Coming off a tremendous surprise turnaround season that included a division win and two playoff victories, the Jaguars have everyone in North Florida buzzing for 2018. And the NFL Network is interested enough that it has announced it will be showing their second preseason game, at the Vikings, to the nation on Saturday August 18th.

This information was included in the NFL’s announcement that NFL Network will televise a total of 15 preseason games live, nationally:

.@nflnetwork to Carry 15 Live 2018 Preseason Games: https://t.co/NSyEJ8W5z1

— NFL Media (@NFLMedia) July 12, 2018

The Jaguars will practice against the Vikings in Minnesota on Wednesday and Thursday (8/15-16) prior to playing the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Minnesota, who won the NFC North and made the NFC Championship Game last year, signed arguably the top free agent on the market last March. That’s when they inked former Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins to a massive three year fully guaranteed $84 million deal.

Jacksonville will open the preseason the previous week against the NFC South champion Saints at newly renamed TIAA Bank Field in North Florida.

The good news in addition to the practice time with the Vikes, most of the starters on both sides of the ball will see action into the second quarter, if not halftime of the second preseason game.

This will be good work for QB Blake Bortles and his new assortment of targets like WR Donte Moncrief and TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who both signed with the Jags in March.

And for the stout Jaguars defense led by DT Calais Campbell, LB Telvin Smith and CB Jalen Ramsey (all of whom made the Pro Bowl last year) will get a good opening half challenge from Cousins, and receivers Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. It will also be curious to see if second year former FSU star running back Dalvin will be fully recovered from his ACL tear. And, we’ll see if the Vikings want to give him some work or rest him completely in August.

The Jaguars traded for defensive tackle Marcell Dareus last year to re-unite him with former head coach Doug Marrone and give him a fresh start on living up to his first round draft pick expectations.

Unfortunately, less than a year later, Dareus is involved in not one, but two sexual assault complaints.

First, it was learned Wednesday afternoon that a woman in Houston, TX, has accused Dareus of having unprotected sex with her in April, while she was unconscious. And she further claims that Dareus gave her a sexually transmitted disease. The unidentified woman filed a civil lawsuit seeking $15,000 in damages.

“News 4” in Jacksonville reporter Chris Parenteau had more on that allegation:

Former Bills DT Marcell Dareus is reportedly being sued for sexual assault: https://t.co/1o7AOWa5go

— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) July 11, 2018

News 4 reported on it’s evening newscast Wednesday that there’s no criminal complaint with Houston Police against Dareus at this time.

The accuser’s attorney did give this statement to the station Wednesday afternoon:

“There are civil and criminal laws in both Florida and Texas that address circumstances where someone knowingly exposes another to sexually transmitted diseases. As of now, we are not aware that any criminal charges have been filed in this matter. Our focus is on protecting our client’s right to recover damages for the severe physical and emotional harm that’s been caused to her.”

The situation is further confused by the accuser in the Houston case admitting to having consensual sex on multiple occasions with Dareus after the alleged incident.

Meanwhile, there is another allegation that came to light on Wednesday, involving Dareus and others, that an alleged sexual assault occurred at a Tampa mansion in January of 2017. In a civil complaint originally filed in December of last year, an unidentified Las Vegas woman says that Dareus and members of his “entourage” sexually assaulted her after a night of partying.

The woman accused Dareus formally in an amendment to her civil suit in Hillsborough County Court in January. Dareus and his lawyers are trying to get the lawsuit dismissed at an August 9th hearing.

Dareus played in 12 total games for the Jaguars after the trade with the Bills. He had one regular season sack, but excelled in the playoffs with sacks in the Pittsburgh win and the narrow loss to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. He had 10 total tackles in the three post season games.

The 28 year old Dareus, a first round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, is scheduled to make $10.2 million dollars this season in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars only comment to the media on Wednesday evening was that they were aware of the allegations and monitoring the situation.

Dareus’ agent had not returned calls or emails seeking comment from them or Dareus on the civil lawsuits and sexual assault allegations.

Obviously, in addition to the seriousness of the allegations, even in civil court, the NFL will likely be investigating the situation soon under the league’s personal conduct policy.

The NFL has been handing out suspensions in recent weeks, and you have to wonder, if Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler doesn’t have a league judgement day coming, too.

Two of the recent suspensions are Bucs QB Jameis Winston, who learned his fate (three games) two weeks ago, for an inappropriate touching incident investigation that went on since last November. And, also 49ers second year LB Reuben Foster, who was suspended last week for the first two games this year after taking a no contest plea to weapons charges in June.

Foster avoided more serious criminal and league punishment, when authorities agreed with his girlfriend/accuser that she completely made up domestic violence allegations against him. They then, dropped all charges related to those allegations.

Back to Fowler, we at F.F.I. have written extensively about his arrest from last summer involving an altercation at a St. Petersburg apartment complex. That’s where witnesses say Fowler confronted and punched another man in a road rage disagreement in the parking lot.

It is not Fowler’s first arrest, as he was charged with assault and resisting arrest for a March 2016 incident in Dade Coutny. He also pled that case out in December 2016 and went into a diversion program to avoid jail time. The NFL did not discipline Fowler after the 2016 incident, but just might now.

The ongoing belief has been that Fowler would receive at least a one game suspension for these latest actions/now plea deal. The NFL usually doesn’t not comment on nor disclose timelines on their investigations. However, it’s safe to assume they have been investigating and it’s getting close to the start of training camp to do something with Fowler’s situation, if they are going to al all.

Fowler, a former #1 pick, had a breakout season in 2017 with eight sacks, as the Jaguars defense was the top one in the NFL at rushing the quarterback. And, Jacksonville went on to win the AFC South and make the AFC Championship Game.

So, while it’s important for the Jaguars and their fans that Fowler took a plea deal in that case in March and avoided any jail time, it’s still important is that the NFL has not yet ruled one way or the other.

If Fowler is suspended it would be the opener at the Giants and of course, as others have done, he could try to appeal.