The 2025 season is finally here.
Soon the Jacksonville Jaguars will kick off their new era against the Carolina Panthers and the wait will be over.
To give you our full comprehensive preview of Week 1, our team of writers has gotten together to give their predictions and weigh in on the game’s biggest questions.
Dec 31, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars outside linebacker Travon Walker (44) against the Carolina Panthers during the first quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images / Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images
John Shipley: For me, it is the Panthers’ offensive tackles vs. Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker. I expect the duo to wreak havoc and if they can apply pressure while also containing Bryce Young inside the pocket, it could be a long day for the Panthers’ dropback passing game. These two have the ability to single handedly win the game.
Andy Quach: I’ll be watching Devin Lloyd against Chuba Hubbard and the rest of the Panthers’ ground game. Carolina’s coming in with a haphazard wide receiver group after dumping Adam Thielen and losing Jalen Coker to a quad injury. Jacksonville’s pass rush and improved secondary should be able to keep Bryce Young and the air attack mostly contained. Lloyd has a good opportunity here to shut down a young rising ball carrier and prove that he’s more than just a tackle merchant.
Jared Feinberg: I’m going to cheat here (apologies, boss) and go with two matchups: the Jaguars’ trenches on both sides of the ball, specifically the offensive line and interior defensive front, against the Panthers’ rushing attack, and an upgraded defensive front with Derrick Brown returning to the lineup and rookie pass rushers Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen.
Jacksonville’s offensive line and run defense haven’t given me an exuberant amount of confidence this summer. Those two units must step up if they want to have the upper edge on Sunday.
John Shipley: Trevor Lawrence. He is the better quarterback, he has the better play-caller, and he has the better weapons. There is really zero reason for Lawrence to not have the better day on Sunday, win or lose. If Young performs better than him by a comfortable margin, that would be quite the case for concern.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) throws the ball during the first quarter of a regular season NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars blanked the Carolina Panthers 26-0. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK
Andy Quach: I could see a world in which Young has a better statistical day than Lawrence, but it’ll be due to necessity. If the Jaguars are the team we’re hoping they are under Head Coach Liam Coen, they should be able to handle this Carolina team pretty handily. Because of that, T-Law might not get the volume required to have a monster outing, but he could put up highly encouraging, efficient numbers. Young could throw for 400 yards, but if Lawrence can avoid turning the ball over and get the victory, the day will be his.
Jared Finberg: Lawrence, and I say this as someone who appreciates both passers at their best. Young will be without top slot receiver Jalen Coker this week (on IR due to a quad injury) and will be throwing to first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan, 2024 first-rounder Xavier Legette, and Hunter Renfrow, who has played meaningful football in almost two years. The Panthers’ back-seven, while they have individual strengths, lacks depth overall. I like Lawrence’s chances of a productive day and a solid start to his 2025 season.
Dec 1, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr (7) makes the catch for the touchdown against the Houston Texans in the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images / Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images
John Shipley: 24-20 Jaguars. I think the Panthers’ injury issues at LT and WR are significant, and ultimately simply think the Jaguars are the better team on paper. Still, it is the first game of a new regime and I am not ready to start predicting blowouts for the Jaguars and Liam Coen quite yet.
Andy Quach: 27-13 Jaguars. I believe this Jacksonville offense will blaze out of the gates in Coen’s first game at the helm against a questionable Carolina defense. They’ll put pressure on Young and the Panthers’ offense to play catch-up early on; meanwhile, the Jaguars can take full advantage of their deep running back room and Coen’s creative ground game schemes and bury their opponent with chunk gains.
Jared Finberg: This game feels like a true toss-up because there are a lot of similarities between both teams heading into the season, and I believe it can go either way. The Jaguars have the most talent, but are implementing new systems on both sides of the ball, while the Panthers are entering Year 2 under head coach Dave Canales and Year 3 for defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.
Both teams have quarterbacks who have plenty to prove and intriguing young playmakers, while having previously shown to lead their team on game-winning or tying drives. I think Jacksonville will show effort and improvement from last season under a new regime, but sloppy play and mistakes that plagued them during the summer seep into Week 1. I’m taking the Panthers to win in a tight game, 27-24.
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