JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Florida National News) – The Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2) lost to the Houston Texans (1-2) 37-17 at EverBank Stadium, after falling behind early and failing to catch up. WR Zay Jones and RB JaMycal Hasty were inactive today due to injuries.

K Brandon McManus missed a 48 yard field goal at the end of the Jaguars’ first possession of the game. The Texans scored the first points of the game with a one yard touchdown run from RB Dameon Pierce, followed by the extra point from K Ka’imi Fairbairn, to put Houston up 7-0, which remained the score at the end of the first quarter.

McManus had another 51 yard field goal attempt early in the second quarter which was blocked by Texans DE Will Anderson Jr. On the next drive, QB CJ Stroud completed a 4 yard touchdown pass to TE Brevin Jordan, followed by the extra point from Fairbairn, extending the Texans lead to 14-0. The Texans added a 28 yard Fairbairn field goal just before halftime, to put the Texans ahead 17-0.

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the halftime show was performed by the Venezuela Marka Foundation Dancers, and the ¡Somos Duuuval! signage could be found in various spots throughout the stadium, today.

Venezuela Marka Foundation Dancers performed at halftime. Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky (Florida National News)

On the first drive of the third quarter, RB Tank Bigsby scored with a 1 yard touchdown run, followed by an extra point from Brandon McManus, to narrow the deficit to 17-7. McManus added a 33 yard field goal later in the quarter, making it 17-10. But on McManus’ kickoff, Texans FB Andrew Beck returned the ball 85 yards for a touchdown, followed by Fairbairn’s extra point, putting the Texans up 24-10, which remained the score at the end of the third.

Early in the fourth quarter, Fairbairn added another 26 yard field goal, extending the Texans’ lead to 27-10. The Jaguars answered with a scoring drive culminating in a 26 yard QB Trevor Lawrence to WR Christian Kirk touchdown pass, followed by McManus’ extra point, to make it 27-17. But the Texans scored another touchdown on a 68 yard Stroud to WR Tank Dell pass, with Fairbairn’s extra point, putting them up 34-17. Another 33 yard Fairbairn field goal extended their lead to 37-17. Jaguars backup QB C.J. Beathard played the final drive for Jacksonville.

Trevor Lawrence finished with 279 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Travis Etienne Jr. led the Jaguars’ rushing with 88 yards. Evan Engram was the leading receiver with 67 yards.

QB Trevor Lawrence. Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky (Florida National News)

Today’s attendance was 61,466. The Jaguars will fly to London for the next two weeks. They’ll face the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley Stadium Sunday, 10/1, at 9:30 a.m. EST, and the Buffalo Bills at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Sunday, 10/8, at 9:30 a.m. After their European tour, the team will return to Jacksonville to face the Indianapolis Colts in a rematch of their week one game, which the Jags won 31-21. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m., Sunday, 10/15. Be sure to follow www.FloridaSportsChannel.com and www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Florida National News) – The Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) lost to the Kansas City Chiefs (1-1) in their first home game of the season at the newly renamed EverBank Stadium. The Jags also lost to the Chiefs in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs to end last season. Chiefs TE Travis Kelce returned to the field after missing week one with a knee injury. Jaguars RB JaMycal Hasty did not play today, as he was on the inactive list with an unspecified injury.

Trevor Lawrence. Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky (Florida National News)

On the first drive of the game, QB Trevor Lawrence surpassed 8,000 passing yards for his career. He’s currently in fifth place all-time in team history, behind Byron Leftwich’s 9,042 yards. The first scoring drive of the game ended with a 32 yard K Brandon McManus field goal a couple of minutes into the second quarter, putting the Jags up 3-0. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes had the first touchdown pass of the game, with a 9 yard completion to WR Skyy Moore, followed by a K Harrison Butker extra point, to put the Chiefs up 7-3 with just 27 seconds before halftime. The Jaguars made the most of the time remaining, setting up Brandon McManus to add a 49 yard field goal, narrowing their deficit to 7-6 at the half.

Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes. Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky (Florida National News)

In the third quarter, Patrick Mahomes found Travis Kelce in the end zone for a 9 yard touchdown pass. Harrison Butker added the extra point, to put the Chiefs ahead 14-6.

The Jaguars early 4th quarter scoring drive ended with a 22 yard Brandon McManus field goal, to make the score 14-9. Harrison Butker later added a 38 yard field goal putting the Chiefs up 17-9.

Trevor Lawrence finished with 216 yards but no touchdowns. Travis Etienne Jr. led the Jaguars’ rushing with 40 yards. Christian Kirk was the leading receiver with 110 yards.

Today’s attendance was 69,615. The Houston Texans will be in Jacksonville Sunday, 9/24, to face the Jags. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Be sure to follow www.FloridaSportsChannel.com and www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Florida National News) – As the Jaguars continue their preparations for their first preseason game Saturday, 8/12 at 5:00 p.m. in Dallas against the Cowboys, here’s an overview of what you need to know for the coming season.

WR Calvin Ridley will return to the field for the first time since October 24, 2021, when he was still with the Atlanta Falcons. The Jaguars’ addition of Ridley to the roster gives third year QB Trevor Lawrence another target. Ridley has shown great promise during preseason practices, and should quickly demonstrate his value to the team.

Familiar names on this year’s roster include WR Jamal Agnew, OLB Josh Allen, CB Tyson Campbell, S Andre Cisco, P Logan Cooke, TE Evan Engram, RB Travis Etienne Jr., RB JaMycal Hasty, CB Tre Herndon, S Rayshawn Jenkins, WR Zay Jones, WR Christian Kirk, LB Devin Lloyd, LB Foyesade Oluokun, and OLB Travon Walker. OL Cam Robinson also returns, but will miss the first four games of the season after the NFL suspended him for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy.

The Jaguars offseason moves include the signing of draft picks OT Anton Harrison (Oklahoma), TE Brenton Strange (Penn State), RB Tank Bigsby (Auburn), LB Ventrell Miller (Florida), DE Tyler Lacy (Oklahoma State), LB Yassir Abdullah (Louisville), S Antonio Johnson (Texas A&M), WR Parker Washington (Penn State), CB Christian Braswell (Rutgers), DB Erick Hallett II (Pittsburgh), OT Cooper Hodges (Appalachian State), DT Raymond Vohasek (North Carolina), and FB Derek Parish (Houston). S Latavious Brini (Arkansas) was not drafted, but impressed coaches in the rookie minicamp, and is now competing for a spot on the roster, or perhaps the practice squad. Other undrafted signees include OLB D.J. Coleman (Missouri), WR Elijah Cooks (San Jose State), WR Oliver Martin (Nebraska), TE Leonard Taylor (Cincinnati), CB Kaleb Hayes (BYU), CB Divaad Wilson (UCF), LB Dequan Jackson (Colorado State), and OL Samuel Jackson (UCF). OT Coy Cronk has been promoted from the practice squad to the active roster. The Jags also added free agents RB D’Ernest Johnson from the Cleveland Browns, DL Michael Dogbe from the Arizona Cardinals, DL Henry Mondeaux from the New York Giants, OL Chandler Brewer from the Los Angeles Rams, K Brandon McManus from the Denver Broncos, and OL Josh Wells, who returns to Jacksonville, where he played from 2014 to 2018, before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2019 until 2022. The Jaguars have also signed TE Sammis Reyes, who is the first player in the NFL from Chile, who also played basketball as a youth member with the Chilean national team. TE Josh Pederson played in the USFL last season, and has now joined the Jags to play for his father, Coach Doug Pederson.

Gone from the roster are RT Jawaan Taylor, who signed with Kansas City, DL Arden Key, who signed with Tennessee, TE Chris Manhertz, who signed with Denver, CB Shaquill Griffin, who signed with Houston, WR Marvin Jones, who signed with Detroit, TE Dan Arnold, who signed with Philadelphia, and K Riley Patterson, who was traded to Detroit. S Tyree Gillespie was released and has signed with Houston, WR Willie Johnson was waived due to a failed physical, and DT Corey Peters has announced he’s retiring after twelve years in the NFL.

The Miller Electric Center just opened its doors several weeks ago, and the Jaguars held their preseason practices on the new practice fields. This $120 Million, 125,000 square-foot facility features state of the art amenities, including locker rooms, training and medical facilities, concession stands, a team store, and fan viewing areas. For a look inside this impressive facility, click here: https://youtu.be/77Fc9zTA-Dw.

The Jags hope to improve upon last year’s performance, finishing 9-8 with a victory over the Tennessee Titans in the final game of the season. They went on to beat the Los Angeles Chargers in the wild card game, coming back from a 27 point deficit to win 31-30 thanks to a Riley Patterson walk-off field goal. But they lost the following week against the Kansas City Chiefs, who went on to win the Super Bowl. Many preseason polls predict a slightly better record for the 2023 season, and the Jaguars are currently the favorite to win the AFC South.

So while fans wait to return to EverBank Stadium (note the name change from last season’s TIAA Bank Field), be sure to practice your chants of “DUUUVAL,” and remember to add the hashtag #IWATJ to your social media posts. (“It was always the Jags.”) The Jaguars will also be playing two games across the Atlantic in London this season, on Sunday, 10/1 and 10/8. If you’re thinking about attending those games, you may want to start making your travel plans and searching online for tickets.

After the game in Dallas, this weekend, the Jaguars head to Detroit to play the Lions on Saturday, 8/19 at 1:00 p.m., before kicking off in Jacksonville against the Dolphins on Saturday, 8/26 at 7:00 p.m. for their final preseason game. The regular season schedule starts on the road in Indianapolis against the Colts on Sunday, 9/10 at 1:00 p.m. The Jaguars first home game will be against the world champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, 9/17 at 1:00 p.m. Stay tuned to Florida National News for more news throughout the season.