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Eric Christian Smith/Associated Press
If the results from Week 1 of the NFL season are a sign of things to come, the Jacksonville Jaguars could be back at the top of the NFL draft in April 2022.
Jacksonville was blown out on the road against the Houston Texans in a battle of what was expected to be two struggling AFC South sides.
Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, had some bright moments in the pocket, but he was also intercepted on three occasions.
The Jaguars and the Atlanta Falcons came out of Week 1 with the bleakest outlook for the new campaign. Atlanta may join Jacksonville in the fight for the top pick after it put up six points at home versus the Philadelphia Eagles.
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Adam Hunger/Associated Press
1. New England (0-1)
2. New York Giants (via Chicago) (0-1)
3. Buffalo (0-1)
4. Green Bay (0-1)
5. Detroit (0-1)
6. Atlanta (0-1)
7. Jacksonville (0-1)
8. New York Jets (0-1)
9. Philadelphia (via Indianapolis) (0-1)
10. Washington (0-1)
11. Dallas (0-1)
12. Tennessee (0-1)
13. New York Giants (0-1)
14. Cleveland (0-1)
15. Baltimore (0-0)
16. Las Vegas (0-0)
17. Tampa Bay (1-0)
18. New Orleans (1-0)
19. Minnesota (0-1)
20. Philadelphia (via Miami) (1-0)
21. Houston (1-0)
22. Cincinnati (1-0)
23. Philadelphia (1-0)
24. Carolina (1-0)
25. Pittsburgh (1-0)
26. Arizona (1-0)
27. Kansas City (1-0)
28. Detroit (via Los Angeles Rams) (1-0)
29. Denver (1-0)
30. New York Jets (via Seattle) (1-0)
31. Miami (via San Francisco) (1-0)
32. Los Angeles Chargers (1-0)
Draft order via Tankathon.com.
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Matt Patterson/Associated Press
Jacksonville has a lot to work on between now and its Week 2 matchup with the Denver Broncos.
Lawrence looked fine in the pocket, but he was not given enough time to work with there on most drives.
First-year head coach Urban Meyer put most of the offensive pressure on the rookie quarterback, who attempted 51 passes in his NFL debut.
Meyer provided little support for the No. 1 overall pick in the play-calling department. The Jaguars attempted 16 rushes. James Robinson, who was last season’s breakout star, received just five carries. Carlos Hyde carried the ball on nine occasions, while Lawrence and Laviska Shenault Jr. each had a single carry.
Defensively, the rushing attack was an issue as well. Houston ran for 160 yards as part of its 37-point onslaught. Twenty-seven of those points came in the first 30 minutes.
The good news for the Jaguars is they have three home games in the next four before heading to London to face the Miami Dolphins in Week 6.
The bad news is the team’s next two opponents, the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals, were two of the biggest surprises in Week 1.
If Jacksonville does not fix its play-calling situation and fails to tighten up its defense, Meyer and Lawrence could be leading one of the worst squads in the league.
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Todd Kirkland/Getty Images
The Falcons looked great on their opening drive of the season.
Atlanta used a 14-play, 72-yard drive to kick a field goal and take the lead against Philadelphia in the first quarter. After that, it struggled to find consistency in the offense under first-year head coach Arthur Smith.
The Falcons scored three more points in the game, and Calvin Ridley was shut down by the Philadelphia secondary after making three catches on the first drive.
Matt Ryan finished the game with 164 yards and Atlanta’s best strategy in the ground game was to hand the ball off to Cordarrelle Patterson, a converted wide receiver and return man who finished with 54 yards on seven carries.
Defensively, Atlanta was gashed for 434 total yards over 11 drives. Jalen Hurts went 27-for-35 with 261 passing yards and the Eagles’ rushing attack produced 173 yards.
Atlanta’s record could get worse before it gets better. It has to visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants in Weeks 2 and 3.
Additionally, the Falcons play five road games between Weeks 2 and 10, and one of their three home games in that span was moved from Atlanta to London in Week 5.
If the Falcons display the same dismal offense from Week 1 during that stretch, they could enter the second half of the season as one of the favorites to land the No. 1 pick next year.
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