The Jaguars wasted little time reminding everybody who they are.
Jacksonville rolled past Cleveland 34-10 in Week 1, and the result looked like more than just a strong opener. The Jaguars were sharp on both sides of the ball, got four passing touchdowns on offense and two turnovers from the defense, and walked away looking every bit like one of the AFC’s heavyweights.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence was at the center of it all. He threw for 245 yards and four touchdowns, posting a career-high 150.6 passer rating.
Over his last nine regular-season games, Lawrence has piled up 2,444 yards and 28 touchdowns while averaging a 111.5 passer rating. Against the Browns, he completed 78.4% of his passes and kept the offense humming.
One of the day’s cleanest throws came on Lawrence’s 100th-career touchdown, a strike to rookie wideout Josh Cameron. Lawrence used play-action to hold the defense just long enough, then looked off a safety before threading the ball between four Browns defenders for Cameron’s first NFL touchdown.
Parker Washington also made his mark. He finished with five catches for 83 yards and a touchdown, giving Jacksonville another productive piece in the passing game as he works toward a long-term extension and, as the story goes, is betting on himself to maximize that deal.
There was plenty to like beyond the passing game, too. Second-round rookie tight end Nate Boerkircher had a strong debut, especially as a run blocker. The Jaguars only needed one long drive to say much about their identity - a 10-play, 57-yard march in the third quarter that ended in a field goal - but they still controlled the clock, holding the ball for 33:51 to Cleveland’s 26:09.
Jacksonville ran for 126 yards, including 66 yards on 15 carries from second-year back Bhayshul Tuten. Boerkircher was a key part of that push, helping clear space on the edge and drawing praise for his work in the run game.
On one snap, he sealed off Browns edge rusher Jared Verse to let Tuten turn the corner for a first down. On another, he helped open a 12-yard run by Tuten while working alongside rookie guard Emmanuel Pregnon.
Defensively, linebacker Ventrell Miller set the tone in his first game as a starter. He finished with nine tackles, six of them solo, plus a sack, a quarterback hit and a forced fumble. Pro Football Focus gave him a team-best 92.4 grade.
Coen was impressed with the way Miller played and attacked the football.
“He played well on defense for sure. I thought he was active, played physical with his hands.
He's done a phenomenal job, I think, even dating back to last year when he got in there, of ball disruption. He had another punch-out yesterday," Coen said when asked about Miller.
Miller was drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Liam Coen also liked the broader picture. On Monday, he praised the Jaguars for playing complementary football and for jumping on Cleveland early. He still pointed out there was work to do.
"Was it perfect? No, by any means, a lot to clean up and coach off of, some technique and a couple things that we need to continue to work on and coach on," Coen said Monday. "But I was pleased with their energy, the way that they executed some situations, and jumped out to a fast start, which is something that we've really been harping on.”
The win was Jacksonville’s ninth straight in the regular season dating back to last year. Coen is now tied with Gus Bradley for the fifth-most regular-season wins by a Jaguars head coach with 14, doing it in 18 games compared with Bradley’s 62 from 2013-16.
Next up is Denver on the road in Week 2, where Jacksonville will try to keep the streak rolling. Last season, the Jaguars beat the Broncos 34-30 in Denver.
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Khans wealth has more than doubled over the last five years and has risen every year since 2022, giving him a financial profile few owners can match. Along with the Jaguars, he also owns Fulham soccer club and co-owns AEW Wrestling with his son Tony, a mix that underscores how his influence stretches across different corners of the sports world even as Jacksonville remains the centerpiece for local fans. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Just Got Another Reason To Feel Overlooked In Week 2
Even before the Jaguars take the field for their home opener against the Broncos, theres a little extra fuel for the building. NFL Week 2 puts Jacksonville in a matchup of two 2025 playoff teams, but the leagues schedule still nudged that game into the 4:05 p.m. ET slot with a regional audience, while the bigger 4:25 p.m. window went to Commanders-Cowboys.
For a team trying to establish itself under Liam Coen, it fits the broader feeling around Jacksonville that it needs to keep proving it belongs in the conversation. Coen already sounded like someone who noticed the slight, and the timing could give the Jaguars an added edge as they try to make a statement against Denver in front of their home crowd. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Week 1 Grades Put Early Pressure On One Veteran
The Jaguars Week 1 win over the Browns gave the coaching staff plenty to like, and Pro Football Focus early grades reinforced that picture with a mix of encouraging breakouts and familiar standouts. On offense, Parker Washington, Bhayshul Tuten, Josh Cameron, Trevor Lawrence and Cole Van Lanen were among the highest-rated performers, while the defense got strong marks from Ventrell Miller, Branson Combs, Foye Oluokun, Josh Hines-Allen and rookie safety S. Ransaw.
The grading also put an early spotlight on the other side of the ledger, and it is not a great look for one veteran trying to settle into the season. Arik Armstead landed among the lowest-graded players overall, a development that adds a little pressure after a game in which Jacksonville was otherwise able to start the year with a win and some positive tape to build on. [Read more 🡒]