Jaguars vs. Panthers Week 1 Live Game Thread

JACKSONVILLE, FL — The Jacksonville Jaguars need a palette cleanser. They've brought in a lot of new pieces since the end of their abysmal 4-13 season in 2024, but that stench will follow them until they get their first win of the Liam Coen era.

It might just be the first game of a long 17-week campaign, but this is a crucial outing for the Jaguars. There's plenty of pressure to go around the team. For one, this clash against the Carolina Panthers will mark Liam Coen's debut as a head coach in the NFL. He's garnered plenty of optimism after a revelatory campaign as the offensive coordinator of the 2024 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but there have been plenty of talented coordinators who couldn't quite cut it after a promotion. Coen will be working tirelessly to avoid that list.

Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL, Trevor Lawrence, Travis Hunter Jr. — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) calls a play with teammate wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) in the background before an NFL scrimmage at EverBank Stadium Friday August 1, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaguars have a lot to prove Week 1

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence will be playing the first game on his new five-year, $275 million contract. Not only will be aiming to prove that he deserves every cent of that extension from Jacksonville, but he'll be hoping to reassert himself as a true franchise quarterback in this league.

Travis Hunter Jr. has plenty to prove, too. The team gave up a massive package to jump up from five to two in the 2025 NFL Draft in order to acquire him. Part of the justification for the haul they gave up to get him hinges on his goal to be a productive player on both offense and defense for the Jaguars. He should see snaps at wide receiver and cornerback against the Panthers. Whether he'll be successful in both spots is a different question.

The good news is, Jacksonville has a decent chance to start its next era with a victory. The Jaguars are slightly favored coming into the matchup against an unproven Carolina Panthers squad. However, Liam Coen wouldn't want his team to take their opponents too lightly.

This was the electric version of Bryce Young we saw the second half of last season for the #Panthers.

Great pocket awareness, doesn’t bail too early and directs traffic to find Jalen Coker for 6. You can’t play quarterback much better than this.pic.twitter.com/T2Wr614lRP
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 8, 2025

Between quarterback Bryce Young, running back Chuba Hubbard, EDGE Derrick Brown, and cornerback Jaycee Horn, the Panthers have some notable talent on both sides of the ball. However, with Jalen Coker landing on short-term IR, their wide receiver corps has been significantly compromised, especially considering that they traded away Adam Thielen just before that.

The Jaguars should have every opportunity to take advantage of an expectedly shaky defense and a questionable offensive line to come out on top in their season opener. Follow this live game thread for consistent updates and highlights of big plays.

Live Game Thread

1st Quarter

COIN TOSS: Jaguars win toss, elect to receive

FOURTH-DOWN CONVERSION: Dyami Brown converts on a 4th-and-1 on a 4-yard endaround run

TRAVIS HUNTER FIRST CAREER CATCH: Travis Hunter Jr. brings in a 10-yard slant on 1st-and-20

SCORING UPDATE NO. 1: Cam Little hits 35-yard field goal on 4th-and-7 — JAX 3-0 CAR

BIG PLAY: Facing 3-and-out on 3rd-and-2, Bryce Young scrambles for a 3-yard pickup.

BIG PLAY: Cornerback Jourdan Lewis breaks up a pass to Hunter Renfrow to force fourth down

SCORING UPDATE NO. 2: CAR K Ryan Fitzgerald nails 48-yard FG — JAX 3-3 CAR

END OF 1ST QUARTER — JAX 3-3 CAR

2nd Quarter

3-AND-OUT: Travis Hunter Jr. loses two yards on a 3rd-and-3 on Jaguars' first drive of the second quarter

INTERCEPTION: Eric Murray breaks up a pass to Xavier Legette, and Foyesade Oluokun brings down the pick

BIG PLAY: On 3rd-and-3 in the red zone, Trevor Lawrence tucks the ball and picks up four yards up the middle

SCORING UPDATE NO. 3: Trevor Lawrence finds Trevor Long wide open in the end zone for six yards and six points. Little converts the extra points — JAX 10-3 CAR

GAME DELAY: Lightning in the area in downtown Jacksonville has stopped play.

BIG PLAY: After an over 30-minute weather delay, the Panthers were able to shake off the rust and avoid a 3-and-out, with B. Young finding McMillan for a 12-yard gain on 3rd-and-6

BIG PLAY: On 3rd-and-11, Jacksonville gets good coverage downfield, but Bryce Young escapes a collapsing pocket for a 22-yard scramble

BIG HIT: Eric Murray welcomes Hunter Renfrow back to the NFL with a thud, landing a good, clean tackle over the middle to force a drop and 3rd-and-long

THIRD-DOWN STOP: Jaguars Defensive Coordinator Anthony Campanile dials up the pressure, sending Jourdan Lewis on a cornerback blitz. Lewis hits Young before the incompletion. Jaguars take over at the nine after a Carolina punt

BIG PLAY: On their first play after the delay, Travis Etienne Jr. finds a hole and makes the safety miss for a 71-yard run

SCORING UPDATE NO. 4: Jaguars get Brian Thomas Jr. involved with a nine-yard TD run — JAX 17-3 CAR

FUMBLE: Bryce Young drops the rock on a short scramble, and the Jaguars take over after Jourdan Lewis falls on it at the Jacksonville 32-yard line

SCORING UPDATE NO. 5: Trevor Lawrence ruins Cam Little's opportunity at another 70-yard field goal, finding Dyami Brown for a 23-yard strike to the Carolina 29-yard line. Little converts the 48-yarder — JAX 20-3 CAR

END OF 2ND QUARTER — JAX 20-3 CAR

BIG STOP: Bryce Young's pass to Xavier Legette falls incomplete, and the Panthers turn it over on downs on 4th-and-1 at the Jacksonville 5-yard line

3-AND-OUT: Jaguars' first drive of the third quarter is a quick one, as Trevor Lawrence can't complete a pass to Brian Thomas Jr. on 3rd-and-7

INTERCEPTION: A deep shot from Lawrence intended for Hunter Jr. is picked off by Jaycee Horn on an impressive one-handed vertical grab at Jacksonville 47-yard line.

BIG STOP: Jaguars cornerback Tyson Campbell breaks up a 4th-and-5 end zone try from Young to McMillan, and Jacksonville takes over at their own 33-yard line

END OF THIRD QUARTER — 20 JAX-CAR 3

SCORING UPDATE NO. 6: Jaguars march 49 yards on 13 plays, but are unable to convert on a 3rd-and-14 after a false start penalty. Cam Little hits a 36-yard FG — 23 JAX-CAR 3

BIG PENALTY: Bryce Young tries to force one, while falling to the ground, that's picked off by Andrew Wingard, but a holding penalty by Jourdan Lewis gives the Panthers an automatic first down

SCORING UPDATE NO. 7: After the penalty, Chuba Hubbard takes a 27-yard pass to the house — 23 JAX-CAR 10

BIG PLAY: Brenton Strange shows off the hands by reeling in the offside kick attempt from the Panthers

SCORING UPDATE NO. 8: Cam Little goes 4-for-4, adding to his point total with a 28-yard chip — 26 JAX-CAR 10

INTERCEPTION: Jourdan Lewis finishes his Jaguars debut with an interception on a tipped passed

FINAL 26 JAGUARS (1-0) - PANTHER 10 (0-1)

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