A win for the Jaguars in 2023 Week 1 means that Jacksonville has a lot to be positive about. Between stars on offense and defense, the Jaguars saw a new and improved roster perform well against a young Colts squad.
In this article, I’ll be going through the majority of impact players for the Jaguars who slayed or bombed. A player that earned a “slay” designation performed well for the Jaguars and helped to make an impact towards the Jaguars winning the game. “Bomb,” on the other hand, is for the players who saw their stock drop due to a poor performance, regardless of whether their team won or not.
Now that we’ve set the parameters let’s take a look at the players who Slayed or Bombed!
Week 1 Slays
Week 1 saw a victory for the Jaguars, one where the offense put together an incredible performance, and the defense came up huge in clutch moments. Here are the players that Slayed in 2023, Week 1 for the Jaguars!
Trevor Lawrence
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence (16) – Kam Nedd/Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence picked up where he left off in 2022. His play in 2023 Week 1 showcased how he can truly be a top-flight quarterback in the NFL, something not many teams can lay claim to. Lawrence had 241 passing yards on 24/32 throwing the ball. He also threw two touchdowns, one to Zay Jones and the other to recent acquisition Calvin Ridley.
Lawrence played incredibly well, and if he continues to play this well throughout the season, it could be a huge year for the Jaguars.
Calvin Ridley
In his Jaguars debut, Calvin Ridley put together a performance that shed any rust and doubt about his play. Ridley put up 101 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions. He made high-point catches and had some run-after-the-catch plays to get to 101 yards in his debut with the Jaguars.
Ridley was part of a receiver room that featured as a matchup to watch in 2023, Week 1, and he answered the call, providing an all-time memorable performance to help lead the Jaguars to a victory against the Colts.
Zay Jones
Amid Calvin Ridley playing out of his mind, Zay Jones’ performance shouldn’t be forgotten. He put up 55 yards and an incredible touchdown, with five catches on seven targets.
Jones has been forgotten in this Jaguars offense around the league, but with a great day against the Colts, he’s once again put himself in the conversation for being a high-quality receiver. Jones, Ridley, and Christian Kirk make up a fantastic wide receiver room.
Travis Etienne Jr.
In 2023Week 1, Travis Etienne Jr. put up an underrated performance. All of the attention is on Calvin Ridley and Trevor Lawrence. Meanwhile, Etienne had an incredible day on the ground and through the air. He tallied 27 yards on five receptions, along with 77 yards and a touchdown on 18 rushing attempts.
The big play came on a 26-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter that effectively won the Jaguars the game. The scamper came on a first down and sealed the deal for the Jaguars after what had been an up-and-down afternoon. While Etienne doesn’t get talked about enough with his performance, he more than earned a spot among the players who slayed in Week 1 for the Jaguars.
Tyson Campbell
Jacksonville Jaguars CB Tyson Campbell (32) – Grace Farrall/Jacksonville Jaguars
The star on the defensive side of the ball was between two players, and Tyson Campbell made the decision tough to call. Campbell had a huge impact on the Jaguars, intercepting Anthony Richardson with little time remaining. Between his interception and overall impressive play, Campbell earned the highest grade from any Jaguars player from PFF in Week 1, with an 89.2 defensive grade.
A game-changing pick and one that effectively sealed the Jaguars victory in 2023 Week 1, Campbell had the singular biggest play from the defense against the Colts. Campbell also had a forced fumble after stopping the Colts on fourth down, something the Jaguars did multiple times in 2023, Week 1.
Josh Allen
Jaguars LB Josh Allen (41) – Kam Nedd/Jacksonville Jaguars
As I mentioned when talking about Tyson Campbell and how he Slayed in 2023, Week 1, Josh Allen had an equally impressive performance against the Colts. One of the big question marks coming into the 2023 season was whether the Jaguars would have an effective pass rush. Right from the beginning of the 2023 season, Josh Allen helped to answer that question.
Allen was second to only Campbell in PFF grade, with an 86.9 defensive grade. That grade comes from a great day stopping the run and most importantly, a three-sack day. Three sacks and eight total tackles make for a great performance, one which allowed the Jaguars to beat the Colts.
Josh Allen is answering the problem that the Jaguars had entering 2023, and there’s another player that slayed in Indianapolis, and he’s also on the defensive line.
Travon Walker
Jaguars LB Travon Walker (44) – Kam Nedd/Jacksonville Jaguars
The last player that slayed was Travon Walker, and while he didn’t have the high sack numbers like Josh Allen, Walker did get a sack at the end of the half. Walker playing well is a huge boon for the Jaguars, with the defensive line being a position of weakness heading into the 2023 Week 1 matchup against the Colts.
Travon Walker had less of an impact than Josh Allen and even received a poor grade from PFF at 49.8. But Walker showed progress in defending the run and rushing the passer, which is exactly what was needed to feel good about the defensive line for the rest of the 2023 season.
Week 1: Bombs
The Jaguars won but still saw some poor performances from players and coaches alike that need to improve, especially heading into a tough matchup vs. the Chiefs in week two. Here are the players who Bombed in 2023, Week 1 for the Jaguars.
Tank Bigsby
One of the most obvious bombs of the week was from Tank Bigsby, the rookie running back with a lot of hype. While he was a bomb, Bigsby did have a couple of good plays, including a touchdown and a tough run to get a first down in the goal line.
But Bigsby was the cause of two turnovers, even though they may not necessarily be completely his fault. The first was an interception that went through his hands and set the Colts up with a good field position that was only less detrimental for the Jaguars, thanks to the defense stopping the Colts inside their red zone.
The other blunder was with Bigsby fumbling, which was on the weirdest play of the game. Was this entirely his fault? It’s hard to say, with the expectation that it was an incompletion from Bigsby’s perspective, which would be a dead ball. But Tank needs to fall on the ball just in case, as there’s always a chance that it’s a fumble if the whistle isn’t blown.
A rookie mistake and an unfortunate error make Bigsby the biggest bomb of the week. But there’s still enough there to warrant improvement, so don’t give up hope yet, just like Doug Pederson did with Tank Bigsby at the end of 2023, Week 1.
Ben Bartch And Luke Fortner
Jaguars OL Ben Bartch (78), QB Trevor Lawrence (16), and OL Luke Fortner (79) – Kam Nedd/Jacksonville Jaguars
The offensive line struggled in Week 1, and the two that stood out negatively were Ben Bartch and Luke Fortner. Although it was a tough matchup, the Jaguars would’ve liked to see more out of their starting left guard and center.
Ben Bartch was the most obvious problem along the offensive line. Bartch allowed three pressures and one sack and earned a terrible 30.3 pass-blocking grade from PFF. The offensive line being a question was not up for debate before the season, and the performance from Bartch didn’t answer those questions.
Fortner wasn’t much better, putting up a 39.8 pass-blocking grade from PFF and an overall grade of 48.0, only .1 better than Bartch. With the difference between their performances not being huge and an overall disappointing day from the offensive line, these two stand out as the biggest bombs of the 2023 Week 1 performance.
Press Taylor
Lastly, the offensive play calling was somewhat of a concern. Before the Jaguars’ 2023 Week 1 game against the Colts, it was announced that Press Taylor was going to be calling the plays. There was a lot of great offensive moments, but there was a fair amount of poor plays.
One of the storylines for the Jaguar’s defense was that they forced a lot of turnovers, and the offense was susceptible to the same. The interception and fumble were not something that is a play-calling issue and can be coached. But the main issue comes with the Jaguars turnover on downs and multiple three-and-outs.
Fortunately, this is something that can be addressed, with this being Press Taylor’s first play-calling experience. It’s not difficult to see that there were issues, but similarly to some of the turnovers, there’s still room for improvement. But looking at strictly Week 1, it’s hard not to say that Press Taylor bombed his play-calling debut to a certain extent.
Overall, there were a fair amount of ups and downs, but the Jaguars saw their 2023 Week 1 opener get off to a strong start. There’s a lot to improve upon, and that comes after a decisive win against a divisional opponent. It’s a great time to be a Jaguars fan, and there’s a lot to look forward to for the rest of the 2023 NFL season.
