Week 1 Awards from the Jaguars' win over the Panthers

Welcome to Weekly Awards!

To shine a light on individual performances, this column will break down the Jaguars’ top players in various categories after every game.

Here are the award winners from Week 1.

Most Valuable Player of Week 1: Foye Oluokun

Oluokun entered the season with the third-most tackles of any player since he entered the league in 2018, and the perennially underrated defender could be in the midst of a late-career breakout campaign.

He led the team with 10 tackles and had 1 quarterback pressure in Week 1. More critically, he was involved in 2 of Jacksonville's 3 forced turnovers on the day.

Oluokun caused the Panthers to lose 9.61 expected points. That's the best figure among linebackers and the third-best figure among all defenders in Week 1 (pending MNF results), per SūmerSports.

Similarly, his 92.5 PFF grade ranks first among linebackers and third among all defenders.

During training camp in late July, Oluokun said he was excited to play in the new scheme under defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile.

“There’s a lot of opportunity for me, getting my eyes back to the ball. Kind of what I grew up in a little bit in my first three years in Atlanta, where I felt like more of a playmaker. I had some good years there. Trusting what my boys now know to do so I can really trust my breaks on the ball and go get the ball ... It’s really cool for me. I like it.”

After Sunday's win, he said the new coaching staff "gave me the opportunity to have my eyes back more on the ball, maybe breaking up, not having to run all over the place with wheel routes and stuff. It's really trusting the rush, making the right break angles, and then when the ball does present itself, kind of how the coaching staff harps on getting the ball, let's all go attack the ball. It's a good start for us."

Oluokun has been among the most valuable players on the team since he signed with Jacksonville in 2023, especially considering his locker room impact. He's been named a team captain in three straight seasons under three different defensive coordinators. Based on the results of the season opener, the Jaguars should have more continuity going forward.

Offensive Player of Week 1: Travis Etienne

Who else but the guy who racked up over 40% of Jacksonville's total yardage?

Etienne ran for 143 yards on Sunday, his second-best outing as a pro, and added 13 yards through the air. His 71-yard rush in the second quarter was the longest of his career.

Etienne described the 71-yarder after the game.

"I slowed down a little too much because I haven’t had a long run in forever, so I should have looked at the clock, the jumbotron to see where defenders were at. I kind of lost track of the backer ... I saw that I got to 20 miles per hour but clearly that’s not enough. I have to get in there Monday, get some 1080s, keep working on my speed because we can’t have that anymore. We have to finish those runs, man.

"With my little brother [Trevor Etienne] on the other sideline, I had a little extra motivation. Just kind of wanted to show him how to run the ball, show him how it’s done."

Derrick Henry was the only player with more rushing yards in Week 1, and Etienne ranks first in rushing yards over expected (69) and rushing yards over expected per attempt (4.31) to start the season, per Next Gen Stats.

"You could feel him all day," Liam Coen said after the game. "You definitely felt him being a little bit – having a little bit more burst maybe than other guys on the grass. He looked fresh. He looked fast. He took care of the football. Proud of him."

There was plenty of debate about the pecking order of Jacksonville's backfield during the offseason. Etienne put the discussion to bed, tucked it in, and kissed it goodnight on Sunday.

“You can’t control what you can’t control, so I knew when my number was called, I was ready and I was locked in. It just paid off because they kept calling my number, and as long as you keep calling my number, I’m going to keep on delivering. If you don’t call my number, I’m going to be there for my teammates."