The Jacksonville Jaguars (3-14, 5-12 ATS, 5-12 O/U) take on the Washington Commanders (7-10, 7-9-1 ATS, 7-10 O/U) in the season opener on Sunday afternoon. The Jaguars went 3-14 last year, finishing last in the entire NFL. The Commanders posted a competitive 7-10 record. These foes last played in 2018 in a game Washington took by a 16-13 score.
The Jacksonville Jaguars had a busy offseason and will most definitely be an improved team after winning only three games and earning the #1 overall pick again. They lost eight in a row late in the season before winning the regular season finale against the Colts. The coaching is going to be much better under former Eagles HC Doug Pederson who has a talented, young roster.
The top pick in the 2021 draft, Trevor Lawrence displayed glimpses of what he can do but it was not an inspiring season. The former Clemson QB finished with 3641 passing yards and a poor 12:17 TD to INT ratio. He connected on 59.6% of his pass attempts.
More than a Mic'd Up ??@JoshAllen41_ takes you inside training camp, presented by @dunkindonuts Catch the full Mic'd Up: https://t.co/w5AnzdlCeG pic.twitter.com/YLHekdegw8
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) September 2, 2022
The Jaguars have Travis Etienne and James Robinson at running back. Etienne missed last season due to injury but was a 1st round pick in 2021. Robinson had a strong 2021 year, leading the team with 767 rushing yards on 4.7 yards per carry. The management added plenty of viable receiving options for Trevor Lawrence. They signed Christian Kirk to a big contract. The 25-year-old amassed 982 receiving yards with the Cardinals last season. They also have veteran Marvin Jones and a good tight end in Evan Engram.
The Jacksonville defense also needed plenty of work in the offseason. The unit stood a decent 17th against the pass however the rush defense was pegged 23rd. They used the 1st overall pick DE Travon Walker who should improve the pass rush. They also added CB Darius Williams who will improve the pass defense.
The Jaguars averaged an NFL-low 14.9 points last year. The defense conceded an average of 26.9 points, placing them 29th in the NFL.