4 critical observations from encouraging Jaguars win vs. Panthers

And just like that, the Jacksonville Jaguars won their first game of the Liam Coen era. Granted, they got off to a sluggish start. But after a weather delay, and once they hit their stride, the Jags managed to trounce the Carolina Panthers.

Sure, you can make the case that there's still plenty of football left in the regular season, but you could also agree that — while it wasn't perfect — there was plenty to like about Jacksonville's performance in the season opener.

With that in mind, here are four crucial takeaways from the Jags' 26-10 win over Carolina.

Trevor Lawrence showed progress despite his INT vs. the Panthers

When Trevor Lawrence was flagged for intentional grounding on the very first drive of the game, it seemed like he was going to be in for a long day. However, he ended up playing much better as the game progressed. The fifth-year quarterback went a solid 19-of-31 for 178 yards with one touchdown.

Sure, No. 16 was picked off by Jayce Horn when an intended throw to Travis Hunter was short in the second half but generally made good decisions. Heck, you could even make the case that was his only big mistake of the game. The fact that the defense forced the Panthers to punt after the turnover softened the blow of the interception. Speaking off...

A re-energized Jaguars defense rattled Bryce Young

Bryce Young broke off a couple of long runs, but that's mostly because the Jaguars' defense routinely pressured him and forced him out of the pocket. Dawuane Smoot logged the lone sack of the game, but the Jacksonville front four stymied the run and kept Bryce Young under 200 yards and a completion rate of less than 50 percent. On top of that, Foyesade Oluokun picked him off and recovered a forced fumble.

By the time the Panthers scored their first touchdowns in the fourth quarter to make it 26-10, the game was well out of reach.

The Jaguars will face better offenses throughout the season, but their defense showed in the opener that they'll be able to hold their own.

Travis Etienne earned an even bigger role with the Jaguars

Despite the fact that Tank Bigsby got the bulk of the carries in training camp, fellow running back Travis Etienne got the starting nod in the preseason. The pecking order didn't change against the Panthers.

Etienne made the start at running back and rewarded the Jags with a 71-yard run. He finished the game with 16 carries for 143 yards and four passes for 22 yards. And while it's true that Bigsby also got plenty of playing time, especially in the second half, he wasn't nearly as productive as Etienne.

Based on how the two fared, expect Etienne to continue to be the featured back.

Travis Hunter was (just) fine for the Jaguars in his NFL debut

Before the game, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Travis Hunter would play receiver full-time and used as a situational corner. He still got ample playing time on defense, but didn't do much on note.

The reigning Heisman Trophy winner finished the game with four catches for 44 yards and one tackle. He could've had another grab, but it was ruled out of bounds.

The Jaguars probably wanted Hunter to have a bigger impact in his NFL debut but aren't probably fretting after his relatively quiet outing. After all, it's not often that a player, let alone a rookie, plays two ways. Better days will come.

Here are other Jaguars stories you may also like: