The Jacksonville Jaguars suffered their first defeat of the 2026 preseason on Friday night, falling 34-17 to the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium.
The Jaguars committed nine penalties for 60 yards in the first half alone, and gave the ball away twice during the game. This included Carter Bradley's second-quarter interception, which proved particularly costly. The Panthers turned the short field into a touchdown, with A.J. Dillon's seven-yard run making it 17-3.
Jacksonville's run defense was another major problem. The Panthers' starting offense had little trouble moving the ball on the ground, and Jacksonville surrendered 7.1 yards per carry on 13 rushing attempts in the first half. By the end of the night, the Panthers were averaging 5.3 yards per carry.
The offense couldn't turn early promise into touchdowns. Nick Mullens completed six of his seven passes for 65 yards on the opening possession, but the Jaguars repeatedly settled for field goals rather than touchdowns. Cam Little was excellent, going three-for-three on field-goal attempts, but Jacksonville only scored on three of their first seven drives.
Rookie Joey Aguilar provided a much-needed spark in the second half, completing nine of 10 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. However, by then Carolina had built a 27-6 lead. The performance of the rookie receivers was a positive — Josh Cameron and C.J. Williams both showed promise — but the offense simply didn't produce enough when it mattered.
This isn't a result Jaguars fans should be overly concerned about. Trevor Lawrence, Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers, Travis Hunter, Brenton Strange, and the vast majority of Jacksonville's established starters didn't play. The offensive line was essentially a third-string unit, too, as the Jaguars continue to take a cautious approach following a series of injuries.
For the players fighting for the final roster spots, this was a missed opportunity. Too many penalties, an inconsistent run defense, and an inability to turn promising drives into touchdowns allowed Carolina to pull away — and Jacksonville will need considerably better from its depth before the regular season arrives. The Jaguars will have to regroup and refocus for their next preseason matchup.
Source: Yahoo Sports
