JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars rested all their starters in the final preseason game and got some good performances from some rookies in their last chance to make an impression before final cuts. Here are some quick thoughts on the Jaguars' 17-16 victory over the Washington Redskins:
QB depth chart: Holding steady? Stephen Morris took every snap and did a solid job against the Redskins. He completed 16 of 25 passes for 160 yards and one touchdown. He also was victimized by at least two drops. Morris is a candidate for the Jaguars’ practice squad, but he played solidly enough to possibly find himself being claimed by another team.
Maybe that dude could make the roster: Wide receivers Bryan Walters, Tony Washington and Neal Sterling are competing to be the Jaguars’ fifth receiver. Walters had five catches for 42 yards and a touchdown. Washington caught two passes for 45 yards. Sterling had three catches for 38 yards. Special teams could be the deciding factor. Walters and Washington each had one punt return and played on coverage units. It may turn out to be one of GM David Caldwell’s tougher decisions.
Who got hurt? The Jaguars lost two key players in the first half when safety Craig Loston went down with an ankle injury and defensive tackle Ziggy Hood hurt his foot. Loston, who was taken to the locker room on a cart, is competing with Josh Evans for the fourth safety spot and had a lead in the competition. Hood is a key player in the defensive tackle rotation.
A player who looks amazing: Running back Corey Grant already may have secured a roster spot as a kick returner, but he helped his case by carrying the ball five times for 74 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown. Grant isn’t likely to get much work on offense during the regular season, but it was good to see that he could be counted on in a pinch.
Rookie watch: The Jaguars want defensive tackle Michael Bennett to be more effective at rushing the passer. He didn’t get to Redskins quarterback Colt McCoy on the game’s first third down, but he got close enough to deflect McCoy’s pass and force a punt. Defensive end Cap Capi made a strong case to make the roster by notching another sack, giving him a team-high three in the preseason. The Jaguars have only five sacks in the preseason. Safety James Sample and Sterling got their first playing time of the preseason. Both had missed the first three games with injuries. Sample had seven tackles and caused an incompletion on fourth down with less than two minutes remaining.
One reason to freak out: The Jaguars went the entire preseason without forcing a turnover. You would have thought that this would have been the perfect game to get one, too, since games involving third- and fourth-teamers generally are pretty sloppy, but the Jaguars were shut out again. Linebacker Thurston Armbrister made a nice play and intercepted a McCoy pass, but the play was wiped out by offsetting penalties. Armbrister had another chance late in the game, but dropped a deflection.
The kid’s debut: The Jaguars turned the kicking duties over to rookie Jason Myers this week when they traded Josh Scobee to Pittsburgh. Nothing like asking him to make a 56-yard field goal in his first game as the guy. Myers’ kick was long enough but wide right. He rebounded to make a 47-yarder with less than four minutes remaining, a kick that turned out to be the decisive points.