JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser examines five key plays – including a would-be NFL record for kicker Cam Little – in the Jaguars' 31-25 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a 2025 Preseason Week 1 game at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville Saturday
1. Seeeeeeee-veeeeenty yards.
Most preseason plays and games are quickly forgotten. Saturday's final play of the first half could and should linger in the memory for a while, with Jaguars second-year kicker Cam Little converting the longest field goal in NFL history when from 70 yards seconds after the EverBank Stadium clock turned to 0:00 at halftime.
"I don't know how much further I can kick it," Little said with a smile afterward. "I haven't even seen the kick. I watched the beginning of it, went and showered and now I'm here. It felt really good."
Little, who had converted at least one field goal from 65 yards in pre-game warmups, kicked toward the pool decks of the North End Zone on the play, which came on third-and-seven from the Jaguars 48-yard line with :01 remaining. The kick from punter Logan Cooke's hold was low and twisted easily over the cross bar – and likely would have been good from 72 or 73 yards. Former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker holds the NFL record for longest field goal: 66 yards.
"Cam looked at me and was like, 'Yeah, I want it,''' Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen said. "[We] gave it a go and, yeah, that was pretty cool to see."
2. Fourth-and-go.
This wasn't a spectacular play, exactly, but an early fourth-down play was an aggressive play – and it allowed the Jaguars to have a solid, extended drive on the game's first possession. This was the first possession for the Jaguars under Coen, who made an aggressive decision to call a reverse to wide receiver Dyami Brown on fourth-and-1 from the Jaguars 42. Brown turned the play into a seven-yard gain, which kept alive what became a 12-play, 44-yard drive that ended when Little's 41-yard field goal gave the Jaguars a 3-0 lead with 7:51 remaining in the first quarter. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence completed six of seven passes for 43 yards and was accurate on the lone incompletion. The first-team offense overall was steady on the drive. A solid start for Coen's offensive scheme with the Jaguars.
3. Quick strike.
The Jaguars' first touchdown of the game and first (unofficial) touchdown of the Coen era came early in the third quarter, giving the Jaguars their first lead since the first quarter. Backup quarterback Nick Mullens capped a three-play, 44-yard drive with an 11-yard slant to veteran wide receiver Trenton Irwin. The play gave the Jaguars a 15-14 lead with 11:21 remaining in the third quarter. Mullens, a seven-year veteran who signed with the Jaguars as an unrestricted free agent in March, completed 11 of 18 passes for 89 yards and a touchdown Saturday.
4. Cephus … again.
The Jaguars' starters played just one series Saturday – and one of the standout players of 2025 Training Camp made a key play offensively on their next series. First-year wide receiver Joshua Cephus, who has made repeated long receptions throughout '25 camp, got open between the Steelers' cornerback and safety on third-and-13 from the 50-yard line for an 18-yard reception on a pass from Mullens. The play came on the final play of the first quarter and led to a 36-yard, 12-play drive that ended with a 40-yard field goal by Little to cut the Steelers' lead to 7-6 with 12:19 remaining in the second quarter. The Jaguars at that point had 101 yards and six first downs on two offensive series.
5. Big play late.
Saturday's preseason opener didn't feature a slew of big plays for the Jaguars offense, but two players who have shown up consistently in '25 camp turned in big plays. One of those players was collegiate free agent rookie Eli Pancol, who followed up a strong start to camp with a 27-yard reception from veteran reserve quarterback John Wolford in the fourth quarter Saturday.
That play was part of a seven-play, 74-yard drive that ended with another memorable play by another rookie – an eight-yard run by running back Bhayshul Tuten on which Tuten and the offensive line collectively pushed into the end zone to make it 24-22, Steelers, with 11:02 remaining.
"We practice like that," Tuten said. "We try to have that swagger, play aggressive and fight to the end and play until the whistle blows. I kept my feet moving and the big guys pushed me in. That's the kind of energy we need all the time. Seeing that little glimpse, I'm excited for the season."
