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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-fanduel-re-pays-jacksonville-employee-gambled-stolen-funds');   ga('set', 'title', 'FanDuel re-pays Jaguars after employee gambled stolen funds');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/EverBank-Stadium-logo.jpg"><figcaption>Sep 7, 2025; Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>FanDuel re-pays Jaguars after employee gambled stolen funds</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-12T11:53:14-07:00">September 12th, 11:53am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-12T11:53:14-07:00">September 12th, 11:53am</time><address><a>Jaren Kawada</a>Jaren Kawada is a former full-time sports bettor and is now a NFL, College Football and Betting Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. Kawada was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, after graduating from Butler University with a B.A. in sports media. Aside from football, Kawada is an avid combat sports and basketball bettor.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Jacksonville Jaguars</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-jacksonville-bizarre-20-million-request-fanduel">Jacksonville Jaguars will receive partial compensation from FanDuel</a> over one year after a gambling scandal shook up their organization. The deal settles the infamous case involving ex-employee Amit Patel, who stole over $20 million from the team during his tenure, most of which was used to place wagers.</p><p>FanDuel has reportedly agreed to <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/46234100/fanduel-jaguars-amit-patel-compensation-5-million" rel="noopener">give $5 million back</a> to the Jaguars, according to ESPN’s Xuan Thai and Don Van Natta Jr. Jacksonville initially wanted all $20 million back, a claim that the sports betting company patently denied before agreeing to give back part of the funds.</p><p>Patel worked in the team’s finance department using its virtual credit card program. He admitted to wiring money to his personal accounts to place sizable wagers on sports games, hoping to eventually repay the amount he had stolen. Patel claims he made over 1,000 deposits to FanDuel Sportsbook, each roughly $25,000.</p><p>Although FanDuel believes it did nothing wrong on its end, the NFL requested that the company refund the losses. The NFL did not intervene in discussions, but FanDuel obliged, in hopes that it could maintain its positive relationship with the league, according to ESPN.</p><p>FanDuel is one of the many betting sponsors of the NFL, but is arguably the most prominent. The company recently launched its ‘Kick of Destiny’ promotion during the Super Bowl, and streams several popular programs on the FanDuel Sports Network, namely the ‘Up &amp; Adams Show’ with fan-favorite host Kay Adams.</p><h2><b>Jaguars’ Amit Patel FanDuel gambling fiasco fallout</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/FanDuel-logo.jpg"><figcaption>Michael Karas-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Since the case broke ground, Patel has been arrested on charges of wire fraud and illegal monetary transaction and sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison. He has since been given an additional charge of one count of organized fraud in the first degree, a crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison in Florida.</p><p>The bizarre situation led to a series of lawsuits. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-jacksonville-files-66-million-lawsuit-against-ex-employee">Jaguars sued Patel for $66 million</a> in damages before the disgraced employee sued FanDuel in federal court. Patel accused the sportsbook of exploiting his gambling addiction, an accusation that has been disputed due to his lavish lifestyle.</p><p>Patel reportedly lived in a luxury residence, owned a country club membership and was fond of purchasing expensive accessories. However, he has since been diagnosed with a gambling disorder, per ESPN.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

FanDuel re-pays Jaguars after employee gambled stolen funds

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-bengals-bold-predictions-week-2-2025-nfl-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jaguars vs. Bengals bold predictions for Week 2 of 2025 NFL season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jaguars-vs.jpg"></figure><h1>Jaguars vs. Bengals bold predictions for Week 2 of 2025 NFL season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T21:43:45-07:00">September 10th, 9:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T21:43:45-07:00">September 10th, 9:43pm</time><address><a href="http://hoopnut.blogspot.com/">Enzo Flojo</a>Enzo Flojo is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints and a columnist for Asian basketball at FIBA. He brings a dynamic spirit and background, having expertise that spans writing, analytics, coaching, and broadcasting. He is also currently an Assistant Coach on Scouting &amp; Analytics for the Philippine national youth basketball team.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Bengals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Jacksonville Jaguars are flying high after their Week 1 win, but things get tougher in Week 2 as they head to Paycor Stadium to face the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night. With Joe Burrow under center and a raucous home crowd behind them, the Bengals are slight favorites. That doesn’t mean the Jaguars are walking in quietly, though. This is the type of matchup where both teams have plenty at stake early in the season.</p><h2><b>Previewing Jaguars vs. Bengals</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jaguars-QB-Trevor-Lawrence_f4815c.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Bengals host the Jaguars in Week 2, with oddsmakers giving the edge to the home team. Cincinnati apparently enters <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/2025/09/08/nfl-week-2-odds-point-spreads-moneylines-over-unders-betting/83954017007/">as a 3.5 to 5.5-point favorite</a>. They hold a 60–68 percent win probability in several simulations. The Jaguars, meanwhile, face the challenge of reversing a poor track record on the road. That’s where they’ve gone just 1-11 in their last 12 contests, including struggles specifically against the Bengals on their home turf.</p><p>Still, Jacksonville carries <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/carolina-panthers/panthers-most-to-blame-for-week-1-blowout-loss-to-jaguars">momentum from a Week 1 victory</a> powered by Travis Etienne’s explosive rushing and a defense that capitalized on key opportunities. For the Jaguars to stay competitive, they’ll need balanced execution on offense. If Trevor Lawrence settles into rhythm and Etienne sustains his form, Jacksonville has a real chance to test a Bengals squad still finding its footing early in the season.</p><p><i><b>*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/stream/football/?irad=356362&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">(click for a free trial)*</a></b></i></p><p>Here we will look at and discuss some bold predictions for the game between the Jaguars and the Bengals in Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season.</p><h2><b>Joe Burrow throws at least three touchdown passes</b></h2><p>The Jaguars’ secondary better watch out here. Joe Burrow is going to play like a man possessed <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-joe-burrow-one-point-win-browns-perspective">after a sluggish Week 1 outing</a>. Expect him to torch Jacksonville’s defensive backs with three to five touchdown passes in a statement win. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-why-jon-gruden-joe-burrow-winning-2025-mvp">Burrow was a popular preseason pick for MVP</a>, but after completing just 60.9 percent of passes for 113 yards and one touchdown in Week 1 against Cleveland, he knows he must raise his level.</p><p>Burrow thrives in bounce-back spots, of course. As such, this game sets him up perfectly. If Cincinnati’s offensive line gives him time, he’ll carve up a secondary that has been prone to lapses. Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase should feast on mismatches, and Burrow’s precision could overwhelm a defense that lacks elite coverage depth. If he catches fire early, this game could get out of hand quickly.</p><h2><b>Travis Hunter plays 8-10 defensive snaps</b></h2><p>One of the most intriguing wrinkles for Jacksonville is the two-way role of Travis Hunter. Head coach Liam Coen confirmed that Hunter will see more defensive snaps in Week 2. That adds an unpredictable layer to this contest. In Week 1, Hunter logged six defensive plays and recorded a tackle. He also caught six passes for 33 yards.</p><p>Against Cincinnati’s dynamic passing attack, every coverage body matters. If Hunter plays 8-10 snaps on defense, his length and athleticism could help slow Burrow’s deep-ball attempts. It’s rare to see a player handle meaningful roles on both sides of the ball in today’s NFL. That said, Hunter is special. If he makes even one key defensive play, it could swing momentum for Jacksonville.</p><h2><b>Travis Etienne tallies 100+ rushing yards</b></h2><p>Jacksonville’s Week 1 win against Carolina was all about Travis Etienne. The fourth-year back ripped off 143 rushing yards on 16 carries. That included a 71-yard burst that set up a touchdown. He also caught all three of his targets for 13 yards. He surely remains the centerpiece of this offense. Questions about sharing touches with Tank Bigsby or Bhayshul Tuten evaporated quickly. There is no question that is Etienne’s backfield.</p><p>Against Cincinnati, Etienne will once again be asked to shoulder the load. The Bengals’ defensive front is tough, but Etienne’s vision and explosiveness can break open any game. He should eclipse 100 rushing yards anew, keeping the Jaguars within striking distance deep into the fourth quarter.</p><h2><b>Trevor Lawrence posts a 90+ passer rating</b></h2><p>Trevor Lawrence’s Week 1 stat line was modest. He tallied 178 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. However, the Jaguars didn’t need him to carry the offense. That changes in Week 2. Against a Bengals team that will force Jacksonville to throw, Lawrence must be efficient and avoid costly mistakes.</p><p>New coach Liam Coen has a history of maximizing quarterbacks. We saw that with Baker Mayfield’s resurgence in Tampa Bay. Lawrence is poised to benefit from that same system. If he can complete 65 percent of his throws, spread the ball to Hunter, Brian Thomas Jr, and Brenton Strange, and avoid turnovers, he should clear a 90 passer rating. For Jacksonville, that’s the benchmark to stay alive against Cincinnati’s firepower.</p><h2><b>Bengals survive the Jags</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Browns-Myles-Garrett-tries-to-get-to-Bengals-Joe-Burrow.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Cincinnati has a history of stumbling out of the gate. That said, this is the sort of game where they need to steady the ship before the season slips away. The Jaguars, meanwhile, remain inconsistent. They are obviously talented enough to beat weaker opponents. However, they often play in mediocre fashion against playoff-caliber teams.</p><p>Again, the Bengals eked out a close victory against the Browns in Week 1. This matchup feels eerily similar. Expect Jacksonville to stay competitive behind Etienne’s rushing and Lawrence’s efficient passing. Ultimately, though, Burrow’s late-game heroics will make the difference. Look for Cincinnati to win another close one, potentially decided by a final drive or a clutch defensive stand.</p><p>Final thoughts</p><p>The Bengals enter Week 2 as deserved favorites. However, the Jaguars have enough talent to make this a fight. If Burrow catches fire, it may not matter. Still, Jacksonville has a recipe with Etienne’s rushing and Lawrence’s steady hand to push the Bengals to the limit. Expect fireworks, bold plays, and maybe a few surprises under the Monday night lights.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jaguars vs. Bengals bold predictions for Week 2 of 2025 NFL season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-travis-hunter-to-see-uptick-defensive-snaps-week-2');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jaguars’ Travis Hunter to see ‘uptick’ of defensive snaps in Week 2');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Travis-Hunter-12-takes-the-field-prior-to-a-game-against-the-Carolina-Panthers.jpg"><figcaption>© Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Jaguars’ Travis Hunter to see ‘uptick’ of defensive snaps in Week 2</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T10:44:09-07:00">September 10th, 10:44am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T10:44:09-07:00">September 10th, 10:44am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Jacksonville Jaguars</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Following a strong debut in Week 1, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-travis-hunter-new-hairstyle-before-week-1">Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter</a> is set to see an increased defensive role when the team visits the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.</p><p>Head coach Liam Coen confirmed that Hunter’s role in the secondary will expand against Cincinnati’s wide receiver tandem of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The adjustment comes after Hunter was used primarily on offense during <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-jacksonville-signs-tank-bigsbys-replacement-after-eagles-trade">Jacksonville’s 26-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers</a>.</p><p>“Going into Week 1 it was, ‘OK, we know that it’s not going to be a ton on defense,’” Coen said. “The goal is to increase and continue to increase [his defensive snaps]. It just so happens that we’re playing Cincinnati with two good wideouts this week.”</p><p>Coen added that Hunter’s defensive workload will “<a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/46216477/jaguars-travis-hunter-get-more-defensive-snaps-vs-bengals" rel="noopener">likely uptick</a>” as the Jaguars look to counter Cincinnati’s passing attack.</p><p>Hunter’s two-way ability has drawn national attention since being selected by Jacksonville in the first round of this year’s draft. Against Carolina, he logged 42 offensive snaps, leading the Jaguars with six receptions for 33 yards on eight targets. While his impact came mostly as a receiver in the opener, his skill set as a cornerback is expected to be tested against one of the league’s most productive receiving duos.</p><h2><b>Travis Hunter set for uptick in defensive snaps in Week 2 vs. Bengals</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Travis-Hunter-12-lines-on-the-line-of-scrimmage-prior-to-a-play-against-the-Carolina-Panthers.jpg"><figcaption>© Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Chase and Higgins combined for 200 receptions, 2,619 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2024. However, they were limited to just five catches for 59 yards in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-joe-burrow-one-point-win-browns-perspective">Cincinnati’s 17-16 victory over the Cleveland Browns</a> last week. The Bengals leaned on defense and special teams to escape with the win, but Coen said Hunter’s involvement will be part of the Jaguars’ strategy to contain their passing game.</p><p>Jacksonville’s secondary held the Panthers to 142 passing yards and intercepted Bryce Young twice in the opener. Cornerbacks Tyson Campbell and Jarrian Jones handled most of the workload on the outside, while safety Andrew Wingard anchored the back end. Hunter’s versatility gives the unit another option to match Cincinnati’s depth at receiver.</p><p>The decision to expand Hunter’s role defensively reflects a long-term plan. The Jaguars have made clear that balancing his snaps on both sides of the ball is key to maximizing his potential. Coen emphasized that the team will be deliberate with his usage as the season progresses.</p><p>The Jaguars’ Week 2 matchup presents an early test for a defense aiming to build on its solid start. Hunter’s ability to shadow receivers and compete physically downfield could provide an added boost against a Bengals team searching for rhythm on offense.</p><p>Kickoff between the Jaguars (1-0) and Bengals (1-0) is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 14, at 1 p.m. ET on FOX.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jaguars’ Travis Hunter to see ‘uptick’ of defensive snaps in Week 2

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-jacksonville-signs-tank-bigsbys-replacement-after-eagles-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jaguars sign Tank Bigsby’s replacement after Eagles trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Cody-Schrader-scoring.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Jaguars sign Tank Bigsby’s replacement after Eagles trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T08:50:46-07:00">September 10th, 8:50am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T08:50:46-07:00">September 10th, 8:50am</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Jacksonville Jaguars</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Jacksonville Jaguars started <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-liam-coen-buccaneers-face-jacksonville-contract-agreement">the Liam Coen era</a> off on the right foot. Jacksonville beat Carolina 26-10 in Week 1 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/nfl-news-panthers-jaguars-season-opener-delayed-lightning">despite lightning delays</a> that meddled in the game. The Jaguars just made another roster move after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/eagles-news-philly-swings-tank-bigbsy-trade-jaguars">trading away Tank Bigsby on Monday</a>.</p><p>The Jaguars <a href="https://x.com/RapSheet/status/1965785762563289568" rel="noopener">signed running back</a> Cody Schrader to the 53-man roster, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.</p><p>Schrader was previously on the Rams’ practice squad.</p><p>He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2024, signing with the 49ers. Schrader was waived ahead of the 2024 regular season and joined the Rams’ practice squad shortly afterwards.</p><p>Jacksonville likely views Schrader as depth at the running back position.</p><p>Travis Etienne was in vintage form in Week 1, rushing 16 times for 143 yards. He has the starting job locked up.</p><p>Meanwhile, the departure of Tank Bigsby also paves the way for rookies Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr. to have expanded roles.</p><p>It will be interesting to see if Schrader stays on Jacksonville’s active roster throughout the 2025 NFL season.</p><h2><b>Can Jaguars get another win in Week 2 against the Bengals?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jaguars-QB-Trevor-Lawrence_f4815c.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Jaguars face a completely different challenge in Week 2 against the Bengals.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/worried-about-bengals-week-1-escape-you-have-every-right-to-be">Cincinnati often starts the season slowly</a> under head coach Zac Taylor. That was true in Week 1, though the Bengals still got a win against the Browns.</p><p>That could mean that the Bengals are a sitting duck, waiting for a plucky team like the Jaguars to pick them off. Or, the Bengals could be out for revenge and explode for a huge performance.</p><p>If Cincinnati finds its way, that could be a big problem for Jacksonville.</p><p>On paper, the Bengals have a great matchup against the Jaguars on offense. Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins could be too much for a lackluster Jaguars secondary. Even if Travis Hunter is out there on some defensive snaps.</p><p>Ultimately, whichever version of the Bengals shows up could determine the outcome of this game.</p><p>It will be a real acid test for Jacksonville. If they can handle the Bengals on the road, then the Jaguars could be a frisky team in the AFC.</p><p>Jaguars at Bengals kick off at 1PM ET on September 14th.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jaguars sign Tank Bigsby’s replacement after Eagles trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/nfl-stories/nfl-news-panthers-jaguars-season-opener-delayed-lightning');   ga('set', 'title', 'Panthers-Jaguars season opener delayed due to lightning');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Panthers-Jaguars.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Panthers-Jaguars season opener delayed due to lightning</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-07T11:14:36-07:00">September 7th, 11:14am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-07T11:27:47-07:00">September 7th, 11:27am</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Carolina Panthers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Jacksonville Jaguars have an early 10-3 lead <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-atlanta-steals-defender-sam-roberts-panthers-practice-squad">over the Carolina Panthers</a> in the season opener on Sunday. However, the contest was forced to be halted due to weather concerns.</p><p>Reports indicate that the Panthers-Jaguars game is <a href="https://x.com/UnderdogNFL/status/1964749720594812970" rel="noopener">officially in a delay</a> with lightning strikes seen around EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville. The game is stopped with 8:32 remaining in the second quarter, and the Jaguars will have possession of the ball once the game resumes. As of now, it is not known how long the lightning delay will be in effect.</p><p>“Game alert: Panthers-Jaguars delayed due to inclement weather Sunday.”</p><p>Coaches and players for both teams went back to their respective locker rooms while they wait for the weather to clear up. Fans in attendance were informed to leave the stands and seek cover, with most of them going underneath the stadium where the concessions are located.</p><p>It has not rained in Jacksonville, however, with some fans remaining in the stands, per Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer. Fowler claims the lightning <a href="https://x.com/scott_fowler/status/1964754640056295674" rel="noopener">doesn’t appear to be going away</a> soon despite the delay already being active for 20 minutes as of his posting.</p><p>“People in Florida do not care about warnings to ‘move from open areas.’ Panthers-Jaguars has been delayed 20 minutes so far in Jacksonville; it still has yet to rain. But radar doesn’t look good.”</p><p>Before the lightning delay, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-watch-travis-hunters-first-nfl-catch">the Jaguars appeared to have the edge</a> over the Panthers. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence has already recorded 84 passing yards and a touchdown throw to tight end Hunter Long. Meanwhile, Carolina hasn’t been able to get anything going on offense so far. Bryce Young has mustered only 16 passing yards and has thrown one interception early on in the contest.</p><p>More updates regarding the lightning delay will be revealed in due time. Until then, both teams and the fans attending the game will have to continue waiting until the weather clears up.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Panthers-Jaguars season opener delayed due to lightning

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-watch-travis-hunters-first-nfl-catch');   ga('set', 'title', 'Watch Jaguars’ Travis Hunter’s first NFL catch');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jaguars-WR-Travis-Hunter-Jr.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Watch Jaguars’ Travis Hunter’s first NFL catch</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-07T10:37:45-07:00">September 7th, 10:37am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-07T10:58:29-07:00">September 7th, 10:58am</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/jordan.llanes">Jordan Llanes</a>Jordan Llanes is a sports writer and reporter based in Florida. In addition to ClutchPoints, he writes for a few other publications covering the NFL, college sports and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing, Jordan enjoys spending time with his fiancée, cats, family and friends, as well as catching the latest TV shows and movies, and traveling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Jacksonville Jaguars</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the first half of their season opener against the Carolina Panthers progresses, the Jacksonville <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/carolina-panthers/panthers-vs-jaguars-bold-predictions-week-1-2025-nfl-season">Jaguars are looking to start</a> their new era with a victory. Head coach Liam Coen and GM James Gladstone were hired to run the Jaguars this past offseason. Their first draft pick together? The reigning Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, who will play both ways with Jacksonville as well. Hunter got his first milestone out of the way early Sunday afternoon, as ClutchPoints shared <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1964737875981046101" rel="noopener">his first NFL catch</a> via X, formerly Twitter.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Travis Hunter with his first catch in the NFL 🙌<a href="https://t.co/EeYpmfYDA6">pic.twitter.com/EeYpmfYDA6</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1964737875981046101?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Travis Hunter with his first catch in the NFL 🙌,” posted the sports site on Sunday afternoon.</p><p>So far, the Jaguars and Panthers are tied at three apiece. Hunter has had an impact on offense, with three catches for 18 yards so far. The former Colorado Buffalo has already shown plenty of flashes throughout the offseason that indicate that he can be a force on both sides of the ball at the pro level. It’s clear though that Hunter will likely focus on offense for the most part, at least at first. If he can continue to grow his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-fans-react-first-trevor-lawrence-travis-hunter-connection">connection with quarterback Trevor Lawrence,</a> there’s no telling how big of an impact he’ll have as his rookie year progresses.</p><h2><b>Jaguars look to start new era off with win over Panthers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jaguars-QB-Trevor-Lawrence_f4815c.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>As Coen coaches his first regular season game <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-liam-coen-reveals-deion-sanders-message-to-jacksonville-on-travis-hunter">as the Jaguars’ head coach,</a> there are similarities to his counterpart across the field, Carolina’s Dave Canales. Both coaches were hired as the head man after a season in Tampa Bay as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator. They each had a hand in reviving Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield’s career, as well as helping other quarterbacks progress as well. Each of them were hired to help revive another highly drafted quarterback. In Canales’ case, it’s former number one overall pick Bryce Young.</p><p>For Coen, it’s Lawrence. Another top overall selection, Lawrence has shown many times throughout his career that he can be a franchise signal caller. It’s imperative that Coen coaches it out of him. It’s also important that Gladstone continues to add talent to the Jaguars roster. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-rumors-travis-hunter-play-every-down-wr-nfl-debut">Hunter will hopefully be</a> a major part of that talent infusion. Based on what Lawrence and Hunter have done so far, it looks as if Jacksonville could have a dangerous passing attack in place with this duo heating up.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Watch Jaguars’ Travis Hunter’s first NFL catch

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-travis-hunter-new-hairstyle-before-week-1');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jaguars’ Travis Hunter shows off new hairstyle before Week 1');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jacksonville-Jaguars-wide-receiver-Travis-Hunter.jpg"><figcaption>Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union</figcaption></figure><h1>Jaguars’ Travis Hunter shows off new hairstyle before Week 1</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-07T09:06:37-07:00">September 7th, 9:06am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-07T09:06:37-07:00">September 7th, 9:06am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Jacksonville Jaguars</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Jacksonville Jaguars are set to face off against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, and many are ready to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-jacksonville-official-travis-hunter-move-panthers-game">see the debut of rookie Travis Hunter</a>. The multi-talented player knows that new beginnings will happen today, and he came in pregame with a big surprise, showing off a new hairstyle.</p><p>Hunter decided to <a href="https://x.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1964711257770270872" rel="noopener">cut off his hair</a>, and he was all smiles when walking into the stadium.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jaguars WR/CB Travis Hunter has cut his dreads ahead of his NFL debut. </p><p>A new look:<a href="https://t.co/GbHakNuY34">pic.twitter.com/GbHakNuY34</a></p><p>— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) <a href="https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1964711257770270872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The saying has always been that when you look good, you play good, and if Hunter can make a big impact in Week 1, he may attribute it to the hairstyle.</p><p>There have been many questions on whether the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-rumors-travis-hunter-play-every-down-wr-nfl-debut"> Jaguars will play Hunter at wide receiver</a> and cornerback this season, but for Week 1, he <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/46175185/sources-jaguars-plan-use-travis-hunter-every-wr-week-1" rel="noopener">will be at receiver</a> full-time and be a situational cornerback, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.</p><p>“The Jaguars plan to mix up Hunter’s usage throughout the course of the season, sources said, but they believe there will be some weeks when the rookie can and will be deployed as a full-time wide receiver and cornerback,” Schefter wrote.</p><p>Days before gameday, head coach Liam Coen seemed uncertain at the time on how they planned to use him.</p><p>“We’re going to have to figure it out,” Coen said. “We’re going to have to all be flexible. We’ll come up with that plan over the next 24 hours in terms like, alright, what are the exact maybe numbers we want to hit on both sides or usage?”</p><p>When Hunter does play some snaps at cornerback, he will be the first player in over a decade to play at receiver and corner in the same game. Deion Sanders did it in 1996, Champ Bailey in 2000, and Antonio Cromartie in 2012.</p><p>Hunter was a game-changer at both positions in college, and it looks like he’s ready to make that same impact in the NFL when the Jaguars give him the opportunity.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jaguars’ Travis Hunter shows off new hairstyle before Week 1

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-rumors-travis-hunter-play-every-down-wr-nfl-debut');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jaguars rumors: Travis Hunter to play as ‘every-down WR’ in NFL debut');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jaguars-news-Travis-Hunters-2-way-work-gets-honest-Liam-Coen-assessment.jpg"><figcaption>[Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]</figcaption></figure><h1>Jaguars rumors: Travis Hunter to play as ‘every-down WR’ in NFL debut</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-06T17:22:03-07:00">September 6th, 5:22pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-06T17:26:48-07:00">September 6th, 5:26pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Jacksonville Jaguars</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-travis-hunter-injury-status-week-1">Jacksonville Jaguars are preparing to showcase rookie sensation Travis Hunter</a> in a historic role when they open the 2025 NFL season against the Carolina Panthers.</p><p>Hunter will line up as an “every-down wide receiver” while contributing as a “situational cornerback” <a href="https://x.com/AdamSchefter/status/1964468681410560458" rel="noopener">in Sunday’s Week 1 matchup</a>, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-travis-hunter-drops-huge-revelations-after-going-no-2">Hunter, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft</a>, arrives in Jacksonville after a Heisman Trophy-winning season at Colorado. In 2024, he logged an astounding 1,443 snaps in just 12 games, balancing duties as both wide receiver and cornerback. His workload at the college level set the foundation for Jacksonville’s versatile deployment strategy.</p><p>The Jaguars’ depth chart confirms the plan as the team has listed Hunter as a starting wide receiver alongside Brian Thomas Jr. and Dyami Brown, while appearing with the second unit at cornerback. During training camp, he nearly split reps evenly, recording 364 snaps across 15 practices, 188 on offense and 176 on defense. In 11-on-11 drills, the split was nearly identical, with 173 offensive and 168 defensive snaps. His preseason debut followed a similar pattern, starting on offense before rotating into defensive series.</p><p>Head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone have reiterated flexibility in Hunter’s usage. Coen noted Friday that his staff would finalize snap counts within 24 hours, while Gladstone indicated earlier this offseason that in-game situations and matchups would dictate Hunter’s role. Schefter added that the Jaguars plan to mix up his responsibilities throughout the season, including potential games where Hunter plays full-time at both wideout and cornerback.</p><p>Hunter’s development has leaned toward offense, where Jacksonville prioritized building chemistry between him and quarterback Trevor Lawrence. This emphasis, along with his recovery from an upper-body injury that sidelined him for multiple practices and two preseason games, has positioned him as a primary wideout in Week 1.</p><p>If Hunter sees extended time on both sides of the ball later this season, he could join an exclusive NFL fraternity. Since 1980, only three players, Deion Sanders (1996), Champ Bailey (2000), and Antonio Cromartie (2012), have started at both wide receiver and cornerback in the same game.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jaguars rumors: Travis Hunter to play as ‘every-down WR’ in NFL debut

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/why-nfl-must-consider-radical-rule-changes-field-goals');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why NFL must consider radical rule changes for field goals');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Why-NFL-must-consider-radical-rule-changes-for-field-goals.jpg"></figure><h1>Why NFL must consider radical rule changes for field goals</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-04T11:10:59-07:00">September 4th, 11:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-04T11:12:31-07:00">September 4th, 11:12am</time><address><a href="https://matthew516sports.substack.com/">Douglas Fritz</a>Douglas Fritz has been writing about sports for almost four decades and publishes a Christian sports newsletter and podcast on Substack at Matthew516Sports. He started as a reporter for the student newspaper at East Tennessee State University, worked his way up to Editor-In-Chief, and began his sports writing career at the Johnson City Press daily newspaper while still in college. During 30-plus years at the Press, he covered University of Tennessee football, men's and women's basketball, ETSU athletics, and high school athletics. Among the people he has interviewed are Dale Murphy, Bobby Cox, John Smoltz, and Bruce Smith. He is also a Christian-based screenwriter (five feature-length and one short), book writer (three completed manuscripts and one novel), and songwriter.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Cowboys</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys/cowboys-rumors-trevon-diggs-expected-play-week-1">NFL is a rough place with collisions, injuries,</a> concussions, and … field goals? Yeah, not so rough <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-cam-little-makes-70-yard-bet-after-preseason-boot">in the world of place-kicking</a>, right? And because kickers are expanding their length, here is why the NFL must consider radical rule changes for field goals.</p><p>And there is a reasonable solution.</p><p>There’s no doubt the league wants to see more touchdowns. And the NFL wants teams to go for it more on fourth down instead of settling for field goals.</p><p>But let’s look at the length of Cam Little’s preseason field goal for the Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s now possible for a team to score three points without reaching midfield. Before Little’s 70-yard bomb, the longest successful NFL kick was 66 yards. That required a trek to the opponent’s 49-yard line. Little’s kick came with the ball on the Jaguars’ 47-yard line.</p><p>With the new touchback rule putting the ball at the 35-yard line, the Jaguars — and perhaps the Cowboys with Brandon Aubrey — only need 12 yards to be in field-goal range.</p><h2><b>NFL needs to change its rules for FG scoring</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jacksonville-Jaguars-PK-Cam-Little.jpg"><figcaption>© Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>OK, it’s obvious that teams still want to score touchdowns. The real goal of football is not getting close and kicking the ball over the heads of the defenders. Teams want touchdowns. Players want touchdowns. And six-point plays are definitely what the fans want to see. Many NFL fans would likely feel ripped off if the final score was 9-6 with no touchdowns.</p><p>But if the situation allows a team to score three points instead of punting, why not?</p><p>Of course, teams aren’t going to try these ultra-long kicks at just any point in the game. It usually comes at the end of the half or the game.</p><p>But think about this fairly common scenario. A team scores a touchdown, kicks the extra point, and takes a one-point lead with say, 10 seconds remaining on the clock. In the old days, it was game over.</p><p>These days, the scoring team might still lose. If the return gets back to near the 30-yard line, or if there is a touchback, the trailing team needs just one fairly short completion to be in long field goal range.</p><p>Who really wants to see this? Kickers already hold way more sway over the outcome of a truly physical game than they should. Teams battle and fight like warriors only to watch some guy — who kicked into a net all game — trot onto the field and get treated like a hero. Or perhaps a goat.</p><p>Furthermore, it’s becoming increasingly easy to make field goals from long distances. Kickers are connecting from 50-plus-yard attempts like it’s nothing. Even non-elite kickers are nailing long shots.</p><p>To show the level of ridiculousness, Houston Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn made an NFL record 13 kicks from 50-plus yards. I’m sorry, but what season-ticket holder for the Texans went into the season hoping to see that record get broken? It means the Texans’ offense failed over and over again when it got into the opponent’s territory.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/17/upshot/nfl-field-goal-kickers-records.html" rel="noopener">trend of trying longer kicks</a> has spiked upward over the past couple of decades, according to nytimes.com from November of last year, via nflfastR.</p><p>“Through the first 10 weeks of the season, there have been 153 attempts of at least 50 yards, compared with just 58 in the same period in 2004,” Ben Blatt wrote. “The frequency of shorter field goals has stayed about the same.”</p><p>Surfaces are better, kickers are stronger, and balls are sailing through the uprights.</p><p>Former NFL kicker Michael Husted, who now runs a kicking academy, said young kickers are learning more and getting better.</p><p>“People learn from watching other people kick a lot,” Husted said. “Kids come to my kicking camp who have learned everything off of YouTube.”</p><p>Statistics also show that NFL teams are attempting longer field goals, even outside of desperation situations late in each half.</p><h2><b>Why is this a big problem?</b></h2><p>It’s too much of a reward to edge past midfield and be in field-goal range. Yes, the risks of blocked kicks are higher. And misses mean the opponent gets great field position. But that may only mean the opponent goes three-and-out but gains enough yards to try its own long-range kick.</p><p>Long field goals aren’t the bread and butter of the NFL. And with the new kickoff rules where teams can start at the 35-yard line, they barely need one first down to get in field-goal range. Imagine a game where a team never crosses midfield, but wins the game on field goals. Yes, that’s far-fetched. But possible these days.</p><p>When teams previously started from the 20-yard line after a kickoff — and kickers usually had to be inside of 50 yards for coaches to pull the field-goal trigger — an offense had to gain almost 50 yards for a field goal attempt.</p><p>Kickers have helped offenses become less aggressive. Downfield passes may seem too risky if a 50-yard field goal is in the bag, depending on the game situation and score.</p><h2><b>So what is the NFL’s solution?</b></h2><p>Bear with me. The NFL has made this level of change before. Remember in 1974, the league moved the goalposts from the goal line to the back of the end zone.</p><p>Field goal attempts from 18-37 yards should count as three points as they do now. The reason for full value is that the offense would be rewarded for driving into the opponent’s Red Zone. You have to get to the opponent’s 20-yard line to attempt a three-point field goal under this rule change.</p><p>From 38-49 yards, field goals should count as only two points. The offense didn’t earn the right for a full three-point field goal and must settle for two.</p><p>Keeping things along the same lines, any field goal from 50-plus yards should only receive one point. Think about it. A team has 11 players who failed to move the football deep into the opponent’s territory. Why reward one guy trotting off the sideline with making up for the poor offensive performance?</p><p>Yes, it’s difficult to make a 70-yard field goal. Who cares? It’s difficult to connect on a 70-yard punt, but the offense gets no points for that. The punt is a white-flag surrender for offensive failure. So why is the field goal hailed as this magical game-saving moment?</p><h2><b>But what about the game-ending thrills?</b></h2><p>I’ll debate you on how exciting game-ending field goals are. Jim O’Brien, Adam Vinatieri, and Harrison Butker. That’s the list of game-winning Super Bowl field goals. So, who is remembered more? Vinatieri or Tom Brady? Butker or Patrick Mahomes?</p><p>Those kicks are a footnote, not great NFL moments. Give me Joe Montana to John Taylor any day of the week as a more exciting Super Bowl moment.</p><p>Plus, the endgame drama doesn’t go away. It simply changes.</p><p>For example, if a team needs three points to tie, it must reach the opponent’s 20-yard line to get a three-point kick. It becomes a strategy change, but it doesn’t lessen the excitement.</p><p>Also, think about this scenario. It’s fourth and a little over a yard for the Eagles at the Cowboys’ 21-yard line. There are 40 seconds left on the clock, and the Cowboys are out of timeouts. The Eagles trail, 30-28.</p><p>A Tush Push would give the Eagles a first down. They could run out the clock and kick the three-point field goal. Or they could settle for the tie with a two-point kick. But the Cowboys would have time to get back into field goal position. And a one-point kick would be a game-winner.</p><p>Same drama. The kickers are still involved. But it requires more effort for the offense, instead of using the field goal as a crutch when the unit fails.</p><p>Another possible selling point for this rule change is the possibility of an extra roster spot. If teams know they will be using kickers mainly for shorter field goals, they might be able to have their punter double up as the place-kicker.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why NFL must consider radical rule changes for field goals

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-travis-hunter-injury-status-week-1');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter’s initial injury status revealed before Week 1');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Travis-Hunter-5.jpg"><figcaption>Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union</figcaption></figure><h1>Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter’s initial injury status revealed before Week 1</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-03T18:48:08-07:00">September 3rd, 6:48pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-03T19:17:39-07:00">September 3rd, 7:17pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Jacksonville Jaguars</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>There is a different buzz around the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason after remaking some of the roster and a lot of the coaching staff and front office, most notably <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-liam-coens-big-changes-fix-trevor-lawrence">bringing in Liam Coen as the new head coach</a> after an excellent season as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/why-jacksonville-jaguars-are-biggest-winners-2025-nfl-draft-round-1">Jaguars also made a big move</a> to go up in the draft and get Coen a new weapon to utilize in the offense this year. Jacksonville moved up to No. 2 overall to draft Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter out of Colorado in hopes that he can come in and contribute on both sides of the ball at wide receiver and cornerback.</p><p>Unfortunately, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-travis-hunter-week-1-injury-update">Hunter has been dealing with an upper-body injury</a> during a lot of the preseason and played in just one preseason game as a result. However, he got a positive injury update on Wednesday and <a href="https://x.com/TomPelissero/status/1963370443919999367" rel="noopener">should be ready to go</a> for Jacksonville’s season opener on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.</p><p>“Jaguars WR/CB Travis Hunter, the No. 2 overall pick who missed time in recent weeks with an upper body injury, isn’t on the initial injury report and is on track to make his regular-season NFL debut Sunday vs. Carolina,” Pelissero reported on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>Hunter has been primarily playing wide receiver during training camp and the preseason when healthy and should give Trevor Lawrence a pair of elite weapons to work with on the outside. Brian Thomas Jr. had a breakout season a as rookie in 2024, and he and Hunter should immediately form one of the most explosive duos in football.</p><p>Hunter is also listed as a second-string cornerback on the Jaguars’ depth chart, so he should also see some snaps on that side of the ball when the season gets going on Sunday. Throughout his college career, Hunter showed that he can be one of the best players on the field on both sides of the ball and he will be hoping that those skills will translate to the pro level.</p><p>Hunter’s debut will be one of the most highly-anticipated in all of the NFL over the weekend, so all eyes will be on the two-way star to see how he makes his mark.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter’s initial injury status revealed before Week 1

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-jacksonville-official-travis-hunter-move-panthers-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jaguars make official Travis Hunter move days before Panthers game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jacksonville-Jaguars-wide-receiver-Travis-Hunter.jpg"><figcaption>Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union</figcaption></figure><h1>Jaguars make official Travis Hunter move days before Panthers game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-02T19:57:05-07:00">September 2nd, 7:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-02T19:57:05-07:00">September 2nd, 7:57pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Jacksonville Jaguars</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>One of the players who will be eagerly watched by many in Week 1 is Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter Jr. It’s part of the territory of being one of the highly touted newcomers, and the curiosity is even more so for Hunter since he’s a two-position standout in college.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/carolina-panthers/panthers-vs-jaguars-bold-predictions-week-1-2025-nfl-season">The Jaguars will open their season at home against the Carolina Panthers</a> on Sunday. EverBank Stadium is expected to be packed, with fans excited to see Hunter, who was drafted by Jacksonville as the second overall pick, in action.</p><p>According to NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Jaguars have listed the 22-year-old as a starting wide receiver and backup cornerback <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1963063492082082273" rel="noopener">in their depth chart</a> versus the Panthers.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">On Jacksonville’s Week 1 depth chart: <a href="https://t.co/8B7fUpTU0p">pic.twitter.com/8B7fUpTU0p</a></p><p>— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1963063492082082273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>That definitely bodes well for Hunter, who hasn’t been shy in expressing his desire to make an immediate impact for the Jaguars. While there will be heavy pressure, he has said he’s just happy to fulfill his lifelong dream to play in the NFL and he will make sure that he won’t take it for granted.</p><p>There have been concerns about how Hunter can adjust to the heightened physicality in the league following his stellar run at Colorado. His speed and athleticism, however, could help him produce numbers.</p><p>On offense, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-liam-coens-big-changes-fix-trevor-lawrence">he will play alongside Trevor Lawrence</a>, Dyami Brown, Brian Thomas Jr., and Travis Etienne Jr., among others. If he sees any action on defense, he will likely spell Jarrian Jones.</p><p>Fans are hoping that Hunter could be the game-changer for the Jaguars, who have only made the playoffs once in the last seven seasons.</p><p>The Heisman Trophy winner suffered an upper-body injury late in training camp. Jaguars coach Liam Coen <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/article/liam-coen-weighs-travis-hunters-173333667.html" rel="noopener">remained even-keeled</a> when asked on Monday about Hunter’s readiness for Week 1.</p><p>“We’re still working through it right now. He obviously missed a lot of time that can impact playing anybody, especially a rookie who misses quite a bit of time. So what that usage looks like, we’re still working through,” said<br>Coen in a report from Jaguars Wire’s Paul Bretl.</p><p>No player from the Jaguars has ever won a Rookie of the Year nod.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jaguars make official Travis Hunter move days before Panthers game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/carolina-panthers/panthers-vs-jaguars-bold-predictions-week-1-2025-nfl-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Panthers vs. Jaguars bold predictions for Week 1 of 2025 NFL season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Panthers-vs-Jaguars-bold-predictions-for-Week-1-of-2025-NFL-season.jpg"></figure><h1>Panthers vs. Jaguars bold predictions for Week 1 of 2025 NFL season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-01T18:08:47-07:00">September 1st, 6:08pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-01T18:11:23-07:00">September 1st, 6:11pm</time><address><a href="https://matthew516sports.substack.com/">Douglas Fritz</a>Douglas Fritz has been writing about sports for almost four decades and publishes a Christian sports newsletter and podcast on Substack at Matthew516Sports. He started as a reporter for the student newspaper at East Tennessee State University, worked his way up to Editor-In-Chief, and began his sports writing career at the Johnson City Press daily newspaper while still in college. During 30-plus years at the Press, he covered University of Tennessee football, men's and women's basketball, ETSU athletics, and high school athletics. Among the people he has interviewed are Dale Murphy, Bobby Cox, John Smoltz, and Bruce Smith. He is also a Christian-based screenwriter (five feature-length and one short), book writer (three completed manuscripts and one novel), and songwriter.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Carolina Panthers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/carolina-panthers/3-panthers-bold-predictions-for-2025-nfl-season">Carolina Panthers enter the season with higher hopes</a> than last year, while the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-editorials/3-jaguars-bold-predictions-2025-nfl-season">Jacksonville Jaguars could be a sleeper</a>. They meet in Week 1, and here are the Panthers-Jaguars bold predictions for the opener of the 2025 NFL season.</p><p>Looking to improve on last year’s dud of a 5-12 season, the Panthers hope to be much better on offense early in the season. Meanwhile, the Jaguars are hoping they don’t tank like last year’s 4-13 finish.</p><p>It should be a very interesting contest with a pair of impressive rookie receivers on the field.</p><h2><b>Panthers QB Bryce Young will throw for 280-plus yards</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Carolina-Panthers-QB-Bryce-Young.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Look for the Panthers to be aggressive on offense, and for Young to find throwing lanes. The yardage prediction is a little shy, but Pro Football Network believes Young is <a href="https://www.profootballnetwork.com/fantasy-football/nfl-waiver-wire-qb-week-1-2025/" rel="noopener">positioned to do well</a> in Week 1.</p><p>“Young steps into Week 1 with a revamped offense, headlined by first-round WR Tetairoa McMillan,” Jason Katz wrote. “After a rookie season lost to offensive dysfunction, Young improved considerably as a sophomore. He could be poised for a third-year leap.</p><p>“Young will be asked to throw more, run more, and take advantage of soft defenses much like the one he faces in Week 1. It’s very easy to see Young throw for 200-plus yards and two touchdowns against the Jacksonville Jaguars.”</p><p>Young should bounce back in 2025, thanks in part to the way he handled <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/dave-canales-bryce-young-disagreed-with-me-benching-him-earned-respect-with-his-response" rel="noopener">last year’s benching</a>, according to NBC Sports.</p><p>“He continued to lead throughout that process,” Canales said. “He earned a lot of respect from his teammates, from me. That, regardless of the situation — he didn’t agree with me on the decision not to play him — but he worked and he kept leading. He was showing me, ‘This is my team.’ And he was showing his teammates, ‘You’re my guys.’</p><p>“He came back in and we started to grow together, and then building into that into the offseason, the leadership continued,” Young said. “That was the most impressive part to me. It’s a real challenge. We’ve seen different situations, different scenarios on teams where a top pick is struggling and can get isolated from teammates. He just stepped up.”</p><h2><b>Jaguars WR Travis Hunter will catch a 50-plus-yard TD</b></h2><p>It may wind up being his only big play of the game. And he may not add a lot of yardage around it. But look for Hunter to find a seam, make a catch, and go the distance.</p><p>The Jaguars are trying to fit things around Hunter and give him a chance to make <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/46096920/jacksonville-jaguars-quarterback-trevor-lawrence-travis-hunter-coach-liam-coen" rel="noopener">some splash plays</a>, according to ESPN.</p><p>“It’s super organized,” Hunter said. “Me and Coach [Liam Coen] go over it pretty much every week, and they send me a picture. And I get a piece of paper to keep in my locker so I know exactly where I have to be and when I need to be there.”</p><p>The Jaguars brought Hunter along slowly, perhaps too slowly at times.</p><p>“We saw there was a span where maybe he practiced on offense,” Coen said. “Let’s call it a Thursday because we didn’t do anything on the Fridays. And then he had Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and then Monday, he was on defense. That’s four days without doing anything on offense. Well, we learned that it was too long. That’s too long to kind of go without doing anything on maybe the other side of the ball. So we learned something there.”</p><h2><b>Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan will score a TD</b></h2><p>Make that another rookie splash for this game. However, McMillan’s touchdown will likely come in the Red Zone. Most likely, he will be the recipient of a goal-line fade from Young. That could actually be a fairly common sight for the Panthers this season.</p><p>Panthers head coach Dave Canales <a href="https://www.nfl.com/news/panthers-coach-dave-canales-rookie-wr-tetairoa-mcmillan-s-preseason-debut-a-sign-of-good-things" rel="noopener">is high on</a> McMillan, according to NFL.com.</p><p>“That’s what we’re counting on,” Canales said via team transcript. “That’s why he’s here. Stretch the field, play big, and that was a sign of good things.”</p><h2><b>Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. will go for 100-plus receiving yards</b></h2><p>It should be a good second-year debut for Thomas, who could wreck the Panthers’ secondary.</p><p>And it could be a weekly thing, according to NBC Sports and Rotoworld.</p><p>“Thomas has every chance to lead all receivers in fantasy points this season,” Rotoworld staff wrote. “Coen’s offensive system should be a boon for everyone in the Jacksonville offense, including Thomas. Coen has said he’ll use Thomas across the formation, keeping opposing secondaries guessing as to how Thomas will be deployed against them. If Lawrence improves in Coen’s system, the sky is the limit for one of the most exciting wideouts in recent NFL history.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025 SEASON STATS
RECEPTIONS	RECEIVING YDS	TOUCHDOWNS	POSITION RANK
0	6	1	-

2025 SEASON STATS
RECEPTIONS	RECEIVING YDS	TOUCHDOWNS	POSITION RANK
0	6	1	-

Hunter
Long

2022 Projected vs Actual Pts

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