Carolina Panthers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Full Jacksonville Game Preview

The Jacksonville Jaguars will finally begin their regular season this Sunday, hosting the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Field. The wait for the opener has been agonizing, with everyone in the Jaguars community excited to see how the team will fair in 2015.

That starts with an interesting matchup against the Panthers. The Panthers and Jaguars have important a history, most notably during the mid-to-late '90s when both franchises were in their earliest days.

The last time the Panthers and Jaguars faced off—in 2011—the Panthers got the 16-10 victory, although there has since been plenty of change on both sides. This will be a relatively unfamiliar opponent for the Jaguars, and the Panthers can say the same.

It's crucial for any team to get off to a good start in Week 1, and this is especially true for the Jaguars. The rest of September's schedule will be brutal, but securing an opening win could build confidence and be important later on in the season.

Location: EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

Time: 1 p.m. ET

TV: FOX (national and local)

Preseason Week 4 Results and Recap

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

The Jaguars were able to cap off the preseason with a 17-16 win over the Washington Redskins. While nearly all of the starters sat on the bench, the result was a good testament to the depth of the squad and the potential of some of the younger players.

Most notable of these young players is running back Corey Grant out of Auburn. Grant has been poised to make a big statement all offseason, and it came in the form of a 40-yard burst to the end zone for a score.

The performance against the Redskins doesn't tell us too much about how the first string will do against the Panthers, but one player who played last Thursday and will be an important factor this Sunday is new kicker Jason Myers.

Myers made one of his two field goal attempts, as well as knocking down his two extra-point attempts. Sunday will be Myers' first NFL regular-season game, and he'll need to take positives from last week to make sure he's prepared for the big time.

It may not mean much in the long run, but having a positive atmosphere after last week's preseason win could be the momentum boost the Jaguars need going into this Sunday.

News and Notes

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Some of the major news coming out of the Jaguars HQ at the moment focuses on the secondary: Safety Johnathan Cyprien looks ready to play this Sunday, as reported by Jaguars.com's John Oehser.

Cyprien will play with a device protecting his injured finger, and while that may be a little bit more difficult to snag an interception, it doesn't seem like Cyprien minds. 

"It’s going to be fun—I’m going to be making a lot of big hits,” Cyprien said. “I stayed back and practiced catching. I got [an interception] today, so practice makes perfect.”

Should the extra time spent working on adapting to his hand situation translate to turnovers, the Jaguars could be in for a strong comeback from the starting strong safety.

The other big news coming out of the secondary is that corner Dwayne Gratz will be taking over the No. 3 CB job for Week 1, per Oehser. Gratz had been behind CB Demetrius McCray, but the Jaguars decided Thursday to make the switch.

Getting the No. 3 job is a big step for Gratz, and he'll need to make the most of it. McCray didn't impress in the final preseason game, but he'll be looking to regain his spot as quickly as possible. The competition never stops for the Jaguars.

Finally, a note worth looking at is defensive lineman Tyson Alualu starting at the "3-tech" position, usually held by the doubtful-to-play Sen'Derrick Marks. His performance Sunday will be vital, but he also will see time as the Jaguars lone fullback, continuing to prove how versatile of a player he is.

Head coach Gus Bradley had plenty of praise for the six-year veteran's versatility.

"He can play six-technique, four-technique, three-technique and to have that versatility especially when you’re going to rotate the number of players we’re going to be is extremely important," Bradley said, per Oehser. "He has the trust of everybody around him. That’s something that we don’t take lightly.”

It's not often a player plays on both sides of the ball, but it's apparent that Alualu isn't the average player, either.

Latest Injury News

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The Jaguars have done well to not catch a major injury bug like some other NFL teams, but they will still be without a few key players. It happens to every team, but the situation could be much worse for the Jaguars. 

Player	Position	Injury
Julius Thomas	TE	Hand
Sen'Derrick Marks	DT	Knee
Andre Branch	DE	Knee
LaRoy Reynolds	LB	Knee
Johnathan Cyprien	SS	Finger
Toby Gerhart	RB	Abdomen
Marqise Lee	WR	Hamstring
Michael Bennett	DT	Ankle
Bryan Walters	WR	Hamstring

Thomas and Branch are definitely out for this week, with both recovering from their respective injuries. There's no exact date for either's recovery, but the sooner, the better for two important members of the Jaguars.

Marks was trying to make it back in time for this Sunday's game, but that seems unlikely. There's no need to push a player to play, especially when one is coming back from an ACL injury like Marks is.

The only other uncertain players are Lee and Reynolds, but everyone else on the list is likely to be available. The Jaguars can get by without Reynolds, but having Lee would provide quarterback Blake Bortles with another solid weapon.

Key Matchups

Chris Keane/Associated Press

Allen Robinson and the WRs vs. Panthers Secondary

Allen Robinson and the rest of the wide receivers didn't exactly impress in the preseason. There were drops and miscommunication; that Bortles didn't throw a single interception is a miracle.

However, the WRs, as well as the tight ends, have a prime opportunity to put it behind them. The Panthers secondary may not be at 100 percent with injuries to cornerbacks Josh Norman and Teddy Williams. 

The Jaguars' WRs need to take advantage of the Panthers injury situation, especially if Bortles performs the way he did in the preseason. 

Offensive Line vs. Panthers Pass Rush

Defensive tackle Kony Ealy has impressed this preseason and doesn't look to be showing any signs of stopping. With veteran playmaker Charles Johnson on the other side and potentially Star Lotulelei on the inside, the offensive line will have a tough challenge. 

Lotulelei is coming back from foot surgery, but if he plays, it will be an interesting test for the interior. Between guards Brandon Linder and Zane Beadles and center Stefen Wisniewski, the Jaguars should be fine, but it won't be a cakewalk.

Tackles Jermey Parnell and Luke Joeckel will have to be on top of their game against Ealy and Johnson, respectively. Both are ferocious pass-rushers, and the Panthers will look to make up for a lacking secondary with a direct pass rush.

Matchup X-Factor

John Raoux/Associated Press

Parnell will be the Jaguars' X-factor this week, and they'll need him to perform up to the standard he was setting last year with the Dallas Cowboys. The free-agent signing has lots of talent but not a lot of regular-season experience.

However, the performances he put in the regular season and the playoffs were incredible, and the Jaguars did a good job to sign him.

Parnell will be lining up against Johnson for the most part, who is an established and successful veteran. Parnell will be crucial to Bortles' safety, and he'll need to boss Johnson when the Jaguars go to run the ball.

Parnell's opening game will be a good test to see exactly how good he is. He's looked up to snuff in the preseason, but now it's time to deliver against a tough, experienced opponent.

Prediction: Jaguars 20, Panthers 14

Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press

It seems like it's been forever since the Jaguars got a Week 1 win (it was 2011, a 16-14 win over the Tennessee Titans), but it seems like they'll put an end to that awful streak this Sunday.

The Panthers' top wide receiver, Kelvin Benjamin, suffered an unfortunate ACL tear and is out for the season, and the lack of their biggest weapon could mean a season-long offensive stall. Receivers Ted Ginn Jr. and Philly Brown are quick, but the Panthers don't have another playmaker like Benjamin.

The Jaguars offense should see success. An improved offensive line should open up holes for running backs T.J. Yeldon and Denard Robinson and also get time for Bortles to throw. 

It will require a collective effort from the Jaguars to secure victory, including a solid showing from Myers. But the team has shown that it can put together a complete performance this preseason, and its improvement should be enough to secure a win.

Final score: Panthers 14, Jaguars 20.

Injury information courtesy of CBSSports.com and Jaguars.com.