New Orleans, LA (Sports Network) - There's still no Maurice Jones-Drew for the
Jacksonville Jaguars, but another notable holdout, Justin Blackmon, made his
NFL preseason debut Friday.
Blackmon had four receptions for 48 yards and a touchdown, while Jordan
Palmer's 11-yard TD pass to Kevin Elliott on fourth down with 13 seconds left
helped the Jaguars down the New Orleans Saints, 27-24, on Friday.
Blackmon, the fifth-overall selection in the NFL Draft out of Oklahoma State,
signed his contract before Jacksonville's first preseason game against the New
York Giants. Head coach Mike Mularkey, however, decided to sit him as he felt
Blackmon had to get more acclimated to the offense.
Blaine Gabbert completed 13-of-16 passes for 112 yards and two scores, while
Jones-Drew's backup, Rashad Jennings, carried the ball 11 times for 62 yards.
Drew Brees was 10-of-13 for 133 yards and a touchdown for New Orleans.
Blackmon hauled in a 16-yard touchdown to conclude Jacksonville's opening
nine-play 80-yard march, and after the Saints countered with a Garrett Hartley
37-yard field goal, the Jags went ahead 14-3 two drives later when Colin
Cloherty capped a lengthy 14-play, 66-yard trek with a 15-yard touchdown
reception.
After Jeremy Mincey sacked Drew Brees and caused a fumble on the first play of
New Orleans' ensuing drive, which Terrance Knighton recovered, Josh Scobee
nailed a 36-yard field goal to make it 17-3.
Brees' final pass of the night was an eight-yard TD strike to Devery
Henderson, which cut the deficit to 17-10 late in the second stanza.
A pair of Chase Daniel touchdown passes -- a 53-yarder to Josh Morgan and a
24-yarder to Travaris Cadet -- wrapped around a 47-yard Josh Scobee field goal
gave New Orleans a 24-20 advantage with two minutes remaining in the final
quarter.
But the Jaguars had the answer as Elliott's reception concluded a 12-play, 74-
yard march.
The Sports Network