Jaguars WR Christian Kirk showing his value right off the bat

The Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Washington Commanders in the season opener but there were a few a build things to build on, such as forcing three turnovers and their success running the ball. Also, the Jags saw wide receiver Christian Kirk, one of their biggest offseason acquisitions, make an immediate impact.

Kirk hauled in six receptions for 117 yards. Moreover, he posted a 79.1 Pro Football Focus overall grade and was one of the three receivers with 100-plus yards versus single coverage in Week 1. Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings) and A.J. Brown (Philadelphia Eagles) were the other two.

Of course, Kirk’s performance wasn’t enough to help the Jags win the game. However, the team’s brass should be encouraged about the investment they made in him in free agency. A second-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2018 draft, Kirk signed a  four-year deal worth $72 million in free agency. Said contract earned plenty of criticism because he “hadn’t done” enough to warrant that amount of money and also because Jacksonville allegedly destabilized the receiver market.

But several wide receivers have gotten even more lucrative deals than the one Kirk inked in the past few months and his 100-plus yard game against the Commanders shows that the decision to sign him wasn’t bad in retrospect.

The Jaguars need Christian Kirk to make an impact vs. the Colts

Kirk met with the local media the day after the loss and said that after watching tape, he realized there were some things that he and the Jags could have done better in the opener but he also tipped his hat to the Commanders.

“There were a lot of missed opportunities”, Kirk said. “That was one of the glaring things that we saw on tape today. But that’s a really good defense. Talked a little bit about it after the game. Great front seven, those guys were wreaking havoc up front, so there are some things that we’re going to correct and get ready for the Colts.

The Jags are a 4-point underdog ahead of Sunday and if they want to beat the Colts, they will need to clean up the mistakes that affected them in Week 1. Also, having another 100-yard game from Kirk would help.