Week 1 in the books. The Jacksonville Jaguars took on the Washington Commanders and lost 22-28. Nobody likes to begin the season with a loss but the Jags showed encouraging signs and had a realistic chance to win at one point of the game.
Of course, it would’ve been better if Jacksonville could have sealed the deal against the Commander but they proved they’re no longer the same team they were under Urban Meyer last year. With that in mind, here are three players that stood out in Week 1.
3. Jaguars player that stood out vs. the Commanders: Travon Walker, OLB
Travon Walker’s athleticism and power were never in question coming out of college. Instead, he was seen as a raw prospect that needed to work on his pass-rush skills to make an impact in the NFL. The Jags knew this but still took him first overall in this year’s draft even though Aidan Hutchinson, a more polished pass rusher, was also available at the time.
Time will tell if general manager Trent Baalke made the right decision but the Jags should be thrilled with Walker’s outing in the season opener. Although the former Georgia Bulldog wasn’t perfect, a couple of plays he made helped tip the scale in Jacksonville’s favor.
Walker logged his first career sack in the regular season but he also snagged an interception that led to three points.
This man @44Ytw is a problem.#JAXvsWAS on FOX pic.twitter.com/xPEGqEe8Nk
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) September 11, 2022
While it’s unrealistic to expect Walker to create a turnover in every game, he showed against the Commanders that the Jags won’t need to wait for him to contribute.
No. 2 Jaguars player that stood out vs. the Commanders: Christian Kirk, WR
Drafting outside linebacker Travon Walker was seen as a massive reach but that wasn’t the only acquisition general manager Trent Baalke made that earned him scrutiny. Back in free agency, he gave wide receiver Christian Kirk a four-year, $72 million contract despite the fact that he had never had more than 1,000 yards in a season in any of his first four years in the league.
Baalke said at the time of the signing that he liked Kirk’s big-play potential and his ability to line up at different spots. It’s just one game but it seems like the former Texas A&M Auggie is everything the Jags bargained for.
Against the Commanders, Kirk was targeted 10 times and caught six passes for 117 yards. He averaged nearly 20 yards per reception and earned a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 79.1. His 49-yard catch was a perfect example of why the Jags signed him in free agency.
Power run sets up the play action. @Trevorlawrencee and @ckirk connect on a beautiful 49-yard BOMB to set up the TD.#JAXvsWAS on FOX pic.twitter.com/LVMtTJxCZv
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) September 11, 2022
The Jags scored a touchdown three plays later and narrowed the Commanders’ lead to just five points. While Kirk showed the kind of impact he can have on offense, he told the media Monday that he and the team could have been better.
“There’s a lot of missed opportunities”, Kirk said. “That was one of the glaring things that we saw on tape today… “there are some things that were going to correct and get better from and get ready for the Colts”.
No. 1 Jaguars player that stood out vs. the Commanders: James Robinson, RB
The Jaguars’ offense is built around Trevor Lawrence but they showed in Week 1 that they can also run the ball effectively. While Travis Etienne got most of the offensive snaps (36), James Robinson also played a big role and in fact had more carries (11).
Etienne broke off a 27-yard run, which is why he finished the game with an average of 11.8 yards per carry. On the other hand, Robinson averaged 6.0 yards per run, which is still pretty good when you take into account that this was his first game after tearing his Achilles late in the 2021 season.
Similarly impressive is the fact that Robinson registered two touchdowns in his return to action and after the game, he told Mia O’Brien of 1010 XL that scoring twice meant a lot to him.
“It just meant a lot to me”, Robinson said. “It was just showing everyone that I didn’t miss a step. A lot of people thought I wasn’t ready. Like I said before in other interviews, they weren’t there with me in rehab. All they saw was me getting hurt and all they see is me playing now”.
Throughout the game, Robinson showed he’s fully healthy, and there’s a good chance that he will get a bigger workload in future games.