Jaguar Report

5 Things We Know About the Jaguars After Week 1

What did we learn about the Jacksonville Jaguars in their Week 1 loss to the Miami Dolphins?

John Shipley

Sep 8, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Sep 8, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't get the Week 1 start they wanted, falling 20-17 to the Miami Dolphins after blowing a 17-7 second-half lead.

Still, Week 1 offered us a healthy glimpse into what we can expect from the Jaguars moving forward. After a hard-fought loss against a playoff team, we take a look at five things we know about the Jaguars after the first game.

The Jaguars' run game is on the upswing

After the Jaguars' running game struggled in 2023, it appeared to get off to a fast start in Week 1. The Jaguars rank No. 22 in rushing success rate in Week 1 after finishing bottom-three last year, and their metrics would look even better if Travis Etienne didn't fumble a near-touchdown.

This run game upgrade seemed to hinge on the performance of both backs, too, since most of the Jaguars' yardage came after contact.

Defenses have to respect Brian Thomas Jr.

Considering Brian Thomas Jr. ran just 18 routes in his NFL debut, there is an argument to make for him having the best debut of any rookie receiver this season.

He could have had another touchdown and 40+ yards added to his total, too, if Trevor Lawrence didn't underthrow him on his drawn pass interference. Thomas Jr. looks like the real deal, and the Dolphins paid him the right kind of respect.

Travon Walker is becoming a transcendent run defender

The Jaguars struggled to get after the quarterback in Week 1 due to the Dolphins' offensive scheme, but Travon Walker still led the team with two pressures and had a key third-down sack.

Aside from that, Walker was a force in the running game. Walker may still be working toward becoming an every-down pass-rush weapon, but he showed in Week 1 that he is a complete player and is elite in one area.

As long as Walker continues to set the edge the way he did in Week 1, the Jaguars will continue to stop the run.

The Jaguars' will specialize in man coverage

There was a lot of debate when Ryan Nielsen was hired about what kind of coverage Ryan Nielsen would deploy as the Jaguars' defensive coordinator. Everyone knew he would be running press coverage, but would it be man or zone?

Well, Week 1 showed us that the Jaguars are set to major in man defense. Facing the fastest wide-receiver duo in the NFL, the Jaguars ran man coverage the most in the NFL.

Foyesade Oluokun is having an elite start to the season

Each Jaguars linebacker played a good game on Sunday, but Foyesade Oluokun might have had the best game of any linebacker in the NFL. Oluokun made eight stops in the run game according to NFL Pro/Next Gen Stats, which ranked third in the NFL in Week 1.

He also made four hustle stops, twice as many as the next linebacker in Week 1.

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John Shipley
JOHN SHIPLEY

John Shipley has been covering the Jacksonville Jaguars as a beat reporter and publisher of Jaguar Report since 2019. Previously, he covered UCF's undefeated season as a beat reporter for NSM.Today, covered high school prep sports in Central Florida, and covered local sports and news for the Palatka Daily News. Follow John Shipley on Twitter at @_john_shipley.

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