Jacksonville looked sharp under its new coaching regime (head coach Liam Coen, GM James Gladstone), showing complementary football—strong ground game, efficient passing, and opportunistic defense. Carolina, on the other hand, not only failed to seize momentum post-weather delay but also continued to grapple with familiar offensive missteps and inconsistencies.
Key Highlights
Jaguars Offense
Trevor Lawrence threw a touchdown pass, finishing with 178 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception.Reutersjaguars.com
Travis Etienne Jr. had a dominant rushing performance with 143 yards, including a 71-yard run that set up a score.ReutersBig Cat Countryjaguars.com
Additional offensive contributions: a touchdown run by Brian Thomas Jr. and four field goals by Cam Little, tying his career high.ReutersBig Cat Country
Jaguars Defense
Linebacker Foye Oluokun starred with 10 tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble—directly contributing to 10 points.ReutersBig Cat Country
The defense forced three total turnovers: Oluokun’s interception, a forced fumble also by Oluokun, and a one-handed interception by Jourdan Lewis that sealed the win.
The Jaguars protected Lawrence well, allowing zero sacks, though right tackle Anton Harrison suffered a late-game back injury.
Panthers Struggles
Quarterback Bryce Young endured a rough outing: 18-of-35 passing for 154 yards, with one touchdown, two interceptions, and a fumble.
Young’s struggles continued from previous openers, with visible frustration—he slammed his helmet after a poor fourth-down decision.
Carolina was plagued by turnovers, penalties (including one negating a pick-six), dropped passes, and other execution issues.
They managed only one offensive touchdown—Chuba Hubbard’s late-game reception—but it was too little, too late.
Weather Delay
The game was interrupted in the second quarter by a 1-hour, 16-minute lightning delay. Jacksonville led 10–3 at the time and then pulled away decisively upon resumption.
The Jaguars have to play complementary football if they want to continue having good Mondays like this the rest of the season. Only time will tell how this season will fare, but right now, the Jaguars are tied for first place in the division and the future looks bright.