JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser, senior correspondent Brian Sexton, team reporter Kainani Stevens and correspondent John Shipley offer quick thoughts as the Jaguars move forward to Preseason Week 2 against the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium Friday

Oehser…

1. More good than bad. The Jaguars’ 24-20 victory over the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome in Preseason Week 1 Saturday wasn't perfect, and the first-half offensive performance was particularly rough. Remember, though: Few starters played, so sloppiness and lack of cohesion were expected. While backup quarterback Nick Mullens struggled along with the offensive line early, rookie receivers such as Josh Cameron, CJ Williams and Trebor Peña had moments throughout the game – as did rookie running back J'Mari Taylor and rookie defensive tackle Albert Regis, among others. Perhaps one very encouraging sign was that both Regis and veteran defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro registered sacks – with Orhorhoro sharing his with defensive end Danny Striggow. The Jaguars need interior pressure, and perhaps Regis and Orhorhoro can begin mattering there. Either way, this was a game featuring many players who won't be on the roster this season. But multiple young players who figure to matter very much in the coming seasons got their first NFL game action, and a lot of those young players had some encouraging moments.
2. Ramping it up. Consider this next week or two tricky ones for the Jaguars and Head Coach Liam Coen. The idea is to get a lot out of a joint practice against the Carolina Panthers this week and two joint practices next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That work ideally would include extensive and intensive work for the Jaguars' offensive line, but injuries to linemen such as tackle Walker Little, guard Patrick Mekari and tackle Chuma Edoga could make that more difficult than normal. "Unfortunately, we have that bug at the moment," Coen said Saturday. "We just have to get through it. We have two weeks of good work ahead that we need to take a step in the right direction. This is the time in training camp where these things sometimes pop up. Unfortunately, it is at a position which is hard to function when you have depth issues and injuries. We will get through it and be all right." This isn't a season-threatening issue. None of the injuries are thought to be season-ending. But it is making training camp trickier than is ideal.

Sexton…

1. The right response. The Jaguars fell behind early – in practice on Thursday and again on Saturday, with Coen saying at halftime he wanted to see his team respond. Down 20-6, they overcame the penalties, turnovers and missed tackles of the first two quarters and showed Coen what he wanted to see: A tough team that could stand strong, absorb body blows, then start punching back. Quarterback Carter Bradley led a 10-play drive to start the third quarter that ended with a touchdown pass to tight end Hunter Long. Bradley added a 17-play field goal drive and quarterback Joey Aguilar made a beautiful fourth quarter throw to wide receiver Trebor Peña that set up the go-ahead touchdown run by Taylor. The Jaguars completed the come-from-behind victory when cornerback Jabbar Muhammad defensed a pass in the end zone on the game's final play. There is much to correct, but the outcome is something they were able to correct in real time.
2. You play how you practice. Edge rusher B.J. Green II is one of the stories of Jaguars 2026 Training Camp. The second-year veteran has been beastly in practice – and was again Saturday. Green was all over the quarterback, and when linebacker Yasir Abdullah knocked the ball from Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler's hands, he recovered and set up a field goal. You felt his presence everywhere, and the same can be said of rookie safety Jalen Huskey, who had three tackles and defensed a pass. Taylor, also a strong practice player, rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. The same is true of rookie wide receivers CJ Williams and Josh Cameron. They are not yet household names, but the Jaguars are counting on them for the future and it was important to see them succeed Saturday.

Stevens…

1. Many teaching points. The Jaguars had a successful and productive joint practice with the Saints last week. They were able to grind out a victory Saturday, but looked sloppy early – and it was difficult to assess some of the young pass catchers because of inefficiency at quarterback. The offensive line injuries, while not concerning in the long term, have made it difficult to even get some plays off. It is more important for the younger players on this team to play smart and show their potential value to the team for the regular season.
2. It all comes down to special teams. The roster may be mostly set, but a few players are making their case. Abdullah had some very impactful special teams tackles Saturday and a monumental strip sack as well – a showing that may have solidified his place on the 53-man roster. Huskey got caught in the wrong place at times, but his willingness to make a tackle or force a turnover could earn him some playing time early in the season on special teams. It is a difficult group to gauge without their best special teamers playing, but I expect this area to improve against the Panthers.

Shipley…

1. Encouraging signs. The Jaguars' young defensive line has shown up throughout training camp, and this continued with increased repetitions Saturday. Striggow and Orhorhoro split a third-down sack to force a quick Saints three-and-out early, while Abdullah had a strip sack of Rattler later in the half aided by rookie fourth-rounder Wesley Williams. The fumble was recovered by Green, who had another productive outing after a terrific first half of camp. Also joining in with sacks were Regis and undrafted rookie defensive end Bryan Thomas Jr., who constantly applied pressure that he turned into a late second-half sack. The Jaguars needed depth behind their top pass-rushers to develop in training camp, and Saturday was encouraging.
2. Rapid response. Muhammad had the type of two-play sequence that should be a perfect teaching moment for the ascending young cornerback. The Saints attempted to put together a game-winning drive to close the game and targeted Muhammad, who stuck his hand in to disrupt the receiver and dislodge the ball. He was flagged for pass interference to keep the Saints alive. A few moments later, the Saints went at Muhammad in the end zone on the game's final play. This time, he played it perfectly. He knocked the ball away in the corner of the end zone, reminiscent of Buster Brown's game-winning breakup in the same corner of the end zone against the Saints in 2023. Brown had to bounce back from a Michael Thomas touchdown in that game, but he was ready when the Jaguars really needed him. This time, so was Muhammad. The Jaguars needed to see the young cover man in more game action, and Saturday was a solid sample size.