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NFL Preseason Week 2 Game Recap: New Orleans Saints 17, Jacksonville Jaguars 17
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Jacksonville Jaguars
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New Orleans Saints
It remains difficult to say who has pulled ahead in the New Orleans Saints‘ quarterback competition, but Spencer Rattler seemed to do his part in moving one step closer to securing the job.
The second-year quarterback made three big-time throws — becoming just the third passer to do so in a game this preseason — and was at the forefront of the Saints’ game-tying drive against the Jacksonville Jaguars. His foe, Tyler Shough, looked like a rookie at times but also made a big-time throw himself.
The 17-17 result won’t have much bearing on the Jaguars, but they did get a strong showing out of starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence and positive work from their top three running backs, Trevor Etienne, Tank Bigsby and Bhayshul Tuten.
On the other side of the ball, Saints cornerback Rejzohn Wright broke up two passes and Jaguars cornerback Keni-H Lovely picked off Rattler in the fourth quarter.
PFF’s dedicated team of graders was hard at work, analyzing every player on every play in real time. The comprehensive grades and data will be available after a thorough review tomorrow at 12 p.m. EST.
In the meantime, we’ve gathered some high-level data and snap counts from the game to give you an early look. Our expert graders have also nominated the standout player of the game, highlighting exceptional performance on the field.
Use the discount code earlybird to save $20 on your PFF+ subscription, and get in-depth analysis, PFF grades, Premium Stats, fantasy football tools, betting dashboards and much more!
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Jaguars tackle Fred Johnson, who signed a one-year deal with the team this offseason after three seasons with the Eagles, played for nearly three quarters and excelled on both the right and left sides of the line.
Johnson didn’t surrender any pressure across 28 pass-blocking snaps and earned a positive grade on nearly 50% of his run-blocking reps — by far the game’s highest rate.
BOX SCORE
| Stat | Jaguars | Saints |
|---|---|---|
| Total points | 17 | 17 |
| Total offensive plays | 63 | 59 |
| Average EPA per play | 0.001 | -0.032 |
| Total net yards | 337 | 323 |
| Avg yards per play | 5.3 | 5.5 |
| Total first downs | 21 | 18 |
| Rushing first downs | 7 | 4 |
| Passing first downs | 14 | 12 |
| Penalty first downs | 0 | 2 |
| Third-down efficiency | 50% | 31% |
| Fourth-down efficiency | 20% | 25% |
| Possessions | 10 | 9 |
| Avg plays per drive | 6.6 | 7.1 |
| Avg yards per drive | 30.6 | 32.3 |
| Avg points per drive | 1.6 | 1.7 |
| Red-zone possessions | 3 | 3 |
| Red-zone plays | 9 | 6 |
| Red-zone TDs | 2 | 1 |
| Red-zone FGs | 0 | 1 |
| Red-zone scoring efficiency | 67% | 67% |
