JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars turned to the Lone Star State to overhaul their secondary, signing Dallas cornerback Jourdan Lewis and Houston safety Eric Murray in free agency in hopes of improving the NFL’s worst pass defense.
Everything is bigger in Texas? Maybe better, too.
The veterans delivered in a Texas-sized way in Jacksonville’s 26-10 season-opening victory against Carolina on Sunday.
Lewis notched five tackles, a fumble recovery and three pass breakups — including an interception in the final minute. Murray added seven stops and a quarterback hurry and created another pick when he tipped a pass in the second quarter.
Playing a role in all three of the team’s takeaways, the duo created much-needed highlights for a unit that ranked last in the league in that category in 2024. Jacksonville’s nine takeaways tied for the fewest in the NFL in any season since San Francisco notched seven in 2018.
“To get three in one game is probably a good start,” quipped first-time head coach Liam Coen, whose defense will get a tougher test at Cincinnati (1-0) on Sunday.
The Jaguars committed more than $50 million to land Lewis and Murray in March. Lewis, 30, signed a three-year, $30 million contract that included $20 million guaranteed. Murray, 31, signed a three-year, $22.5 million deal that included $12 million guaranteed.
They may have been considered short-term placeholders in the defensive backfield after the Jags drafted receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter with the second overall pick and added safeties Caleb Ransaw (third round) and Rayuan Lane (sixth round) over the next two days.
But Hunter played primarily on offense in the opener. Ransaw (foot) is out for the season following surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury. And Lane saw action only on special teams.
It was the Lewis and Murray show, and they delivered dazzling debuts.
“We pride ourselves on getting the ball back and being physical,” Lewis said. “We did a really good job getting the ball back. Hopefully those come in bunches. But we have a lot of things to clean up.”
Jacksonville’s offensive line was one of the team’s unknowns heading into the opener. But the group held its own against Carolina’s Derrick Brown, A’Shawn Robinson and Turk Wharton. The Jaguars totaled 200 yards rushing for the first time since 2022 and didn’t allow a sack.
“The guys up front, the most selfless guys we got, and they just are grinding it out,” quarterback Trevor Lawrence said. “We ran it a lot, and they wanted to keep doing it, and they did a great job moving people.”
It wasn’t totally perfect, though. Four of the five O-line starters were flagged for penalties, including two holding calls.
Penalties were a problem, hardly a surprise considering it was a trend during camp. The Jags were flagged a dozen times against Carolina, with 11 of those enforced for 93 yards.
“You’re frustrated with some of the penalties that have continued to bite us in the butt,” Coen said. “That’s not something we want to get used to doing by any means. … We cannot do those things and expect to win.”
Linebacker Foye Oluokun had 10 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble. The 30-year-old team captain looked rejuvenated in first-time defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile’s aggressive scheme.
“I wanted to be a playmaker,” Oluokun said. “They gave me the opportunity to have my eyes back more on the ball, not having to run all over the place with wheel routes and stuff. It’s really trusting the rush … and let’s all go attack the ball.”
Jaguars receiver Parker Washington, who was the star of training camp, barely made an impact in the opener. He played 17 snaps — most of them late with Jacksonville trying to milk the clock — and didn’t get a target. He also returned one punt for 7 yards.
Right tackle Anton Harrison left the game late with a back injury.
11 – Number of wins by 16 points or more in the seven seasons before Coen’s arrival.
“We’ve got to keep doing it,” Lawrence said. “Consistency is what will be the difference.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
