A Week 1 loss wasn’t what the Jacksonville Jaguars thought was in the cards for their matchup against the Washington Commanders. The defeat was marked by a fourth-quarter collapse at the hands of the Commanders’ defense, but several key playmakers kept Jacksonville in the game to the bitter end.
Newly acquired receiver Christian Kirk and third-year running back James Robinson both had shining season debuts in the loss, leading the Jaguars in receiving and rushing.
Kirk spoke about his first game with the Jaguars in a press conference on Monday. When asked for his assessment of Robinson’s performance against Washington, Kirk was exceptionally gracious in his analysis.
“Definitely impressive,” Kirk said of what he saw from Robinson. “He’s definitely an all-around back, and it’s been really cool. When I got here in the spring, seeing him still early on in his development of recovering from the injury and just how far he’s come and just being patient and waiting for his opportunities. For him to be able to get out there and play the way he did was super impressive and, like you said, he has it all, so, I’m really excited for him, and he’s definitely going to be somebody we’re going to lean on throughout the year.”
With the advent of the Travis Etienne era on offense in 2022, Robinson’s role in the offense was unclear heading into the regular season. A serious injury last year kept Robinson from competing in the Jaguars’ August preseason contests, so his true status was unknown until the breakout game against Washington.
If Kirk’s comments are any indication, Robinson is back to old form and could be in for a career season as the lead back in Jacksonville. They’ll need every member of the offense to play to their full potential against the Colts in Week 2, including Kirk and Robinson, who should be able to duplicate the exceptional performances in the season opener.
