Mac Jones throws two touchdowns and moves one step closer to his job as backup as the Jags beat the Bucs 20-7

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mac Jones threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns, taking a step toward officially securing Jacksonville's starting quarterback job, and the Jaguars beat Tampa Bay 20-7 on Saturday night in a preseason game with few starters.

Jones was used in place of Trevor Lawrence and completed 16 of 23 passes, including touchdowns to Parker Washington and Brevin Easton. He also stumbled six times, including a nifty duck-under move on linebacker Vi Jones in the second quarter to avoid a sack.

“You just have to keep the momentum going,” Jones said. “The season is only a week long, everyone always says that. The preseason is the same. You have to string together good games and then move on to the next game.”

Jones' best throws brought points. He hit Washington on a third-and-17 play for 25 yards and a 7-0 lead That capped a 17-play drive. Washington finished the week with three pass catches for 38 yards after returning a kickoff 73 yards against Kansas City.

Jones returned in the fourth quarter after CJ Beathard (groin) was out and threw a perfect pass to Easton, who went 31 yards. Jones finished with a QB rating of 127.1. Beathard completed 5 of 7 passes for 40 yards and was sacked three times.

“I thought Mac played a solid football game overall,” coach Doug Pederson said. “He was obviously into it. You could see his intensity. He made some great throws. He led the team as you would expect. … He loves to play. He loves the game and did some great things.”

Jones has been the favorite to replace Lawrence since the Jaguars traded him for a sixth-round draft pick in March. They see him as an upgrade over the 30-year-old Beathard, who struggled with a persistent shoulder problem last season.

The Buccaneers (1-1) and the Jaguars (2-0) trained against each other on Wednesday and Thursday and completed so much quality work in a controlled environment that most of the regular players were given the evening off.

Tampa Bay's Kyle Trask started in place of Baker Mayfield and completed 12 of 19 passes for 108 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown pass to Cody Thompson.

“He played with composure,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said. “The defense didn't give the offense enough opportunities to get the ball, both on dink-and-dunk plays and missed tackles. But he played with a lot of composure and took advantage of the time he had to throw.”

John Wolford took the snaps for the Bucs in the second half and delivered a great block on safety Erick Hallett in the fourth inning. Wolford was also knocked out with 1:40 left in the game when defensive end Yasir Abdullah threw him to the ground.

Wolford grew up in Jacksonville and was entering EverBank Stadium for the first time since being honored as a high school graduate in 2013.

The Bucs were much more efficient in defense. They had five sacks, including three by Jose Ramirez.

“We knew he was a pass rusher,” Bowles said. “He gets off the ball. He uses his hands well. He knows how to get to the quarterback. That's the other aspect of his game that he has to bring to the table.”

Tank Bigsby, Jaguars running back and 2023 third-round draft pick, got the ball early and often, totaling 56 yards on 13 touches.

Jacksonville rookie Cam Little made two field goals on his 21st birthday, making him 5 of 6 in the preseason, with his only miss coming from 55 yards out.

Tampa Bay's Chase McLaughlin missed a 37-yard throw wide left in the fourth inning.

RESTING CADRES

The Jaguars rested 24 players, including Lawrence, receiver Christian Kirk, running back Travis Etienne and Pro Bowl defensive end Josh Hines-Allen. Newly signed safety Tashaun Gipson, who was suspended for the first six games of the season, also did not play.

The Bucs played without 31 players. Mayfield, linebacker Lavonte David and receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin were among those warming up on the sidelines.

MAJOR INJURIES

Buccaneers: Safety Kaevon Merriweather injured his right knee in the first half and was later ruled out.

Jaguars: Cornerback Christian Braswell (hip) and offensive tackle Steven Jones (shoulder) left the game. Rookie cornerback Jarrian Jones was poked in the left eye in the third quarter but returned.

Next

To conclude the preseason, the Buccaneers host Miami on Friday.

The Jaguars end the test season on Friday in Atlanta.

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