NEW ORLEANS, La. – The starters got done what they wanted to get done.

Then they got out.

That's the ideal script for an NFL preseason game, a script the Jaguars pretty much wrote in an impressive early performance Sunday afternoon – a game that became a 17-17 tie with the New Orleans Saints at the Caesars Superdome in Preseason Week 2.

"You want to win the game, but I thought the team responded in the right way for the majority of the game," Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen said Sunday.

The Jaguars led 7-0 after the first quarter and 17-3 at halftime, with the Saints rallying to tie the game with reserves playing for both teams late in the fourth quarter.

"I definitely felt like we played well enough to win, but in this game – especially in preseason – you see some crazy stuff," Coen said. "We'd like to be able to finish the game the right way."

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw a first-quarter touchdown pass to wide receiver Parker Washington, and reserve running back Bhayshul Tuten scored a second-quarter touchdown in a dominant first half for the Jaguars.

"I thought Trevor was pretty sharp," Coen said, calling Sunday "another step in the right direction" for the fifth-year veteran.

Also significant for the Jaguars Sunday:

They committed just one first-half penalty for five yards, none with the starters playing. This had been a pre-game focus for Coen after he called it the "theme of the day" following a preseason-opening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers eight days before.

"You definitely had a better sense of urgency of alignment, assignment, getting lined up," Coen said. "The shifts and motions were clean. I was pleased with the operation, especially coming from what we wanted to emphasize last week."

Added Lawrence, "I thought it was cleaner in a lot of ways. We moved the ball well. It was a pretty clean day. We stayed on schedule and were pretty efficient."

The Jaguars rushed for 96 yards, 69 in the first half.

"I was pleased with the way we ran the football early on with the older guys, with the guys we expect to be contributing at a high level for us consistently," Coen said.

The Jaguars held a 232-70 total-yardage advantage at halftime, with kicker Cam Little’s converting a 53-yard field goal on the half's final play.

The Jaguars' starters, who played one series in the preseason opener, played two series on both sides of the ball Sunday. Highlights for the units:

• Lawrence completed eight of 10 passes for 76 yards and a seven-yard touchdown pass to Washington. That touchdown came on the unit's last play, capping a 55-yard drive and giving the Jaguars a 7-0 lead with 2:33 remaining in the first quarter.
• The defense held the Saints to 21 yards and one first down, with safety Andrew Wingard registering a sack and defensive end Travon Walker forcing Saints quarterback Tyler Shough into an early intentional grounding. "Defensively, I thought we played really well throughout," Coen said.
• Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. rushed for 24 yards on three carries on an impressive series for the run game on the game's second possession. The offensive line controlled tempo on the drive that ended with Washington's touchdown pass. Tank Bigsby rushed for six yards and had a 19-yard reception on the first series with Etienne adding a eight-yard reception on the second. "I was pleased with the way we were coming off the ball up front," Coen said.

The lone first-team blemish for the Jaguars Sunday: A fumble by Lawrence after he lost his footing on first-and-10 from the Saints 11. Saints defensive tackle Vernon Broughton recovered to end the 53-yard drive on the game's opening possession.

"You just have to eat that," Coen said. "That's a great learning moment, especially in the red area, where you already have points."

Jaguars backup quarterback Nick Mullens completed 14 of 17 passes for 112 yards and no touchdowns with a third-quarter interception. Reserve quarterback John Wolford completed three of seven passes for 30 yards with rookie quarterback Seth Henigan completing one of three passes for 23 yards and an interception.

The Jaguars registered two sacks – one by Andrew Wingard in the first quarter, one by rookie linebacker Jack Kiser in the second quarter. Reserve cornerback Keni-H Lovely recorded a fourth-quarter interception.

Step by step:

• The Jaguars' first-team offense and defense turned in an impressive first quarter, with Lawrence's touchdown pass to Washington capping an eight-play drive. The Jaguars led 7-0 with a 118-21 total-yardage advantage after a quarter.
• Saints kicker Blake Grupe's 51-yard field goal cut the Jaguars' lead to 7-3 with 7:25 remaining in the second quarter, with Tuten's three-yard run capping the ensuing series – seven plays, 66 yards – for a 14-3 Jaguars lead with 3:21 remaining in the second quarter. Little's 53-yard field goal on the final play of the half capped a nine-play, 40-yard drive.
• Saints kicker Charlie Smyth capped a nine-play, 73-yard drive to start the second half and made it 17-6, Jaguars, with 11:07 remaining in the third quarter. Smyth's 40-yard field goal capped a 63-yard drive to pull the Saints to within 17-9 with :17 remaining in the third quarter.
• Lovely's interception off Saints reserve quarterback Spencer Rattler at the Jaguars 7 stopped a Saints scoring threat with 4:32 remaining. Wide receiver Dante Pettis' 20-yard reception from Rattler and Rattler's two-point run tied it 17-17 with :21 remaining. Henigan's 23-yard pass to tight end Quintin Morris gave the Jaguars a first down at the Saints 42 with :09 remaining, but safety Jonas Sanker intercepted a deflected pass from Henigan on the ensuing play and time ran out.

Notable Game Moments - JAXvsNO:

The following Jaguars players did not participate Sunday: Cornerback Tyson Campbell, wide receiver Dyami Brown, rookie wide receiver Travis Hunter (upper body), safety Caleb Ransaw (lower body), cornerback Montaric Brown (lower leg), rookie linebacker Jalen McLeod (lower body), offensive lineman Chuma Edoga, linebacker Dennis Gardeck, reserve offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen (shoulder), offensive lineman Anton Harrison, defensive tackle Arik Armstead (back) and defensive tackle Maason Smith.