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.”