JACKSONVILLE – This was as promised, which was as wanted.

The Jaguars didn't just start the 2025 regular season 1-0 with a victory this past Sunday, they did something almost as important. They played as they wanted to play. They were tough. They were physical.

Which meant a very good feeling moving forward.

"I definitely like the direction we're going," Dawuane Smoot said.

Smoot, a long-time Jaguars defensive end who re-signed with the team this past offseason, spoke to the media Monday – a day after a 26-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium in which the Jaguars rushed for 200 yards and controlled the game with strong performances by both lines.

"We established that toughness and now we have it to grow off of and kind of be more physical, more tough and continue to grow on that front," center Robert Hainsey said.

Head Coach Liam Coen spent the months since his January hiring emphasizing the need to be a strong running team, and to be tough and physical. It was a major priority.

"It definitely showed up," Coen said.

Smoot, who registered the Jaguars' lone sack Sunday, said the emphasis on physicality and toughness was every clearly about Coen and the coaching staff "creating a culture."

"This [2025 Jaguars Training] camp was one of the most physical camps I've had," Smoot said. "Our offense, they have a real mentality around running the ball this year. We have three great backs, and we got our five down [linemen] there ready to run anybody and everybody off the ball.

"That's just a culture we're trying to build here is to be as physical as we can and knowing and understanding how physical our offense is, we meet their energy as well too on the defense. We're coming down hill, too, as well. Iron sharpens iron at the end of the day.

"I feel like that's the culture we're trying to build."

NOTABLE

• Among players standing out Sunday: Brenton Strange, a second-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft entering his first season as the Jaguars' top tight end who Coen said "played his tail off." Strange caught four passes for 59 yards against the Panthers, including three for 49 in the first half, and continued to excel as a run blocker with a key block on a 71-yard second-quarter run by running back Travis Etienne Jr.

"He was physical in the run game, was explosive when he had the ball in his hands, made a couple good catches," Coen said. "He plays violently and he helps set the tone for our offense to be able to go and run the football whether you're running at the tight end or away from the tight end. He's physical and he finishes, he strains, everybody sees it and they all have kind of seen it all throughout this whole training camp is his physicality and playing the game the right way. So was really pleased with the way that he performed on Sunday and looked to continue to build off that."

Hainsey called Strange's blocking Sunday "unbelievable," adding: "That was a lot of fun to watch. Watching on film, that kid plays so hard – running game, pass game. He blocks his butt off. He's down the field catching balls. He's a real weapon for our team and I felt like I noticed that in camp a lot. Being new here, a lot of people knew what Brenton Strange was about, I did not and getting to see that yesterday live and in person. He's a weapon."

NOTABLE

• Smoot, a third-round selection by the Jaguars in the 2017 NFL Draft, re-signed with the Jaguars this past offseason after spending last season with the Buffalo Bills. He said "emotions" were high Sunday in his first game back in the stadium where he played home games in his first seven NFL seasons. "I was nervous being back," said Smoot, who had a tackle for a loss one play before a third-quarter sack on Panthers quarterback Bryce Young. "I make the first play and I heard that 'Smoot.' I was like, 'Oh yeah, I'm home.' And then after that, the next play came I was like, 'I got to hype them up, let him know I hear him as well, too.' It was just so great. I just thank Duval for embracing me with open arms."

QUOTABLE

• Smoot on second-year defensive tackle Maason Smith, who was among six inactive players for the Jaguars Sunday: "He's a contributor. At the end of the day, you can't keep Maason off the field. They're going to make it really hard on the coaching staff each and every week of who's going to be inactive, who's going to be up and I feel like they're going have to find a way to get Maason on the field, too."