**Panthers face Jaguars in Season Opener**
*by Sharon Thorsland*
It’s finally here! The 2025 Panthers season kicks off in Jacksonville on Sunday at 1:00. These are two similar teams – they both have quarterbacks that were taken number one in the draft, feature strong running attacks, and struggled last season, particularly on defense. The Panthers were on the wrong side of history with the worst defense in the league, and the Jaguars were just one spot above them at number 31. But both teams are looking to turn things around and there is plenty of optimism in Carolina and Jacksonville.
The Jaguars have a new coach in former Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen. He’s got plenty of talent to work with on both sides of the ball, starting with quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The former Clemson standout threw for just 2,045 yards last season as he dealt with numerous injuries, but he combined for over 8,100 yards and 46 touchdowns the prior two seasons. Lawrence has one of the most exciting young receivers in the game in Brian Thomas, Jr., who is coming off an elite rookie season that saw him rack up 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Jags also added former UNC standout Dyami Brown and traded for veteran Tim Patrick this offseason. But the most notable addition is rookie Travis Hunter. The number two overall pick in the draft was a two-way star at Colorado, and he’s expected to make an immediate impact on both sides of the ball.
Both these teams want to run the ball and they both have some great running backs. The Panthers feature Chuba Hubbard and new addition Rico Dowdle, while the Jaguars have Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne as well as rookies Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen, Jr. Stopping the run was a major issue for the Panthers last season so look for them to try to put the clamps on the ground game early. “We have a great challenge, coming out here with a great offensive line and a very good backfield,” said Panther defensive lineman Derrick Brown. “So to be able to stop the run and make them one phase, that would be the goal.”
The Jaguars defense also struggled against the run last season and managed just nine takeways, that was last in the league. New defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile is the team’s fourth DC since 2021. He inherits a group that features a pair of dominant edge rushers in Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, they combined for 18.5 sacks last season. The linebackers are solid with Devin Lloyd starting inside after leading the team in tackles last season. The Jaguars beefed up the secondary, signing standout nickelback Jourdan Lewis and former Texans safety Eric Murray. And of course there’s Hunter – the rookie is expected to be a big part of the defensive gameplan at cornerback.
The last time these teams met was in 2023, a Jaguars win, that tied the series at four games each. Plenty of people might remember that two of those Panther wins came in season openers back in 2003 and 2015. And guess what also happened those years? The Panthers made it to the Super Bowl. Could that happen again? The Panthers need to come out on top Sunday and get the season off to a good start – and then you never know!
