemed like every other play in drills. Henne's first sequence of 11-on-11 included a batted ball at the line, a sack, a near pick six by Dwayne Gratz and the finally completing a short pass.
Neither quarterback really had any sustainable "drives" in the game, but each had a couple of good throws and each did well in goal line situations. Overall however, it was more of the same. I thought overall Gabbert made the most of the scrimmage and still looks to be winning the quarterback job. Or I should day, not losing it.
The injured: Thankfully there were no injuries in the scrimmage. Justin Forsett and Jeremy Mincey were held out along with the other usuals.
The standouts: Out of anyone, defensive end Pannel Egboh made the most of the scrimmage with a handful of sacks on the evening. Egboh ended Chad Henne's first drive of the night with a sack and sacked him a few more times on the evening, as well as was disruptive against the run. Egboh has flashed all during camp playing both the five-technique and the three-technique and appears he will be making the final roster if he continues through the preseason.
Rookie fourth-round pick Ace Sanders continued to put on a show in the scrimmage, as he's done all week in training camp. The rookie continuously gets separation with his route running and quickness, but he also made some plays that a guy of his size wouldn't normally make. On a pass from Chad Henne to the sideline, Sanders went up and over the defender, twisting to come down with the catch. It was an impressive display from the smallest guy on the roster. Sanders also had what appeared would have been a punt return for a touchdown, even if the tackle was live.
"I was really pumped up," Sanders said after the scrimmage. "It felt awesome, I wanted to come out here, show I knew my stuff and do the best I can. This is valuable to me. I came out and tried to give it my all every play."
With the end of the scrimmage it concludes the Jaguars training camp, at least in regards to being open to the public, and now begins the week of work towards their first preseason game on Friday, Aug. 9.
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