Just what they needed: Jaguars get things rolling in preseason finale against Cowboys

That’s what fans have been waiting for.

Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars are ready for the regular season.

The rookie quarterback was exceptional in the 34-14 win over the Cowboys in the preseason finale on Sunday, tossing a pair of touchdowns and wrapping things up with Jacksonville’s best all-around performance under coach Urban Meyer.

The defense looked good. The offense sped things up. Receivers battling for roster spots stepped up with their most thorough and impressive outing of the preseason.

Of course, the effort came against backups and roster bubble guys, but the Jaguars at least looked faster.

The Jaguars played at a quicker tempo and moved Lawrence around to stretch out plays. The offensive line was down four of its five projected starters but didn’t allow a sack. The receivers played extremely well. The defensive line was strong and the defensive backs kept plays in front of them.

And Lawrence had his breakout performance of the preseason with an 11-for-12 effort that was only scuffed by a dropped pass. He left after three series, two of them ending in touchdown drives.

The performance, the first since Lawrence was named the team’s starter for Week 1 at Houston on Sept. 12, showed glimpses of what Meyer has wanted his offense to look like. He called previous efforts “wallowing” and vowed that what the team looked like in the first halves in games against the Saints and Browns wasn’t what they’d look like once the real games began.

Perhaps Sunday was a bit of what the regular season Jaguars will look like with Lawrence running the show.

Two throws jumped out quickly.

Lawrence’s best throw of the preseason came on the opening drive on a second-and-4, a dime on a corner route to Phillip Dorsett. Lawrence dropped the ball on Dorsett’s outer shoulder and led him out of bounds. It covered 38 yards and was placed in a window where only Dorsett could have caught it.

Three plays later, Lawrence hit Pharoh Cooper in the end zone for the first touchdown of his professional career. The 18-yard strike was another perfect throw, set up by Cooper beating his defender badly.

Lawrence finished 11 of 12 for 139 yards and two touchdowns, his second of the day on a lob to Laviska Shenault in the second quarter. He went to the bench after that and finished his preseason with solid stats (31 of 44, 323 passing yards, two TDs).

CJ Beathard came in after that and led Jacksonville to a field goal drive. He had a pair of excellent throws, which unsung receivers Devin Smith and Jeff Cotton, Jr. made dazzling catches on. Smith’s diving grab covered 45 yards. And Cotton reeled in a 30-yarder that was just as pretty of a catch.

Notebook

• Receivers turned in their best game of the preseason. With starters Marvin Jones, Jr. and DJ Chark both out, guys like Jeff Cotton, Jr. and recently signed Devin Smith took opportunities to step up. Smith laid out for a 45-yard catch from Beathard. Cotton had a circus catch in the end zone overturned by a challenge, but came down with a 30-yard diving grab late in the second quarter.

• Defensive tackle Taven Bryan was more visible than he’d been the entire preseason, nearly swatting a screen pass down late in the second quarter. Bryan also jumped offsides on a drive that the Cowboys eventually scored on. The former first-round pick is fighting for a roster spot.

• Tight ends were more involved on Sunday than they’d been. Chris Manhertz and James O’Shaughnessy were targeted a combined four times and caught all of those passes in the opening half for 42 yards.

• Josh Lambo has struggled throughout preseason, but did hit a 45-yard field goal in the second quarter, and a 34-yarder in the fourth quarter, providing a much-needed boost of confidence entering cuts on Tuesday.