Jaguars vs. Falcons Mailbag: Defending Kyle Pitts, Foyesade Oluokun and More
The Jacksonville Jaguars made a short trip north this week, traveling to Flowery Branch, Georgia to hold joint practices with the Atlanta Falcons. But before they play Arthur Smith's squad in Saturday's preseason finale, we take a look at what this week and Saturday could mean for both sides.
Falcon Report's Jeremy Brener recently sat down with us to go over five pressing questions ahead of the Jaguars and Falcons preseason finale on Saturday. What should we look out for, and what does it all mean moving forward?
1. Just how difficult is it for defenses to keep Kyle Pitts in check? He's a benchmark test for the Jaguars' secondary.
JB: I've personally never tried to defend a 6-6, 250-pound man with a 4.4 40-yard dash before, but I can't imagine it's very easy, even for players who make millions of dollars to do that as their job. The only players who have had some success in defending him during practice are Pro Bowler A.J. Terrell and former UCF safety Richie Grant, who is expected to be a big part of the team's secondary this year.
In last week's preseason game, Pitts caught a 52-yard pass from Marcus Mariota simply because he outran New York Jets cornerback Bryce Hall. If he plays Saturday, he'll definitely be a worthy test for the Jags.
2. How has Atlanta's middle linebacker play been since Foyesade Oluokun left Atlanta for Jacksonville?
JB: The team drafted Montana State's Troy Andersen in the second round and signed a bunch of veterans to fill the void. Rashaan Evans, a former first-round pick from the Tennessee Titans has been the primary guy filling Oluokun's role. Deion Jones was also just activated off the PUP List this week, so the team was really hurt in the depth chart before today.
It's always difficult to replace your leading tackler from a year ago, but it appears the Falcons will do so by committee.
3. Will we see more of Marcus Mariota or Desmond Ridder on Saturday?
JB: If the pattern continues from the first two games, then Ridder will see more playing time. If Mariota plays, I can't imagine it would be for more than two or three drives. Despite being relegated to a backup for the past two years, Mariota has been the best quarterback in camp and the preseason. It was always his job.
Ridder might see starting opportunities towards the end of the season, but for now, this is Mariota's team.
4. Who is one Falcons player on offense and defense to watch?
JB: On offense, wide receiver Jared Bernhardt has arguably been the best success story from camp. A former lacrosse player at Maryland, Bernhardt wanted to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL. He had to transfer to D-II Ferris State as an option quarterback in order for that to happen. The Falcons signed him as an undrafted free agent and was supposed to be just a camp body. But he scored the game-winning touchdown against the Detroit Lions in Week 1 and led the team in receiving yards against the New York Jets in Week 2. He's fighting for a roster spot still, but a strong showing against the Jags should help his case.
On defense, cornerback Dee Alford has the best chance among the undrafted free agents to make the roster. He's been improving day after day and has shined during his brief playing time in the preseason. With an already-stacked cornerback group, spots are limited, but Alford is fighting for a job Saturday.
5. Game prediction and Falcons record prediction?
JB: The Falcons will start off hot, but cool off in the second half. However, they have enough to pull out a 24-23 win after the Jags miss a two-point conversion to win the game at the end.
As for the regular season, the Falcons have their work cut out for them. However, I think six wins for this team is a fair number. It might be slightly on the optimistic side, but I think people underestimate Mariota a little bit and the secondary could bail this team out of some games.
