Carolina Panthers vs Jacksonville Jaguars Prediction & Picks - NFL

Prediction published on 9/7/25, 9:53 AM  by Erik Gibbs | Modified on 9/7/25 at 2:00 PM in NFL Picks

The Jacksonville Jaguars play the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The Jaguars head into this situation still searching for stability following a disappointing season a year ago. Jacksonville was unable at times to gather momentum, not uncommonly fading at the beginning of games and failing to finish drives. Jacksonville finished near the bottom of the league in score and was in a comeback situation more often than they preferred.

The defense, meanwhile, was at times disruptive but gave up too many large plays, specifically on third-and-long down-and-distances on which they should have been done. An inability to finish shutting down series kept them on the losing side of time-of-possession battles more weeks than not.

The Panthers fared no better. Their defense scored in bunches, but they were tied for one of the poorest in the league, and they were out of rhythm on offense for most of the year. They continued to fall behind early, and they were stuck without the rushing attack and reliant on an inexperienced receiving corps that wasn't quite suited for the job.

Carolina did show slow improvement late in the year, particularly with ball control, as the offensive line started to more consistently open holes for running. In pre-season play, there have been glimpses of better balance, yet defense is questionable against the spread offenses and shots downfield.