JACKSONVILLE – Jaguars correspondent John Shipley examines five key plays from the Jaguars’ 34-17 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Preseason Week 2 at EverBank Stadium Friday

1.Run, Abdullah, run. Veteran running back Ameer Abdullah made an impact Friday. The 12th-year veteran has stood out throughout 2026 Training Camp as he competes for a roster spot, and he turned in some of the offense’s most explosive plays against the Panthers. His most impressive play was a 23-yard run around the right edge in the second quarter, with Abdullah making a smooth move to force a missed tackle from Panthers defensive back Chau Smith-Wade in open space. He picked up a few more yards after contact downfield and gave the Jaguars their biggest run of the preseason to date – as well as the offense’s biggest play of the first half Friday. “If I stay key on my fundamentals and put myself in position to make a play, I think I am a playmaker,” Abdullah said after the game. “Find my space, able to square a guy up. So, really just my job.” With LeQuint Allen Jr. out for the rest of training camp with a soft-tissue injury, Abdullah could have a prime opportunity to step up for the Jaguars and get more work in the backfield. He got the start Friday night, also providing an 18-yard reception. “He definitely showed up tonight,” Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen said. “It was kind of what we have all been seeing in a lot of ways in practice.”

2.The Rook Shows Out. Points were hard to come by for the Jaguars in the first half as they scored six points on two field goals by kicker Cam Little. The first of those field goals happened in large part thanks to rookie wide receiver Josh Cameron, with the sixth-round Baylor product giving the Jaguars one of their most explosive plays of the day. Cameron got separation against veteran Panthers cornerback Mike Jackson and plucked the ball out of the air for a 22-yard gain and the Jaguars’ biggest pass of the half. “Really good to see Josh make a one-on-one opp that we’ve seen in practice a number of times,” Coen said. “Nick gave him a good opportunity.” Cameron had a 19-yard catch moments later to set up Little’s first field goal.

3.Bring the Blitz: Linebackers Ventrell Miller and Branson Combs both got repetitions for a second consecutive preseason game Friday. Combs blitzed on the game’s first drive, beating the running back in pass protection and recording a hit on quarterback Bryce Young to force an incompletion and get the offense off the field. “They are both going to play,” Coen said of Miller and Combs. “Both are very different players. They both have different skill sets. Whoever ends up being No. 1 on the depth chart is obviously semantics in a lot of ways.”

4.Little Gets a Hat Trick. Little has had a terrific training camp in terms of accuracy, and he was once again perfect Friday. He went three of three on field goals to give the Jaguars their first nine points of the game, converting 43, 34 and 34 yards.

5.Aguilar and Peña Connect. The Jaguars’ biggest play a week ago came from undrafted rookies Joey Aguilar and Trebor Peña, and the duo produced another significant splash against the Panthers. After the Jaguars failed to find the end zone for the first 56 minute, the duo connected for a 29-yard touchdown across the middle of the field. Aguilar fired a tight-window pass to Peña, who did the rest by outrunning the Panthers’ secondary into the end zone. “I see Trebor pop open between the linebacker,” Aguilar said. “I just tried to deliver him a good ball, and he made the rest happen.” The pair has shown some real chemistry at the start of the preseason, with Peña finishing the night with four catches for 72 yards to lead the Jaguars in receiving — and every catch came on a target from Aguilar.