NEW ORLEANS, La. – Jaguars correspondent John Shipley examines five key plays that shaped the Jaguars' 24-20 victory over the New Orleans Saints in a Preseason Week 1 game at Caesars Superdome Saturday:

1.Sacks, sacks and more sacks. The Jaguars' defensive line made big plays all game, and it started in the first quarter with linebacker Yasir Abdullah – with some help from defensive end Wesley Williams. The fourth-round draft pick from Duke University helped corral Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler before Abdullah – a fourth-year veteran – finished the first-and-10 play from the Saints 20 with a strip sack. Defensive end B.J. Green II recovered Rattler's fumble at the Saints 7 to set up kicker Cam Little's 32-yard field goal to cut the Saints' lead to 7-6 with :17 remaining in the first quarter. "Rattler, he's a shifty quarterback, so he spun out," Abdullah said. "I slipped a little bit, but Coach Camp (Defensive Coordinator Anthony Campanile) always emphasizes, 'The ground is a hot stove.' I got right back up and made the sack." The Jaguars pressured Rattler constantly to start the game, forcing takeaways as a result. Third-round rookie defensive tackle Albert Regis registered a 14-yard sack on quarterback Zach Wilson in the third quarter and undrafted free agent defensive end Bryan Thomas Jr. recorded a fourth-quarter sack.

2. Orhorhoro makes an impact. The Saints had momentum after an early touchdown and takeaway, but third-year defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro gave the Jaguars an early spark. With the Saints facing third-and-5 from their 14-yard line, linebacker Branson Combs blitzed with the defensive line running a pass-rush game to disrupt the Saints' offensive line. Orhorhoro sacked Rattler along with end Danny Striggow to force a punt. Orhorhoro and Striggow recorded a tackle for no gain on third-and-1 from the Saints 17 to force a punt on the ensuing series.

3.Finding Paydirt. The Jaguars' first touchdown drive Saturday was a "beaut:" Getting the ball to start the second half and trailing 20-6, they drove 79 yards on 10 plays, with the offense recording six first downs. Third-team quarterback Carter Bradley completed four of four passes on the drive for 34 yards, capping the drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Hunter Long. Head Coach Liam Coen said during the week that he wanted Bradley to efficiently run the offense. He did that on the touchdown drive, spreading the ball around to three different wide receivers on the Jaguars' best offensive drive of the game. With Offensive Coordinator Grant Udinski calling the plays, this was the Jaguars' chance to see the offense come together from a different perspective. "It was good, I thought the communication was solid," Coen said. "I thought Grant did a nice job kind of settling in at halftime. I have been in those moments where not a lot is working and you are frustrated and you do not have a ton to go to, and it was really like let's just go downhill … I thought he did a nice job of mixing it up when he needed to. He was calm, cool and collected. I was happy for him."

4.Big moment for Taylor. Key to the Jaguars' first touchdown drive: Undrafted free agent running back J'Mari Taylor. The University of Virginia product rushed for 32 yards on four carries on the drive, including impressive runs of 10 and 13 yards that displayed his ability to break tackles and get yards after contact. The Jaguars have stressed the importance of running backs creating hidden yards in the offense, and Taylor's hidden yards are what ultimately helped the Jaguars find the end zone for the first time in the preseason.

5.Finish. The Jaguars finished their second-half comeback with a scoring drive that featured big plays running and passing. First, undrafted rookies Joey Aguilar and Trebor Peña connected on a 43-yard catch down the left sideline to put the ball at the Saints' 2-yard line. It was Aguilar's first pass of the game, with Coen noting after the game that it was a dialed-up deep shot right off the bat for the rookie quarterback. "Sometimes those are better, where you don't have to think as much, you can just kind of let it rip," Coen said. One play later, Taylor bowled through a tackle for two-yard touchdown and a 24-20 lead, the Jaguars' first lead of the game. The Jaguars stopped the Saints on game's the final play, with first-year cornerback Jabbar Muhammad recording a breakup on a pass from quarterback Hunter Dekkers to wide receiver Jalen Cropper on second-and-goal from the Jaguars 2-yard line. "I'm not surprised," Green said of Muhammed, who has been strong throughout '26 camp. "I knew Jabbar in college. He has been like that. Everybody's just now noticing. I knew exactly what he was, what he was capable of. All props to him, but those are the things you expect from guys that step up to the plate like that."