Jaguars cannot overlook obvious trap game vs. Panthers in the season opener

The Week 1 matchup of the regular season will feature a couple of teams looking to leave the cellar of the NFL: The Jacksonville Jaguars and the Carolina Panthers. It will also include a couple of quarterbacks that went first overall in previous years, and an intriguing matchup between a couple of 2025 round picks. The Jags are currently favored to win the bout, but this is most definitely a game they cannot take lightly.

Like Jacksonville, the Panthers have struggled to win plenty of games in recent years. That said, they showed promise late in 2024 and made enough offseason moves to make you think that they will build off of last year.

Sure, the decision to pay retail to re-sign cornerback Jayce Horn raised eyebrows, but Carolina won't mind if he can play at a high level. The same is true for safety Tre'von Moehrig, who also got a top-market contract. On offense, the Panthers brought back David Moore to ensure third-year quarterback Bryce Young has enough weapons aside from first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan.

Speaking of Young, he was underwhelming as a rookie, but some of that had to do with owner David Tapper's meddling ways and then-head coach Frank Reich's inadequate guidance. Once the Panthers helped their quarterback in 2025, he began to show promise. The expectation is that he will continue growing next season. That's where McMillan comes.

The former Arizona Wildcat isn't a burner, but he gives Young a big target that will get him out of tough situations in third-down and red-zone situations. A 1,000-yard season for McMillan as a rookie shouldn't be ruled out.

Currently, the Jags are 2.5-point favorites for the game, which means bettors think this could turn out to be a close game. That's precisely why the Jaguars, who went 4-13 in 2025, cannot show up thinking they'll come out with an easy win.

The Jaguars have a chance to start 1-0, they must not waste it

As improved as the Carolina Panthers could be in Year 2 of the Dave Canales era, they have a long way to go before they become a legitimate playoff contender. Last season, they were 32nd in both points allowed and yards surrendered. Their offense wasn't much better, ranking 23rd in points scored. The Jacksonville Jaguars must take advantage of the matchup and start 1-0, especially when you take into account that they'll be dealing with a four-game gauntlet early in the year.

After the Jaguars face Carolina, they'll have to deal with the Cincinnati Bengals, the Houston Texans, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Kansas City Chiefs from Weeks 2 to 5. Going 1-0 into the stretch could take a bit of pressure off Jacksonville. Working in its favor is that three of its first five games in the regular season will be at EverBank Stadium, which could turn out to be a slight advantage.

On top of that, Trevor Lawrence will have enough firepower to light up the scoreboard, with Dyami Brown, Brian Thomas Jr., and Travis Hunter in the fold. If the offense clicks and the defense can force a few key stops early in the season, they should come out of that gauntlet with a winning record.

Beating the Panthers in the opener and setting the tone will most definitely help.

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