JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser examines the first quarter – Weeks 1-5 – of the Jaguars' 2025 AFC South Championship season:

Week 1: Jaguars 26, Carolina Panthers 10

• Site: EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville
• What happened: Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence completed 19 of 31 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown with one interception, with other major Jaguars storylines of the day a dominant running game and a defense that forced key turnovers at key times. The Jaguars (1-0) rushed for 202 yards, with running back Travis Etienne Jr. rushing for 143 yards on 16 carries. Two of the Jaguars' three takeaways came in the first half, after which they led 20-3.
• Key play: Etienne's 71-yard run, a play that set up a 7-yard run by wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. that gave the Jaguars a 17-3 lead with 1:50 remaining in the second quarter.
• Notable: The game was delayed by lightning 66 minutes with 8:32 remaining in the second quarter and the Jaguars leading, 10-3.
• Quoting Lawrence: "It felt great. It's fun being back out there. It was great. It was fun. Fun to get a one win, man. That was awesome."
• Quoting cornerback Jourdan Lewis: "One and oh always feels good, winning in this league. It was a really good win for us, for all sides of the ball. Special teams, offense and defense. We played complementary football, and got a really good win."
• Tracking the South: Indianapolis Colts (1-0), Jaguars (1-0), Houston Texans (0-1), Tennessee Titans (0-1).

Week 2: Cincinnati Bengals 31, Jaguars 27

• Site: Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.
• What happened: Lawrence threw three touchdowns with two interceptions, and the Jaguars ran strong, but the Bengals rallied late. Bengals backup quarterback Jake Browning's 1-yard sneak with :18 remaining capped a 15-play, 92-yard drive and gave Cincinnati its only lead of the game. Lawrence completed 25 of 43 passes for 294 yards, and the Jaguars rushed for 139 yards as a team while forcing three turnovers defensively for a second consecutive week.
• Key play: A 25-yard pass interference penalty on Jaguars rookie cornerback Travis Hunter covering wide receiver Andre Iosavis on fourth-and-5 from the Bengals 33-yard line gave the Bengals a first down on the Jaguars 42 with 1:49 remaining. Browning scored seven plays later.
• Quoting Lawrence: "For us, it's just learning how to close out these games and to make the plays down the stretch, The guys played hard. We just didn't get it done today. We have to learn from it, watch the tape and get better."
• Quoting Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd: "Everybody's looking determinedly at what we could have done better. This locker room is definitely together. Everybody is on the same page. We just have to find a way to win these games."
• Tracking the South: Indianapolis Colts (2-0), Jaguars (1-1), Houston Texans (0-2), Tennessee Titans (0-2).

Week 3: Jaguars 17, Houston Texans 10

Site: EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville

What happened: Thomas Jr.'s long catch-and-run reception on a pretty pass from Lawrence set up the game-winning score and the Jaguars' defense made the key late stop. Safety Antonio Johnson intercepted Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud at the Jaguars 4 with :20 remaining to end the game, with defensive end Josh Hines-Allen pressuring Stroud into a wobbling pass. The Jaguars forced three turnovers for a third consecutive game.

Key play: With 2:00 remaining and the score tied 10-10, Lawrence on first-and-10 from the Jaguars 44 checked out of a run play, then hit Thomas crossing over the middle. Thomas, after struggling with drops earlier in the game, caught the pass on the run and turned the play into a 46-yard gain to the Texans 10. "I just had to keep fighting," Thomas said. "My teammates had my back the whole game. Everything is not going to go your way the whole time. You keep fighting, and that's what happens when you keep fighting."

Notable: The victory was the first for the Jaguars over the Texans in Jacksonville since 2017. The Texans swept the Jaguars in 2024.

Quoting defensive end Josh Hines-Allen: "We knew this was going to be a 'take-it' game. We battled our butts off today. We knew we were going to have to take it."

Quoting Lawrence: "It means a lot. I don't think it's a secret that we don't like each other. It was a fun game for us to find a way to do it. It felt good."

Tracking the South: Indianapolis Colts (3-0), Jaguars (2-1), Houston Texans (0-3), Tennessee Titans (0-3).

Week 4: Jaguars 26, San Francisco 49ers 21

• Site: Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
• What happened: The Jaguars used a turnover-centric defense and a huge play from the special teams to beat the previously unbeaten 49ers and win on the road against the historic franchise for the first time in Jaguars history. Lawrence threw a touchdown pass without an interception and Etienne rushed for 124 yards and a key early touchdown. Lloyd intercepted 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy twice and the Jaguars – who entered the game with an NFL-best nine takeaways – forced four more turnovers.
• Key play: Wide receiver Parker Washington returned a third-quarter punt 87 yards, weaving through the coverage to give the Jaguars a 26-14 lead with 2:22 remaining in the third quarter. "He stuck his foot in the ground and got vertical," Head Coach Liam Coen said.
• Notable: The victory marked the Jaguars' first road victory against the 49ers in three meetings.
• Quoting Lawrence: "It's a great start for us. There's going to be adversity and ups and downs. The way we've handled them has been awesome. The team's really coming together, getting behind each other and playing complementary football. It was a full effort game by everyone."
• Quoting Coen: "Even when negative things start to occur and we stalled on offense in ways, the defense makes a play. Boom. Then the punt return for a touchdown. These guys keep having each other's backs. I think that's what's pretty cool after four weeks."
• Tracking the South: Indianapolis Colts (3-1), Jaguars (3-1), Houston Texans (1-3), Tennessee Titans (0-4).

Week 5: Jaguars 31, Kansas City Chiefs 28

• Site: EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville
• What happened: Lawrence ran for two touchdowns – including the game-winner with :23 remaining – and threw for another as the Jaguars overcame a 14-point first-half deficit for a dramatic victory over the three-time defending AFC Champions on Monday Night Football. Lawrence's 1-yard, tackle-breaking run on a play on which he had been stepped on and fell gave the Jaguars the lead, capping a seven-play, 60-yard drive.
• Key play: Lloyd intercepted Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes at the 1-yard line and returning the interception 99 yards for a touchdown that gave the Jaguars a 21-14 lead with 2:19 remaining in the third quarter. "I picked up a couple of blocks, which was really big," Lloyd said. "I don't know if I would have made it if I didn't get those." Coen called the play "another unbelievable play at a critical moment."
• Notable: The Jaguars won their third consecutive game and beat the Chiefs for the first time since 2009. They were tied for first place in the AFC South with the Indianapolis Colts after the game and were 4-1 for the first time since 2017.
• Quoting Lawrence: "What a crazy finish. It's a big win. They're a good team. They've been a good team for a long time. They're hard to beat. They're always in it and they always seem to make the plays. It was cool for us to go take and go win it at the end."
• Quoting Coen: "The resiliency is what this team has and has continued to show."
• Tracking the South: Indianapolis Colts (4-1), Jaguars (4-1), Houston Texans (2-3), Tennessee Titans (1-4).