08-02-2024, 05:00 PM
With the 2024 Football season upon us, it won’t be long before week 1 will be here and the Jaguars will be taking on the Dolphins.
*Fun Fact: Trevor Lawrence got his first regular season win against the Dolphins back in 2021.
*Fun Fact: Fournette is the only player to gain 100 or more yards rushing in week 1.
*Fun Fact: Only 2 season the Jaguars had a QB throw for 300 or more yards passing in week 1. Brunell had 301 against the Browns in 2000, and Lawrence had 332 against the Texans in 2021, which is a week 1 team record.
It’s always fun to go back and see who had the best Week 1 game. I put together about 10 to 12 candidates and picked out the best 5.
Here are the top 5 performances of week 1 in Jaguars History: (reverse order)
5. 1997 Rob Johnson. Filling in for an injured Mark Brunell, Johnson had to go up in Baltimore and keep the Jaguars afloat until Brunell was ready. Johnson delivered big time. He finished the day 20 of 24 for 294 yards passing, and also added a 3rd touchdown on the ground with 31 yards rushing for a total of 3 TD and 325 total yards.
4. 2023 Josh Hines-Allen. Just last season, Josh turned in one of the best defensive performances against a division opponent, the Indianapolis Colts. Allen finished the game with 3 sacks, 10 comb tackles, 3 TFL, 2 QB Hits.
3. Jimmy Smith 2005 vs the Seattle Seahawks. Coming off the 2004 season where Jimmy Smith made a critical 4th and long catch to keep the final drive alive against the Buffalo Bills, Jaguars Legend Jimmy Smith was at it again. This time he would be all over the field as he finished the 2005 Week 1 matchup with 7 receptions for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns.
2. 1999 Aaron Beasley. He was tasked with covering the greatest wide receiver of all-time in Jerry Rice. There happened to be another all-time great wide receiver Beasley had to cover also..Terrell Owens. Beasley finished the game with 6 PD, 5 comb tackles, 2 ints, and 1 touchdown. One of the best defensive back games in team history. Beasley’s return of 90 yards still remains a team record and his 93 interception-return yards in a single-game still remains a team record.
Beasley finished the game with just as many yards as both Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens combined (93). Beasley also scored more touchdowns in that game than both Hall of future (at the time) Hall of Fame wide-receivers.
1. Calais Campbell 2017. Was there any doubt in your mind? It’s perhaps one of the best defensive performances in team history, on the same day where the Jaguars set a team record with 10 sacks against the division rival Houston Texans. Campbell collapsed the line over and over again, and just wrecking plays. Campbell finished the game with a single-game record 4 sacks and the Jaguars defense finished with a team record 10 sacks, breaking the previous record of 9 against the Atlanta Falcons back in 1999.
*Fun Fact: Trevor Lawrence got his first regular season win against the Dolphins back in 2021.
*Fun Fact: Fournette is the only player to gain 100 or more yards rushing in week 1.
*Fun Fact: Only 2 season the Jaguars had a QB throw for 300 or more yards passing in week 1. Brunell had 301 against the Browns in 2000, and Lawrence had 332 against the Texans in 2021, which is a week 1 team record.
It’s always fun to go back and see who had the best Week 1 game. I put together about 10 to 12 candidates and picked out the best 5.
Here are the top 5 performances of week 1 in Jaguars History: (reverse order)
5. 1997 Rob Johnson. Filling in for an injured Mark Brunell, Johnson had to go up in Baltimore and keep the Jaguars afloat until Brunell was ready. Johnson delivered big time. He finished the day 20 of 24 for 294 yards passing, and also added a 3rd touchdown on the ground with 31 yards rushing for a total of 3 TD and 325 total yards.
4. 2023 Josh Hines-Allen. Just last season, Josh turned in one of the best defensive performances against a division opponent, the Indianapolis Colts. Allen finished the game with 3 sacks, 10 comb tackles, 3 TFL, 2 QB Hits.
3. Jimmy Smith 2005 vs the Seattle Seahawks. Coming off the 2004 season where Jimmy Smith made a critical 4th and long catch to keep the final drive alive against the Buffalo Bills, Jaguars Legend Jimmy Smith was at it again. This time he would be all over the field as he finished the 2005 Week 1 matchup with 7 receptions for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns.
2. 1999 Aaron Beasley. He was tasked with covering the greatest wide receiver of all-time in Jerry Rice. There happened to be another all-time great wide receiver Beasley had to cover also..Terrell Owens. Beasley finished the game with 6 PD, 5 comb tackles, 2 ints, and 1 touchdown. One of the best defensive back games in team history. Beasley’s return of 90 yards still remains a team record and his 93 interception-return yards in a single-game still remains a team record.
Beasley finished the game with just as many yards as both Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens combined (93). Beasley also scored more touchdowns in that game than both Hall of future (at the time) Hall of Fame wide-receivers.
1. Calais Campbell 2017. Was there any doubt in your mind? It’s perhaps one of the best defensive performances in team history, on the same day where the Jaguars set a team record with 10 sacks against the division rival Houston Texans. Campbell collapsed the line over and over again, and just wrecking plays. Campbell finished the game with a single-game record 4 sacks and the Jaguars defense finished with a team record 10 sacks, breaking the previous record of 9 against the Atlanta Falcons back in 1999.