SmashMouth

Let me preface this column by saying this.

It was just Jacksonville, a team that won just one game last season and probably won't win many more than that this season.

The Jaguars have now lost 17 straight games, if you include the 15 straight they lost to end last season and their first two preseason games this summer.

Now that we've addressed how bad the Jaguars are, just know that the New Orleans Saints' defense had a lot to do with that in Monday night's exhibition in the Caesars Superdome, a 23-21 win that surely had Saints fans smiling.

First, the Saints found their starting quarterback in Jameis Winston, who was superb in his outing.

Jeff Duncan: It's time to make the call. Jameis Winston is the Saints' starting quarterback.
And second, the Saints found out for the second straight preseason game that the first-team defense may be better than many people thought. It wasn't really that close, but the Saints' third-string defense let the Jaguars back in it.



Cornerback Ken Crawley has heard the doubters.

He knows there are those who thought the Saints had too many holes to fill from last year's defense to be as good this season.

But Crawley isn't listening to any of that.

Neither are his teammates.

"I take all of it personal," Crawley said Saturday, two days before the Saints' second preseason game. "They say we're going to be trash this year. I take that personal, too. People don't know what they are talking about."

Two games into the preseason, it's hard to dispute Crawley.

The Saints defense, despite losing so many key pieces from last season, looks legit.

Again, it was just Jacksonville, but the Saints dominated, just the way you are supposed to against inferior opponents.

The Jaguars gained just 30 yards the first four times they touched the ball and managed just one first down. That came on the heels of last week's game against the Ravens when they didn't give up any first downs on their first four possessions. To add some context to that one, the Ravens didn't play Lamar Jackson, the league's Most Valuable Player two seasons ago, in that one.

The Jags, though, were playing with their projected starting quarterback.

Trevor Lawrence, selected with the No. 1 overall draft pick, played the entire first half and completed 14 of 23 passes for 113 yards. But the former Clemson standout was under pressure much of the night, much like he was in the Superdome on Jan. 1 when he played his final college game, a 49-28 loss to Ohio State in the semifinals of the College Football Playoffs.

The Jaguars finished with just 45 rushing yards on 20 attempts (2.3 yards per carry) as Dennis Allen's defense continues to prove that it can still be dominant despite all the new jersey numbers in the lineup.

Guys like Crawley and Marcus Davenport have been just as good in the preseason as they have been in practice — a good sign for the Saints.

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