Winners and losers from Jags’ impressive Week 1 victory over Colts

The Jags had several players show up against the Colts but CJ Henderson was a strong standout in his first-ever game with the Jags.

The Jacksonville Jaguars got the 2020 season off to a promising start, beating the Indianapolis Colts at home 27-20 in front of a crowd of about 17,000. After a rough opening, a 4th down stand and a turnover turned the tides as Jacksonville would take over the game from then on.

Here are your Week 1 winners and losers following the season opener:

Winners:

CB CJ Henderson

Many fans questioned Dave Caldwell’s selection of CJ Henderson with the ninth overall selection back in April. Henderson no doubt was a stud athlete but many questioned his tackling ability and physicality. Against the Colts, Henderson was the best player on the field.

Henderson nabbed the first interception of his career off of Philip Rivers and set the Jaguars’ offense up to tie the game. Henderson also sealed the victory when he deflected a pass on fourth down deep in Jaguars’ territory. It was no doubt an impressive debut for the rookie corner, finishing with five tackles, three pass deflections and one interception.

Myles Jack

What a sight to be reminded of. Myles Jack looked born anew. He was all over the field creating plays. From key run stops to creating pressure on Rivers, Jack did it all. Best of all? It looked natural. Jack utilized his impressive speed and fled from sideline to sideline, corralling ball carriers into his arms. Simply put, it was good to see him playing loose and free.

Jack finished the game with 11 tackles and registered the team’s only sack. Heading forward, it will be exciting to see how Jack transitions to his new position but early signs are definitely positive.

Coaching Staff

Sunday’s performance was an unexpected one for Jacksonville. Many fans didn’t expect the Jaguars to come away with a Week 1 victory against the Colts. However, coach Doug Marrone and staff had different ideas.

The team, for the most part, looked well-coached and made very few errors. The defensive side of the ball had some lapses in coverage, but aside from those couple blunders, it was a refreshing sight to see such a prepared team.

If Marrone and company can bring this momentum to Tennessee, the Jags have a good shot to start the 2020 season at 2-0. The players seem to have bought in, now it’s time to continue to execute on the field.

Losers:

Roster Depth

Behind the starters, this roster is skin and bones. Several players left the game at certain points in the game and the dropoff was severe. The defense, especially, is very thin.

Luckily, Henderson and Josh Allen were able to return following some injury scares. Allen ended up dealing with some lower-leg cramps and Henderson had a concussion test that ultimately was negative. Nonetheless, it was a bit unnerving to see Chris Claybrooks, a seventh-round rookie, starting at cornerback against a future hall-of-fame quarterback.

Hopefully, as the season goes on, the Jaguars can remain healthy and limit the time seen by their youthful depth pieces.