Jaguars waste little time making we're-here-to-stay statement

It turns out, at least for one game, everything the Jacksonville Jaguars did great last year in their emergence from the abyss carried over to this year’s opener against the Cleveland Browns.

Their defense took the football away. Their passing offense was explosive. And their coaching staff out-schemed their colleagues on the other sideline.

And that was just in the first half.

The Jaguars did what potentially elite teams do on their home field against teams starting a rebuild with a new coach and a quarterback who hasn’t played in nearly two years.

They started fast.

They dominated.

They didn’t let the Browns breathe.

Nothing is every perfect in the NFL, but the Jaguars’ 34-10 win on Sept. 13 was darn close.

Jaguars-Browns blog: Trevor Lawrence throws

4 TD, Jags roll

Yes, it was Browns, but that doesn’t mean it was any less impressive.

Admit it, Jaguars fans, you took a deep breath in the first quarter when linebacker Foye Oluokun intercepted Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson … and receiver Parker Washingtonmade a diving 30-yard touchdown catch … and Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker split a sack of Watson to force a punt.

You are acutely aware of the Jaguars’ recent history. Have a great year and then a lousy year. See their name in lights and then see those lights malfunction worse than the electricity at Florida State football games. It was all we have talked about since the January playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills.

But just as quickly as the game began, the Jaguars eased your minds, right? And if there is one key takeaway from Week 1, it was they weren’t looking ahead to Weeks 2-4 at Denver, vs. New England and at Cincinnati. They wanted to make a statement. Be aware, rest of the AFC.

Balanced offense unstoppable

Jaguars coach Liam Coen told us all offseason he wanted to call more run plays and see better run-game production. And he meant it.

The Jaguars’ first four offensive plays were rushes (3, 6, 2 and 4 yards). Bhayshul Tuten got work. Chris Rodriguez Jr. got work. Even Jakobi Meyers got work. But facing a third-and-7, quarterback Trevor Lawrence started his mostly awesome afternoon with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Washington.

Just like that, the Jaguars led 7-0.

On the next drive, Lawrence had completions of 17, 22 and 18 yards to lead into a 4-yard dart/throw to rookie receiver Josh Cameron.

Just like that, the Jaguars led 14-0.

(Lawrence was again called for throwing after he passed the line of scrimmage. What’s up with that?)

On the fourth drive, Lawrence converted a third-and-6 (14 yards to Washington) and threw a 14-yard touchdown to tight end Brenton Strange.

Just like that, it was 24-0.

The first-half point total was a Jaguars franchise record for a Week 1 game and it was the second-most allowed by Cleveland in its Week 1 history.

Lawrence was an MVP finalist last year and showed against Cleveland he didn’t need preseason game work, leaning on joint practice sessions against New Orleans, Carolina and Tampa Bay to make sure he was sharp for Week 1.

Washington was his usual self. Thomas had an encouraging opening game. Meyers caught a third-quarter touchdown. This is an offense that will threaten defenses horizontally and vertically. Heck, they even executed a screen pass (22 yards to Tuten); the Jaguars should have stopped the game to recognize that achievement.

The Jaguars will face better defenses, starting next week at Denver, but their initial offering of how they can mesh and run and pass was encouraging.

Dominance for Hines-Allen, Walker

Hines-Allen, after a first half in which he had a sack, drew a penalty and recovered a fumble, dropped into a catcher’s crouch in the middle of the field as the clock reached all zeroes.

He was gassed, but the right kind of gassed. He had spent the previous few minutes pass-rushing.

As Hines-Allen got back to his feet, he was greeted by receiver Brian Thomas Jr., running back LeQuint Allen Jr. and defensive tackle Albert Regis as if to say, “Well done, my guy. Now let’s go to the locker room.”

Hines-Allen and Walker having productive debuts was a great sign because Hines-Allen didn’t post his first solo sack last year until Game 8 (and had only 1 1/2 sacks in the first 11 games) and injuries limited Walker to two sacks in his last nine games.

If Hines-Allen (who had a fourth-quarter sack) and Walker are continued threats around the quarterback, look out. You know that will lead to sacks and takeaways and the Jaguars being able to play the game on their terms.

By the 8:12 mark of the fourth quarter, Coen had cleaned out the offensive bench. Lawrence (18 of 24 for 254 yards and four touchdowns) was done. The same for right tackle Cole Van Lanen, right guard Ezra Cleveland and center Robert Hainsey.

They won’t all be this easy, not by a long shot, especially when the Jaguars have only five of their remaining 16 games in Jacksonville. But for an opening act, it was a rousing success.

Contact O’Halloran at [e-mail] or on X at @ryanohalloran. Listen to Ryan on 1010AM on Tuesdays (6:35 p.m. on “Into The Night"), Thursdays (1:15 on "XL Primetime") and Fridays ("First Coast Football Friday" 4-7 p.m.).

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars waste little time making we're-here-to-stay statement