Jaguars vs. Steelers: Good, Not So Good From Preseason Opener

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have put forth the first effort of the Liam Coen era, opening the 2025 preseason on Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers at EverBank Stadium.

So, what were the highs and lows of the first game of Coen's tenure? We break it down below.

The Good

Cam Little

I mean, this one is obvious. Little went from an encouraging rookie kicker a year ago to now being an official real deal weapon for the Jaguars after his stunning 70-yard field goal -- which could have been good from maybve 75 yards out.

Trevor Lawrence

Trevor Lawrence had a solid first outing under Liam Coen. Lawrence looked comfortable in the scheme, was accurate on all seven of his passes, and most importantly left the game completely healthy. Lawrence only got one drive and the Jaguars did not try to push the ball downfield, but it was an encouraging start.

Rookie Class

bhayshul tute — Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) walks over to the interview area after the Jaguar’s 12th NFL training camp session at the Miller Electric Center, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While Travis Hunter did not fill the stat sheet in his limited snaps on offense and defense, the Jaguars did seem to get some solid production from the rest of their drafted and undrafted rookie class over the course of the game.

Wyatt Milum held his own at right tackle and continues to look better at tackle than at guard.

Bhayshul Tuten scored on an eight-yard touchdown that showed elite effort and ability to push the pile.

Rayuan Lane had a very impressive tackle for loss and also chipped in a special teams tackle

Danny Striggow recorded a sack and BJ Green recorded a quarterback hit.

The Not So Good

Starting Defense

jacksonville jaguar — Aug 9, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington (80) scores a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

The Jaguars' defense was one of the worst in the entire NFL last season, so it should be expected for their progress to be gradual and not immediate. With that said, they certainly should have expected to offer more resistance against Mason Rudolph on the first drive. Things looked easy for a Steelers offense that was missing their best players against a Jaguar defense that played every starter.

Nick Mullens

Other than an 11-yard touchdown pass to Trenton Irwin, it was a rough night for Jaguars backup quarterback Nick Mullens. He missed Parker Washington with an underthrown deep ball on one play, while he got bailed out of a brutal interception by a ticky-tack penalty on the Steelers defense..

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