Jacksonville Jaguars beat Dallas Cowboys 34-14 in preseason finale, as offense comes alive

The Jacksonville Jaguars finish the 2021 preseason with a 1-2 record, following a 34-14 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. The Jaguars will now have two weeks to prepare for the regular season opener against the Houston Texans.

After struggling in the first two preseason contests, Jacksonville’s offense finally came alive and not only looked competent, but looked like a well-oiled machine with Trevor Lawrence at the helm. Lawrence shined, completing 11 of 12 passes (91.6 percent) for 139 yards and two touchdowns while playing into the early second quarter.

Laviska Shenault Jr. also looked impressive with three catches for 33 yards and a touchdown, while proving once again how difficult he is to bring down. Jeff Cotton had three catches for 66 yards, while Pharoh Cooper and Laquon Treadwell each had a receiving touchdown. Devine Ozigbo led the Jaguars with 68 rushing yards and a touchdown.

While Lawrence was the star of the game, Jake Luton also had a stellar game, completing 16 of 18 passes (88.8 percent) for 137 yards and a touchdown. C.J. Beathard threw 10 passes, completing five for 86 yards and an interception.

The Jaguars scored the first 14 points of the game, and after the Cowboys’ first touchdown, went on to score 20 unanswered points, which extended the lead to 34-7 before Dallas scored its final touchdown of the game with 1:22 left on the clock (Ben DiNucci on an eight-yard pass to Johnnie Dixon).

The Jacksonville defense held Dallas to 272 total yards, including just 196 passing yards and 76 rushing yards. The Cowboys converted just four of the team’s 14 third-down attempts, but Dallas did convert two of its three fourth-down attempts.

This was a much better performance for a Jaguars team that looked lost on both offense and defense throughout the first two preseason games.

The Jaguars face off with the Texans on Sunday, Sept. 12 at 1 p.m. Eastern Time to open the 2021 regular season. The game will be broadcast on CBS.