The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t wait around to announce themselves in Week 1.
By the time they were through with the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 13, they had piled up a franchise-record first-half point total for a season opener, turned two takeaways into 14 points and put together a 34-10 win that looked a lot like the best version of last year’s team.
Trevor Lawrence was right at the center of it. The quarterback threw touchdowns to four different teammates and finished 18 of 24 for 254 yards and four scores before sitting for good with 8:12 left in the fourth quarter.
This wasn’t just a good start. It was the kind of start that changes the feel of a stadium early and forces everyone watching to stop wondering what kind of team the Jaguars might be this season. They played fast, attacked from all angles and never gave Cleveland much room to settle in.
The opening quarter set the tone immediately. Linebacker Foye Oluokun intercepted Deshaun Watson, Parker Washington hauled in a diving 30-yard touchdown, and Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker combined for a sack that helped force a punt. Before long, the Jaguars had made the Browns look exactly like a team in the middle of a rebuild.
Jacksonville’s offense followed the script Liam Coen talked about all offseason. The first four plays were runs, with Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez Jr. and even Jakobi Meyers getting touches on the ground before Lawrence uncorked a 30-yard touchdown to Washington on third-and-7.
That made it 7-0.
On the next possession, Lawrence kept rolling with completions of 17, 22 and 18 yards, then finished the drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Josh Cameron.
That made it 14-0.
Later in the first half, Lawrence converted a third-and-6 with a 14-yard throw to Washington and then found tight end Brenton Strange for a 14-yard touchdown.
That made it 24-0.
By halftime, the Jaguars had already set a Week 1 franchise record for points in the first half, while Cleveland had allowed the second-most points in its Week 1 history. It was the kind of surge that showed Jacksonville didn’t need preseason reps to be sharp; Lawrence leaned on joint practices against New Orleans, Carolina and Tampa Bay and looked in full command.
Washington delivered again. Brian Thomas Jr. had an encouraging opener.
Jakobi Meyers added a third-quarter touchdown. And the Jaguars showed they can stretch defenses both horizontally and vertically.
They even got a screen pass to Tuten for 22 yards, which might have been the most comforting detail of all for Coen.
The defensive front made its own statement. Hines-Allen had a sack, drew a penalty and recovered a fumble in the first half, then added another sack in the fourth quarter. Walker was disruptive too, and that matters for a defense that needs both edge rushers to keep stressing quarterbacks.
Hines-Allen’s opening-week production stood out because he didn’t record his first solo sack last year until Game 8, and he had only 1 1/2 sacks in the first 11 games. Walker, meanwhile, was limited to two sacks in his last nine games because of injuries. If those two are consistently around the quarterback, the Jaguars can build games on their own terms.
By the time Coen emptied the bench, the job was long done. Lawrence was out. Right tackle Cole Van Lanen, right guard Ezra Cleveland and center Robert Hainsey were out too.
The Jaguars won’t get many afternoons this clean, especially with only five of their final 16 games at home. But for an opener, this was exactly the kind of statement they were looking for.
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 🡒]