Led by Trevor Lawrence and the defense, Jacksonville opened the season with a dominant victory against the Cleveland Browns.
The Jacksonville Jaguars couldn't have hoped for a better performance in their season opener.
Behind a dominant performance from quarterback Trevor Lawrence and their defense, the Jaguars throttled the Cleveland Browns for a 34-10 victory at EverBank Stadium.
Lawrence was nearly perfect on Sunday, completing 18 of 23 passes for 245 yards and four touchdowns. He spread the wealth, with nine different Jaguars catching at least one pass. Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, Brenton Strange, and rookie Josh Cameron each caught one of Lawrence's touchdowns.
The defense, meanwhile, made life miserable for Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.
It took Watson, who is looking to re-establish himself as a starting quarterback after years of injuries and disappointing play, all of five snaps to throw his first interception of the season.
Linebacker Foye Oluokun picked off a Watson pass on the opening drive. Eight plays later, Lawrence hit Washington, who made a gorgeous diving catch, for a 30-yard touchdown.
The rout was on.
Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker each recorded 1.5 sacks. Jacksonville's defense notched five sacks on the day, and also recovered a fumble.
For a team and a quarterback looking to prove last season's 13-4 record wasn't a fluke, Sunday couldn't have been scripted any better for the Jaguars and Lawrence.
After being doubted and dismissed as contenders all offseason, Jacksonville looked like one of the NFL's best teams on Sunday.
Quick Hits
Jacksonville's running game, which was the subject of heavy scrutiny for months, started the season strong. Not counting three Nick Mullens' kneel-downs, the Jaguars rushed 29 times for 129 yards.
Washington continued his rise to stardom with five catches for 83 yards and the opening score.
Bhayshul Tuten dominated the touches, rushing 15 times for 66 yards. If there were still any questions as to who was RB1, Tuten likely answered them on Sunday.
The Jaguars dominated time of possession, holding the ball for 33:51.
All offseason, linebackers Ventrell Miller and Branson Combs battled for Devin Lloyd's old starting job. Both had impressive showings against Cleveland. Each recorded a sack. Miller had 10 total tackles, while Combs chipped in with four.
Travis Hunter had a modest return to action in his first game in 11 months. On offense, he had just one catch for eight yards and one carry for three yards. Defensively, Hunter had only a single tackle.
That didn't stop the Jaguars from winning "The Travis Hunter Bowl."
Final Thoughts
It may have come against the lowly Browns, but the Jaguars looked outstanding on Sunday.
Lawrence is trying to repeat as an MVP finalist this season. He couldn't have gotten off to a better start. He was in control of the game until replaced by Mullens late.
One a side note, I predicted a 31-13 Jaguars' win. Not too shabby.
Jacksonville should have a much tougher task next week, as they go on the road to take on the Denver Broncos.
