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Everything went right, then everything went wrong. After building a 17-0 lead that the team carried into halftime, the Jaguars allowed 34 unanswered points in the second half to blow their early momentum and give the Eagles a 34-17 victory in Week 1.
The story of the first half was undrafted rookie wide receiver Allen Hurns, who scored touchdowns on each of his first two career receptions. The defense looked tremendous, rattling Nick Foles with five sacks and multiple pressures, that kept him uncomfortable and panicked for much of the game.
However, it all came to a grinding halt in the second half, as the Philadelphia offense began relying more on quick timing routes and a steady rushing attack to combat the Jaguars rush. Still, it was blown assignments by the Jaguars defense that gave the Eagles multiple wide open touchdown plays.
On offense, the Jaguars struggled to do anything once they weren't gifted with great field position from turnovers via the defense. After beginning the day with two early touchdowns and the efficiency that Gus Bradley raved about, Chad Henne turned back into a pumpkin and struggled to move the offense, especially on third down.
Three things we learned
1. Johnathan Cyprien is important: When the second-year safety nearly hauled in an interception in the second quarter, his impact with the ground appeared to knock him unconscious and he never returned to the game. In his place, Chris Prosinski took the majority of the snaps and the defense never looked the same. On the go-ahead touchdown for the Eagles, Prosinski bit hard on a play action fake, leaving Jeremy Maclin wide open for a long touchdown.
2. The pass rush can get the job done: While it's easy to point to negatives after a second half collapse like the one that happened on Sunday, the first half provided a lot of positives and the defensive line was one of them. Chris Clemons looks to be worth every penny and Andre Branch has continued to develop as a pass rusher. The group, as a whole, kept Nick Foles uncomfortable for the majority of the game.
3. Chad gon Chad: It's not much of a secret at this point. Chad Henne is exactly who Chad Henne is. He's a quarterback that will finish the year with as many touchdowns as interceptions and will give you strong play at times, and horrible incompetence for the rest. Gus Bradley and the Jaguars have to know what they're signing up for, and he delivered with a classic Henne performance. Was it all his fault? No. But he certainly wasn't helping.