The Jaguars open Week 1 at EverBank Stadium with plenty of optimism in the air, and Big Cat Country’s staff sees a team that should be in the mix again. The predictions are all over the map, but the common thread is clear: Jacksonville is expected to contend for the AFC South and make noise in the playoff race.
Dillon Appleman is a little more measured than some of the more bullish takes, but he still sees a postseason trip coming. He called for a 10-7 finish and a Wild Card berth, while stopping short of forecasting a deep run right now.
Travis Holmes is even higher on the Jaguars’ chances. He believes the roster has enough stability to keep winning, and he expects Jacksonville to repeat as back-to-back AFC South champions for the first time since 1998-99. His projection: 12-5 and another home playoff game, even if EverBank Stadium is operating at limited capacity.
Gus Logue also stuck with a 12-5 prediction, arguing that the Jaguars would be hard to keep out of the playoffs unless Trevor Lawrence misses major time. He pointed to the team’s balance and the possibility of top-12 units on offense, defense, and special teams as the kind of profile that can carry a team a long way in a division and conference that are there for the taking.
Henry Zimmer echoed the playoff expectation and framed the season as one where Jacksonville should be pushing for another AFC South title. He pointed to the Houston Texans as a major obstacle, especially with Will Anderson Jr. projected by many to be the DPOTY, but also said Trevor Lawrence continues to thrive in an offense built around him and that the team will get a real look at how best to use Travis Hunter. For Zimmer, the standard is simple: “playoffs or bust” in Duval County moving forward.
The biggest questions around the Jaguars are less about whether they can win and more about how they’ll do it. One of the main issues is the backfield, where Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez give the offense very different options. That leaves the run-game identity very much up for discussion.
There’s also real curiosity about the defense after Devin Lloyd’s five interceptions are now “residing in the Carolinas.” Holmes flagged the linebacker spot as a possible weak point after Jacksonville finished 2025 ranked second in the NFL in turnovers, and he noted that the team’s early success last season was helped by those takeaways. Losing that kind of production creates a new layer of uncertainty.
Logue’s concern is whether the Jaguars can handle the league’s best teams. He pointed to last season’s losses to the Rams and Seahawks and asked whether Jacksonville has the players to win the biggest games. With three primetime games and two international games on the schedule, he said the Jaguars will have chances to earn respect.
Zimmer shared the worry about the offensive line and the run game, especially with Travis Etienne no longer in the backfield. He noted Etienne’s value as a pass catcher and said the key questions are whether the line can protect Lawrence and whether the new backs can help keep the offense balanced.
Week 1, then, is about more than just a win over the Browns. The staff wants to see Trevor Lawrence look fully at home in Liam Coen’s offense, with Dillon hoping the passing game looks effortless and Lawrence appears to have the system down to muscle memory.
Holmes wants clarity on the run-game blocking and the Bhayshul Tuten/Chris Rodriguez rotation. Logue is watching the defensive spine, including how Ventrell Miller and Foye Oluokun are used, what the personnel looks like in the secondary, and what Albert Regis and Ruke Orhorhoro show up front.
Zimmer, meanwhile, wants a clean, complete performance against a lesser opponent.
The picks reflect that confidence. Dillon took Jacksonville 24-14, Holmes had the Jaguars 27-13, Logue went with a 20-0 shutout, and Zimmer predicted a 35-10 win.
In Other News...
Brian Thomas Jr. Just Put Jacksonvilles Biggest Passing Game Concern Back In Focus
Brian Thomas Jr. briefly sent a ripple through the Jaguars opener when he went down with a shoulder injury in the first quarter against the Browns and was first listed as questionable to return. He made his way back to the sideline and then re-entered the game in the second quarter, which offered an immediate sense of relief for a team counting on him to be a major part of the passing attack this season.
The episode still brought back the questions that followed him through training camp, where the shoulder issue had already been part of the background. For Jacksonville, that is the kind of scare that matters beyond one series or one game, because Thomas is expected to be one of the key pieces in a passing game that cannot afford many more reminders of how fragile its early-season outlook can be. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Defense Flipped Deshaun Watsons Return In Just One Drive
Deshaun Watsons return to a regular-season game came with plenty of buildup, but Jacksonville wasted no time turning the opener into a test. On Clevelands first drive, Watson threw an interception on his first regular-season snap in nearly two years, and Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun brought it back to set up a touchdown for Jacksonville.
Watson had won the Browns Week 1 job after a full-camp competition, and the game marked his first regular-season start since October 2024. For the Jaguars, it was the kind of fast start that can reshape an opener in an instant, especially when the defense is the one delivering the early jolt. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Week 1 Opener Could Bring A Problem Fans Dread
Week 1 brings the usual opening-day buzz, but for fans heading to Jacksonvilles opener against Cleveland on Sunday, Sept. 13, the forecast adds a familiar late-summer wrinkle. Weather across the NFL slate could be unsettled, and the game is among the ones drawing attention as conditions are expected to be the kind that can turn a clean September afternoon into a messy one in a hurry.
For the Jaguars, the concern is less about the calendar and more about the experience, since rain delays and slippery conditions can quickly change how a season opener feels in the stands and on the field. Fans planning to be there should keep an eye on local weather updates and follow safety guidance if storms move in, because this is the sort of situation that can linger right up until kickoff. [Read more 🡒]