
ATLANTA – Gus Bradley got his first victory as an NFL head coach Thursday.
And while that wasn’t a huge post-game topic in the wake of the Jaguars’ victory 20-16 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in the 2013 preseason finale Thursday at the Georgia Dome, there was some significance to the final score.
The idea is to win – whether it’s preseason or not.
And with the regular season 10 days away, winning on Thursday . . . well, it was better than the alternative, and the fact that the Jaguars overcame some early mistakes to do it?
“I was really pleased with how everybody competed tonight,” Bradley said after the Jaguars first lost a 10-0 lead then rallied with a fourth-quarter touchdown pass from reserve quarterback
“I thought it was a great illustration. We had to see how we could bounce back. I wanted to see us come back from adversity and I thought we did a great job.”
The Jaguars, who finished the preseason 1-3, took a 7-0 lead on an 18-yard run by reserve running back
“It wasn’t perfect at times, but our guys really played hard,” Bradley said.
Bradley said he was particularly pleased that the offense responded after a slow start, and that the team got a victory to end the preseason. He also lauded center
The Jaguars’ defense allowed 344 total yards, but forced an interception and held the Falcons’ reserve offense out of the end zone four times while leading by four points in the fourth quarter. The defense held the Falcons out of the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line when cornerback
The Jaguars must trim the roster from 75 to 53 players by 6 p.m. Saturday, a reality that Bradley said made Thursday’s victory “bittersweet.”
“We have to make some tough decisions in the next day,” Bradley said. “These guys poured their heart and soul into this organization. We have some tough decisions that we hate to make, but we have to do what we think is best for the team.”
BRADLEY ON TODMAN: “HE DID WHAT HE HAD TO DO”
Running back Jordan Todman, a week after rushing for 105 yards against the Eagles, turned in a second consecutive solid performance, rushing for 60 yards on nine carries.
Todman is third on the running back depth chart behind
“We talked about early, that he had had a good preseason up to this point and, ‘What could he do tonight?’” Bradley said. “He did what he had to do. We’re excited about his consistency.”
The Jaguars sustained no significant injuries in the game. Guard
QUOTABLE
1. Linebacker LaRoy Reynolds: “The last couple of weeks, the second- and third-team, we kind of struggled. That last (goal-line) stand – that really helped us. We played the defense right and did our job and made plays. It helped our confidence.”
2.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Jaguars will play host to the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2013 regular-season opener at EverBank Field Sunday, September 8.