The Jacksonville Jaguars opened the 2025 NFL season with a commanding 26–10 home victory over the Carolina Panthers on September 7, 2025. Jacksonville’s ground game ran for 200 yards, Trevor Lawrence threw a touchdown and stayed clean with the football for three quarters, and Chase Little converted all four field goal attempts. For Carolina, Bryce Young threw two interceptions and finished with a 49.0 passer rating as the Panthers’ offense struggled to generate consistent drives against a Jaguars defense that defended 10 passes. Jacksonville’s second quarter — 17 points unanswered — broke the game open and Carolina never recovered.
Final Score
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 3 | 17 | 0 | 6 | 26 |
| Carolina Panthers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
Scoring Plays
Q1 — 8:18 Chase Little 35-yard field goal. (JAC 3 – CAR 0)
Q1 — 0:41 Ramiz Fitzgerald 48-yard field goal. (JAC 3 – CAR 3)
Q2 — 8:38 Trevor Lawrence pass short right complete. Catch made by H. Long for 6 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Little PAT good. (JAC 10 – CAR 3)
Q2 — 1:55 B. Thomas rushed left end for 9 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Little PAT good. (JAC 17 – CAR 3)
Q2 — 0:06 Chase Little 47-yard field goal. (JAC 20 – CAR 3)
Q4 — 7:12 Chase Little 36-yard field goal. (JAC 23 – CAR 3)
Q4 — 4:54 Bryce Young pass short right complete. Catch made by Chuba Hubbard for 27 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Fitzgerald PAT good. (JAC 23 – CAR 10)
Q4 — 2:00 Chase Little 28-yard field goal. (JAC 26 – CAR 10)
Team Stats Comparison
| Stat | Jacksonville Jaguars | Carolina Panthers |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 378 | 255 |
| Passing Yards | 178 | 154 |
| Rushing Yards | 200 | 113 |
| Plays | 63 | 61 |
| Avg Gain Per Play | 6.0 | 4.2 |
| Time of Possession | 31:00 | 29:00 |
| First Downs | 19 | 15 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 3 |
| Penalties | 11 (93 yds) | 4 (35 yds) |
| Sacks Allowed | 0 | 1 |
| Touchdowns | 2 | 1 |
| Field Goals | 4/4 | 1/1 |
| Passes Defended | 10 | 4 |
Jacksonville Jaguars Offensive Stats
Passing
Trevor Lawrence completed 19 of 31 passes for 178 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception, finishing with a 74.4 passer rating. He took zero sacks and delivered a clean pocket performance throughout, with his short touchdown pass to H. Long in the second quarter opening the game’s decisive scoring run. Despite the interception, Lawrence faced no real pressure from Carolina’s pass rush — 0 hurries and just 1 QB hit against him all game.
- Completions/Attempts: 19/31
- Completion %: 61.3%
- Yards: 178
- Touchdowns: 1
- Interceptions: 1
- Passer Rating: 74.4
- Sacks Taken: 0
- Longest Pass: 24 yards
- Net Passing Yards: 178
Rushing
Jacksonville’s running game was the dominant story of the game — 32 carries for 200 yards and 1 touchdown at an outstanding 6.25 yards per carry. B. Thomas’s 9-yard touchdown run left end in the second quarter was the play that made the contest effectively a two-score game heading into halftime. The Jaguars ran for 112 yards after contact, showing their offensive line won the physical matchup against Carolina’s defensive front comprehensively. A long of 71 yards highlights how often the running backs hit the second level with full speed.
- Attempts: 32
- Yards: 200
- Avg Per Carry: 6.25
- Touchdowns: 1 (Thomas, 9 yards)
- Longest Run: 71 yards
- Redzone Attempts: 8
- Yards After Contact: 112
- Tackles for Loss Allowed: 0
Special Teams
Chase Little was Jacksonville’s unsung performer — a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals from 35, 47, 36, and 28 yards. His 12 points via the kicking game accounted for nearly half of Jacksonville’s total. Every stalled drive in scoring position became 3 points rather than a turnover on downs, a crucial difference in a game decided by 16.
- Field Goals: 4/4 (35, 47, 36, 28 yards — all made)
- Extra Points: 2/2
Carolina Panthers Offensive Stats
Passing
Bryce Young completed 18 of 35 passes for 154 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions, finishing with a 49.0 passer rating. He was sacked once for 12 yards and had 8 passes defended by Jacksonville’s secondary — a number that reflects how often the Jaguars’ coverage unit disrupted his throws. Young’s poor throws numbered 7 on the night, the highest of any quarterback in this game. His lone touchdown — a 27-yard completion to Chuba Hubbard in the fourth quarter — came with the game already decided at 23–3.
- Completions/Attempts: 18/35
- Completion %: 51.4%
- Yards: 154
- Touchdowns: 1
- Interceptions: 2
- Passer Rating: 49.0
- Sacks Taken: 1 (12 yards)
- Longest Pass: 27 yards (TD — Hubbard)
- Net Passing Yards: 142
- Poor Throws: 7
- Defended Passes: 8
Rushing
Carolina ran 25 times for 113 yards and 0 touchdowns — a solid per-carry average of 4.52 yards but not enough to threaten Jacksonville’s defense in meaningful game situations. The Panthers had 3 red zone rushing attempts and converted none into touchdowns. With zero tackles for loss surrendered, the Panthers’ offensive line held up reasonably in pass protection but couldn’t create consistent running lanes when it mattered.
- Attempts: 25
- Yards: 113
- Avg Per Carry: 4.52
- Touchdowns: 0
- Longest Run: 22 yards
- Redzone Attempts: 3
Receiving
Carolina receivers caught 18 of 34 targets for 154 yards and 1 touchdown. Chuba Hubbard’s 27-yard touchdown catch was the only receiving highlight in an otherwise muted performance. Receivers gained 60 yards after the catch but the combination of Young’s struggles, Jacksonville’s pass defense (10 passes defended total), and 2 interceptions made sustained drives almost impossible throughout the first three quarters.
- Targets: 34
- Receptions: 18
- Yards: 154
- Avg Per Reception: 8.6
- Touchdowns: 1 (Hubbard, 27 yards)
- Yards After Catch: 60
- Longest Reception: 27 yards
- Dropped Passes: 1
Turnovers — The Decisive Factor
Carolina’s 3 turnovers — 2 interceptions and 1 lost fumble — compared to Jacksonville’s 1 interception was the clearest statistical explanation for the 16-point margin. Every Carolina turnover either directly stopped a drive or set up a Jacksonville scoring opportunity. Against a Jaguars team that was converting stalled drives into field goals all night, the Panthers simply could not afford to give the ball away.
- Interceptions thrown: 2
- Fumbles lost: 1
- Total turnovers: 3
Jacksonville Jaguars Defensive Stats
Jacksonville’s defense held Carolina to 255 total yards, recorded 2 interceptions, defended 10 passes, forced a fumble, and stopped Carolina twice on fourth down. The unit was particularly dominant in the first three quarters — holding Carolina scoreless from the second quarter all the way through the third, a stretch of nearly two full quarters where the Panthers could not convert a single drive into points.
- Total Tackles: 26 solo, 30 assists (56 combined)
- Sacks: 1 (for 12 yards)
- QB Hits: 5
- Tackles for Loss: 2 (for 13 yards)
- Interceptions: 2 (0 return yards)
- Passes Defended: 10
- Forced Fumbles: 1
- Fumble Recoveries: 1
- Fourth Down Stops: 2
- Missed Tackles: 2
Carolina Panthers Defensive Stats
Carolina’s defense played better than the final score suggests, limiting Jacksonville to 178 net passing yards and recording 1 interception and 4 passes defended. However, the Jaguars’ rushing game — 200 yards and 6.25 per carry — was completely unstoppable, and Carolina’s defense could not consistently prevent the big runs that set up Jacksonville’s scoring positions.
- Total Tackles: 38 solo, 18 assists (56 combined)
- Sacks: 0
- QB Hits: 1
- Tackles for Loss: 1 (for 2 yards)
- Interceptions: 1 (10 return yards)
- Passes Defended: 4
- Three-and-Outs Forced: 2
- Missed Tackles: 5
Key Takeaways
- Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Carolina Panthers 26–10 in NFL Week 1 of the 2025 season, with a dominant second quarter — 17 unanswered points — effectively deciding the outcome before halftime.
- Jacksonville’s ground game was the story of the game — 200 rushing yards on 32 carries at 6.25 yards per carry, with B. Thomas’s 9-yard touchdown run the decisive score that pushed the lead to 17–3.
- Chase Little converted all four field goals — 35, 47, 36, and 28 yards — accounting for 12 of Jacksonville’s 26 points and turning every stalled scoring drive into guaranteed points.
- Trevor Lawrence threw 1 touchdown and 1 interception but was never under real pressure — 0 sacks, 0 hurries, just 1 QB hit — reflecting Carolina’s inability to generate pass rush throughout the game.
- Bryce Young struggled in his Week 1 performance — 18-of-35, 154 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, a 49.0 passer rating, and 7 poor throws — as Jacksonville’s secondary defended 10 passes and intercepted him twice.
- Carolina’s 3 turnovers (2 INT + 1 lost fumble) against Jacksonville’s 1 were the clearest statistical explanation for the 16-point final margin.
- Chuba Hubbard’s 27-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter was Carolina’s lone touchdown, arriving with the game already at 23–3 and the outcome well beyond reach.
- Jacksonville’s longest run of 71 yards illustrates how completely their running backs hit the open field — Carolina missed 5 tackles on the night and generated just 1 QB hit against Lawrence.
- Jacksonville committed 11 penalties for 93 yards — nearly the only significant negative statistical category for the Jaguars — but the penalties did not cost them any scoring opportunities in meaningful game situations.
- Both kickers made their only field goal attempts — Ramiz Fitzgerald hit from 48 yards for Carolina’s opening score, while Little went a perfect 4-for-4 to lead all scorers in the game.