The Good, Not So Good From Jaguars' Week 1 Win

The Jacksonville Jaguars had smooth sailing in Week 1, taking down the Carolina Panthers in an easy 26-10 win.

But what were the ups and downs of the game? The highlights and the lowlights? We break all of that down below in our look at the good, and the not so good.

The Good

Liam Coen

All week long it felt like the Jaguars' locker room believed in what they were doing on both sides of the ball, and the credit for that has to go to head coach Liam Coen. He managed the game well and simply had the Jaguars ready to play his brand of football.

The Running Game

nfl — Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) finds a hole during the first quarter of an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium Sunday September 7, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A 200-yard rushing day does not come easy for any team, but it looked mostly effortless for Travis Etienne and the Jaguars. The offensive line and Brenton Strange deserve a ton of credit for making the ground game look the best it has in years.

Josh Hines-Allen

Josh Hines-Allen had a dominant game against the Panthers, recording eight pressures (second-most of Week 1) and the second-highest pressure rate of any defender. Hines-Allen did not record a sack, but he forced multiple poor throws in big moments and forced a grounding penalty from Bryce Young. He had a blue-chip kind of day for a defense that needed one.

The Not So Good

The Lawrence/BTJ Connection

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) comes out of the tunnel before the start of an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium Sunday September 7, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Brian Thomas caught one pass for 11 yards on seven targets, and the connection between him and Trevor Lawrence simply has to be better moving forward. It seemed like it was more of a Lawrence issue this time around, but the two need to re-find the magic that they had during the 2024 season before Lawrence got hurt.

Penalties

Carolina Panthers head coach Liam Coen talks to the referee and a line judge during the third quarter of an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium Sunday September 7, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jaguars racked up 11 penalties against the Panthers, and it almost cost them points on multiple occasions -- on both sides of the ball. The Jaguars managed to overcome them this week, but it could hurt them down the road when they play better teams. This isn't just a one-time issue, either, because it showed up plenty during training camp and the preseason.

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