Jaguars 27 - 24 Saints
Final
  for this game

Blackmon with strong debut as Jags top Saints

Aug 18, 2012 - 4:37 AM 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.






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