On the first play from scrimmage against the Atlanta Falcons, the Jacksonville Jaguars forced an interception on a sweet play by third-year safety Daniel Thomas. His sweet pick set the Jaguars up to take a quick lead with a field goal on the ensuing drive off the foot of rookie kicker James McCourt.
Check out the play here via Tweet from Jacksonville’s official account:
That’s how you kick things off, @gamechanger021!
📺: #JAXvsATL on CBS-47/NFLN pic.twitter.com/KvtFU7aVT7
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) August 27, 2022
This play could end up being a key factor in the Jaguars’ hopes of securing their first preseason win heading into the regular season in September. The team hopes to bring a full head of steam into their Week 1 matchup against the Washington Commanders, and this clutch interception certainly has them on track to stay competitive in this matchup.
Thomas, the player who came down with the interception, is fighting for a spot on Jacksonville’s 53-man roster, currently listed as the team’s second-string free safety behind Andre Cisco. With any luck, he’ll maintain that spot next week when the Jaguars cut their roster down from 80 players to get under the maximum threshold for the regular season.
McCourt’s field goal following the interception was another good sign for the Jaguars, who have struggled to find a consistent kicker to this point in the preseason. He was claimed off waivers by Jacksonville this week and nailed a deep field goal for a go-ahead score in the first quarter that could prove to be a key moment in this matchup.
