No one wins a Super Bowl in August but no one loses one either, so Jaguars fans had boundless optimism at Saturday’s preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns.
“It’s football … wooooo!” shouted Julita Wright of Jacksonville during a pregame tailgate party with her family. “I just want to have fun. And this season we’re having fun with more people.”
Wright was referring to the end of COVID-19 restrictions at TIAA Bank Field, which held crowds in 2020 to around 17,000 per game. The announced crowd of 57,508 collectively was of the same enthusiastic frame of mind and understandably so: it’s been more than two years since the last preseason game at home, 226 days since the last home game and 108 days since the Jags made quarterback Trevor Lawrence was the first overall selection in the NFL draft.
More:Trevor Lawrence makes preseason debut during 23-13 loss to Browns
More:Photos: Jaguars fall to the Browns in preseason action in Jacksonville
So it was time. Time for unconstrained joy. Time for unbridled hope — which, by the way, was a word on t-shirts worn by many fans, under a photo of Lawrence with his flowing locks.
“Let’s play … we’re ready,” said Mike Jinright of Jacksonville.
The team didn’t necessarily look ready but it was the first preseason game and struggles were to be expected. The 23-13 loss to the Browns had turnovers, sacks, blown defensive assignments and no scoring from the first or second offensive units.
But there were a handful of good plays to keep spirits up.
Jaguars coach Urban Meyer got the suspense out of the way after Cleveland kicked a field goal to open the game. Lawrence got the start, after weeks of the coaching staff playing coy in naming a No. 1 quarterback.
Fans almost didn’t notice Lawrence was in the game. They were too busy cheering a long kickoff return by Chris Claybrooks, then booing the officials after it was nullified because of a holding penalty.
During that swing of emotions, hardly anyone noticed that Lawrence had run onto the field with the rest of the offense, without any kind of a grand entrance.
But when his No. 16 was visible on the huge video board, the crowd erupted in a cheer louder than any play since last season’s opening game against Indianapolis, the team’s only victory.
The cheers quickly turned to groans when Lawrence was sacked on his first play. But he popped up, led the Jags to two first downs, and everyone was able to breathe again.
Many fans had expected nothing less than a Lawrence start but were willing to be patient had Meyer decided to go with Gardner Minshew.
“We’re here to see Trevor,” said Ray Wright Sr., of Jacksonville. “If [Meyer] doesn’t play him in the opening game [on Sept. 12], he’s going to have problems.”
Ray Wright Jr., also was inclined to wait.
“He’s the future of the Jaguars and we just want to get the chance to see what he can do,” he said. “I don’t care if he starts. As long as he plays.”
But there was no mistaking who the Jags fan base believes should be the start. While there were still some Minshew jerseys dotting the stadium and a polite cheer when he came into the game, the attire of the day was something anything Trevor-centric.
The garb ranged from official Lawrence jerseys (nflshop.com’s latest figures are that Lawrence has the No. 4 jersey in terms of sales in the NFL) to those of someone else’s making (and perhaps soon to get a cease-and-desist order from the league), while included one that said, “Tanked for Trevor,” and another that simply said, “Bel16ve.”
Groups of three, four or five people arrived together, all wearing No. 16 jerseys. They came in black, teal and white and more than one petite woman was able to use the jersey as a summer dress.
Of course, there’s one in every crowd.
“I wish they had drafted Mac Jones,” said Steve Jinright of Jacksonville, referring to the former Bolles and Alabama quarterback, now with New England. “He’s a winner. He’s going to be just like Tom Brady.”
Jinright’s brother offered full disclosure.
“He’s the Alabama fan,” he said, pointing to his brother.
If there was a runner-up to the Lawrence fashion show, it was the large group of fans who showed up sporting new Tim Tebow No. 85 jerseys. Tebow is trying to return to the NFL as a tight end for the Jags and thanks in large part to his fellow Jacksonville area residents, his jersey is No. 1 in the NFL in sales.
There were also No. 15 Tebow jerseys left over from the previous NFL teams where he was a quarterback, representing Denver, Philadelphia and New England, plus a few Gator jerseys.
There was some disappointment that Tebow didn’t make a catch — on his 34th birthday.
“Don’t forget about Tebow,” Ray Wright Sr., said. “And if they’re not going to play him, I hope they find a place for him in the organization.”
“We’re always going to love Tim,” said Kathy Moore of Orange Park.
Players weren’t the only thing on some fans’ minds. One said he was eager to see if those players were being coached up.
“I’m pretty excited about the news staff,” said Dan Moore of Orange Park. “Not just Urban, but the whole staff. I think the defensive staff is already better.”
“I like Joe Cullen,” said Kevin Stokes of Fleming Island about the Jags new defensive coordinator, who is bringing a multiple-look, more aggressive scheme that has 3-4 and 4-3 looks. “There’s going to be a lot of smokescreens to his defense. You won’t be able to tell who’s coming.”
But in the end, Stokes was pushing for more offense.
“We want to push the ball down the field,” he said.
The first preseason game laid bare some trouble spots but nothing that appears out of reach for the Jags coaching staff and young team to shore up by opening day on Sept. 12 at Houston. There are two more preseason games and a few weeks’ worth of practices to iron out the wrinkles.
And in 34 days, when the Jags return to TIAA Bank Field for the home opener against Denver on Sept. 19, about 10,000 more fans will be there, swelling the attendance – and the hope.
