The biggest news in the AFC South in Week 1 was, arguably, the Colts winning their first season opener in 11 years and scoring on all seven of their possessions, beating the Miami Dolphins 33-8 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
But of course, the other three teams in the division also played Sunday afternoon: the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Carolina Panthers, the Houston Texans lost to the Los Angeles Rams and the Tennessee Titans fell to the Denver Broncos (the Colts' upcoming Week 2 opponent).
Jaguars win in Liam Coen's first game as head coach
The Jaguars entered Week 1 with plenty of questions surrounding them, as most new-look NFL teams do.
Chief among them were speculation about quarterback Trevor Lawrence's performance in his first NFL game in nine months, how rookie wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter would be used and what the team would look like under new head coach Liam Coen.
All of those questions were effectively answered on Sunday as the Jaguars jumped out to an early lead over the Panthers and held on, through an hour-long lightning delay, for a 26-10 victory. Lawrence completed 19-of-31 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown to tight end Hunter Long, with one interception. Kicker Cam Little kicked four field goals and wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. recorded a rushing touchdown.
Hunter played 42 of 66 total offensive snaps, and played six defensive snaps. He had six receptions on eight targets for 33 yards.
"It feels great, the direction we're heading," Lawrence said postgame. "Like I said, you got to take it for what it is. We won in week one. We're 1-0 to start the season, and we're all pumped about that. A lot of work went into it, and no one takes it for granted how hard it is to win in this league. So we're all really proud of that, but it's one game. You know, we've got to keep doing it. Consistency is what will be the difference, and we have to continue to prepare and play well."
Running back Travis Etienne Jr. was the standout player of the game with 16 carries for 143 yards, including a 71-yard run that set up Thomas' touchdown a few plays later. The Jaguars' defense had an equally strong game, with nine passes defensed, five quarterback hits, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a sack. In 2024, the Jaguars were 32nd in the NFL with just nine takeaways all season.
While there's plenty the Jaguars feel they need to clean up going forward, they couldn't have asked for a better way to start the 2025 season and they'll look to continue that momentum into Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints.
Texans fall victim to "lollygagging" in loss to Rams
Quarterback C.J. Stroud didn't mince words following the Texans' 14-9 loss to the Rams Sunday afternoon.
"We didn't deserve to win that game because we didn't do the right thing," he said postgame. "When you come out in the NFL lollygagging and going through the motions, that kind of happens. I think we'll be all right, but I think it's a good wakeup call for us."
Stroud was 19-of-27 for 188 yards, with all of the Texans' scoring coming from field goals by kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn. The Texans entered the game without some key offensive pieces in wide receiver Christian Kirk and guard Ed Ingram, and continued to get hit hard as the already-questionable offensive line dealt with more in-game injuries. In the final two quarters, the Texans only recorded 121 total yards and turned the ball over twice, including a fumble on their final possession.
"Injuries happen," head coach DeMeco Ryans said. "Do we not show up? Do we put the ball away and go home? We compete. It doesn't matter who's out there...we don't complain. We don't make excuses for that."
The Texans' defense did enough to keep the game close, keeping pressure on Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford with three sacks (six total quarterback hits), but ultimately the offense was unable to regroup to mount a comeback. They were 2-of-9 on third down conversions and reached the red zone just once in the game.
Injuries and offensive line play will certainly be something to monitor for the Texans going forward, as they prepare to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2.
Titans offense fails to take advantage of opportunities, unable to find rhythm in loss
Similarly to the Texans, the Titans' defense had a good enough performance to keep their offense within striking distance throughout their season opener against the Denver Broncos.
With five quarterback hits (one sack), six passes defensed, two interceptions and a forced fumble, the Titans held Broncos quarterback Bo Nix to 25-of-40 for 176 yards and a touchdown.
But the Broncos defense was overpowering and the Titans offense struggled mightily as rookie quarterback Cam Ward was just 12-of-28 for 112 yards in the 20-12 loss. Ward showed poise and confidence despite his final stats, but he was sacked six times and intercepted twice; his offense often failed to support and protect him. The Titans were just 2-of-14 on third down with 133 total yards of offense.
"At the end of the day, we didn't make enough plays to put ourselves in a position to win at the end," head coach Brian Callahan said. "I thought our team played with great effort, and we had opportunities to go win it...we couldn't get any rhythm offensively at all. Defensively I thought we played pretty good, but some of the third down penalties were critical."
With 13 penalties for 131 yards, the Titans were battling against themselves as much as they were the Broncos.
"Penalties, man," Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons said. "Myself, dumb (expletive) that hurts the team. There's no excuse for that, and I take full responsibility for (mine). But even with all the freakin' penalties we still had a chance, we were still in the game...but when you have that many penalties, that's terrible. You'll never win a game like that, especially against a good football team on the road. We have to clean that up."
The Titans next face the Atlanta Falcons, and the Colts will play the Broncos on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
