Why Jaguars' Fans Should Heed Caution After Week 1

Jacksonville came out swinging, defensively. That was an aspect I was not expecting early on, as defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile had an ample performance against the Panthers' offensive play-caller Dave Canales, though far from perfect.

The Jaguars' secondary held Carolina to only 142 net passing yards and allowed a respectable 113 rushing yards. Linebacker Foyesade Oluokun (10 tackles, INT), free safety Eric Murray (seven tackles, two PBUs), and nickelback Jourdan Lewis (three passes defended) were standouts in a quality showing.

On the other side of the ball, running back Travis Etienne had his second-most rushing yards in a single game with 143 as he added to the 200-yard rush total for the Jaguars offense. Trevor Lawrence looked improved, and the offensive line performed sufficiently. If you had expectations similar to this, Sunday was a grand success, but I would bear in mind some caution as the team heads to Cincinnati next week.

Flaws continue to glare for the Jaguars

The Panthers may be a below-average team at the moment, but both sides of the ball exposed some potential flaws that may not be rectified in the coming weeks. Penalties were a significant issue during the summer along the offensive line, and they came up again Sunday, 11 yellow flags to Carolina's four. Left tackle Walker Little and left guard Ezra Cleveland struggled at times in pass sets and run blocking.

Speaking of the latter, the Panthers' front was able to get in the backfield a few times. The Bengals have a couple of players, veteran edge rusher Trey Hendrickson and rookie Shemar Stewart, who can create chaos in the backfield. Furthermore, drops, screen game consistency, and Lawrence's footwork could improve in the coming weeks.

Jacksonville's next six games are as follows: at Cincinnati, vs. Houston, at San Francisco, vs. Kansas City on Monday Night Football, vs. Seattle, and their game in London against Los Angeles. This is a tough early slate for the Jaguars. I fear the team could have more issues down the line, and the defense hasn't faced a high-powered offense yet, though they will this week.

Should the Jaguars continue a steady showing in the coming weeks, then there is a significant reason to be excited. Until then, patience is needed, and caution should be heeded. This team could always crash back down to Earth, and they will at some point, with it being a matter of when, not if.

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