PFF’s 4 highest grades for offensive players in Jaguars loss to Steelers
PFF has released their grades for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ third preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the results aren’t pretty for the teal and black offense. The grades certainly don’t account for the supreme effort put forth by the Jags’ offense in the one-point loss, but with their highest rating being a paltry 79.6 out of a possible 99.9, they don’t speak to a great all-around performance by the unit.
They only managed to put kicker Ryan Santoso in a position to hit a three-point field goal four times in the game, with only half of his attempts resulting in points to show for their trouble. The only touchdown the Jaguars scored on offense was on a broken play where C.J. Beathard made a heroic scramble for the goal line in the red zone.
Jacksonville has one more chance to get right before the regular season, so the guys who played well will need to pull some extra weight in preparation for the final preseason game on Saturday. Here are the players who received the highest PFF grades on the Jaguars’ offense:
4. TIE WR Christian Kirk, WR Tim Jones (72.3)
This receiving duo proved to be the offense’s most potent threat in the passing game, combining for 124 yards on 10 catches against Pittsburgh. Kirk and Jones were targeted eight and six times respectively, and made the most of their time on the field, even if they weren’t able to score a touchdown. They’ll look to continue building a rapport with quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and improve against Atlanta on Saturday before the regular season.
3. WR Marvin Jones Jr. (77.9)
Even if his quarterback’s grade paled in comparison, Jones helped the first team offense with three receptions for 40 yards in limited action against the Steelers, securing the third highest grade on the offense. It wasn’t the most impressive performance of his career, but an all-around good performance was enough to make him the highest-graded receiver on the team.
2. RG Brandon Scherff (78.1)
A grade this high is very solid for any offensive lineman up against the likes of Pittsburgh’s front seven, so Scherff deserves all praise for his spot near the top of this list. He was an instrumental part of limiting the talented defensive adversary to just one sack of his starting quarterback, which will help pave the way for better offensive function when the regular season starts.
1. RB Travis Etienne (79.6)
Limited to just eight carries, Etienne continues to work his way to full speed in the preseason while preparing for his NFL regular season debut. He was injured around this time last year and had to forgo what looked to be a promising rookie season after being diagnosed with a Lisfranc injury. The bounce back seems to be in full effect, though, and with a big game against the Falcons, Etienne could be back to old form in time for the season opener.
