Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Nathan Rourke (18) is seen during the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. Jacksonville won 28-23. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade)
Published on August 13, 2023 at 9:49 pm
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After the Jaguars’ first preseason game of the year on Saturday, all anyone was talking about was a third-string Canadian quarterback with a cult following north of the border.
With just over four minutes remaining in the game and the Jaguars leading the Dallas Cowboys 22-16, Nathan Rourke stood in the shotgun formation awaiting the snap for a third-and-16 play. Rourke has made some big plays as a professional, having played two seasons with the B.C. Lions of the Canadian Football League. Last season, he threw 25 touchdown passes and ran for seven more scores as he was named the league’s Most Outstanding Canadian.
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But on Saturday in Dallas, Rourke was experiencing his first taste of NFL game action, albeit in the preseason playing with and against a handful of players who won’t be on NFL rosters in a month.
It was an escape job worthy of Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson or, dare I say it, Gardner Minshew. Check out the similarities between Rourke’s play and Minshew’s escape against the Broncos in 2019.
Rourke finished the game with some impressive stats. He completed nine of 17 passes for 157 yards and the touchdown. He also ran for a score. Will Rourke make the team? Most NFL teams carry two quarterbacks on the active roster and keep another one on the practice squad. Trevor Lawrence and C.J. Beathard are firmly established as the Jaguars’ No. 1 and No. 2 QBs respectively.
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So what chance does Rourke have of staying in Jacksonville? If he’s on the practice squad, other teams can select him to the active roster and the Jaguars would lose him. The Jaguars were one of 12 teams to give Rourke a workout following the CFL season. He signed a three-year contract with the Jaguars, so clearly, the Jaguars’ brass likes what they see from Rourke.
On Saturday night, so did everyone else.
As for the rest of the Jaguars’ quarterbacks, Lawrence started slowly with an interception on the first drive against a defense made up of many backups for the Cowboys. The following drive resulted in a punt, but the Jaguars recovered a fumble on the return and Lawrence drove the team 45 yards for a touchdown before sitting down for the rest of the game.
Beathard was not as impressive, completing six of 17 passes, although he didn’t get much help from his receivers who dropped at least two catchable passes.
It’s far too early to make a call on players making the roster. There is too much time remaining before the final cuts are made to say what will happen behind Lawrence on the depth chart.
Will the Jaguars keep three quarterbacks on the active roster instead of the additional linebacker or offensive lineman? It is a storyline worth following for the rest of the preseason.
A few other observations from the preseason opener:
—The Jaguars’ starting offensive line has to play better. Even facing a mix of starters and backups on the Cowboys’ defense, the line didn’t open up enough big holes for the running game and allowed pressure on Lawrence too often.
—Wide receiver Calvin Ridley didn’t play long, but he continues to look the part of a No. 1 receiver. Ridley had two catches for 22 yards and looked sudden in and out of his breaks, as he has during training camp practices.
—Nose tackle DaVon Hamilton continues to shine this preseason. Hamilton has earned raves in training camp for his play. He recorded a first-quarter sack. Rookie pass rusher Yassir Abdullah recorded a sack in the second quarter, a good sign for a Jaguars defense needing to upgrade the pass rush this season.
—The Jaguars’ next preseason game comes Saturday in Detroit against the Lions. Then, the only home preseason game is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 26, against the Miami Dolphins at EverBank Stadium.
Lead image: Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Nathan Rourke (18) is seen during the second half of the game against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. Jacksonville won 28-23. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade)
Cole Pepper has covered sports in Jacksonville since 1996, most recently for News4Jax. He is currently broadcast director for Sporting Club Jacksonville and has called play-by-play for a number of teams, including the Suns, Tomcats, Jacksonville University, Sharks and The Bolles School football. He also served as the studio host for the Jaguars Radio Network.
