3 keys to a Jaguars victory in Week 1 vs. Commanders

The Jaguars spent way too much in the offseason to lay an egg Week 1. Here’s what they need to do to avoid disaster vs. the Commanders.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will begin the Doug Pederson era on the road Sunday against the Washington Commanders.

While the Jaguars have fared relatively well in season openers over the course of the franchise’s history, the team started its Urban Meyer era a year ago with five straight losses, including a 37-21 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 1. Trevor Lawrence threw three interceptions in that defeat and the Jaguars defense allowed the Tyron Taylor-led Texans to rack up 449 yards of total offense.

After spending an outrageous amount of money in the offseason and adding two first-round picks on defense, a similar performance against the Commanders would be demoralizing.

So here are three keys for the Jaguars to avoid a fate akin to their 2021 opener: