MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – As Brian Thomas Jr. saw it, this wasn't unexpected.

The Jaguars' rookie wide receiver played well in his NFL debut. He scored a touchdown and created another. He mattered, and he produced.

"It wasn't anything special," he said.

Thomas, the No. 23 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, may not have thought so. But he turned in multiple memorable, special plays during the Jaguars’ 20-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins in the 2024 regular-season opener at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday.

"He played great," quarterback Trevor Lawrence said.

Thomas caught four passes for 47 yards Sunday, with his 14-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter giving the Jaguars a 14-0 lead. He also set up the Jaguars' first touchdown when he drew a 40-yard pass interference penalty in the end zone on Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

Running back Travis Etienne Jr.'s one yard run on the ensuing play gave the Jaguars a 7-0 lead.

"I thought he did some good things," Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson said of Thomas. "Game is not too big for him, and great touchdown catch obviously there in the first half and did some good things. Played tough and physical in the run game, as well."

Thomas displayed high-end body control on his second-quarter touchdown. He leaped for a high, touch pass from Lawrence – a perfectly-timed and thrown pass – and got both feet down in the end zone for his first NFL touchdown.

"That's just us trusting it and me trusting he's going to get there and him trusting I'm going to put it in the right spot," Lawrence said. "You see he made a great play, so it was awesome."

Thomas said the touchdown played out as designed.

"Trevor just trusted me, throwing it up and gave me enough air to run up under it," he said. "I just went out there and played hard, was able to get open and make a couple plays."

NOTABLE THEME DURING JAGUARS WEEK 1 POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE

• The overriding postgame theme for the Jaguars: Disappointment in a second half in which they squandered a 17-7 lead. The Jaguars, after producing 162 first-half yards and 17 points, failed to score in the second half and had just six second-half first downs. Five of those first downs came on a 94-yard drive that ended with Etienne fumbling into the end zone. Safety Jevon Holland recovered the fumble, with Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa passing 80 yards to wide receiver Tyreek Hill on the ensuing play to cut the lead to 17-14. The Jaguars managed just one first down on three ensuing drives. "It seemed like we couldn't get any rhythm going the second half besides on that drive," Lawrence said. "We had plenty of opportunities after that and we couldn't get anything going. There are plays all over the place that we've got to make. It's more, 'Don't beat yourself,' and I think you look at the whole game and that was where we struggled. We made a lot of great plays, and our defense did a good job of holding a really explosive offense, and offensively we didn't score any points in the second half. That's something that can't happen if we're going to win a lot of games, which is the plan. We've got to score more."

QUOTABLE MOMENTS IN THE LOCKER ROOM POSTGAME

• Etienne Jr. on the fumble that turned into a Dolphins touchback late in the third quarter: "I felt like we had a great fight. I felt like just kind of a momentum swing in the red zone. I just got to have my hands on the ball enough. It felt like kind of a turning point in the game, and I just have to be better for my team."
• Lawrence: "It's what happened today and don't make it more than it is. We know we have to improve and get better. The reality is, though, it's Week 1. We're 0-1. Not the start we wanted, but even if we're 1-0, we still have 16 more games that we've got to do something with. The mindset doesn't change for us."

NOTABLE GAME PLAY IN WEEK 1 OF THE 2024 SEASON

• The Jaguars registered three sacks Sunday, two by defensive end Travon Walker and one by lineman Arik Armstead. Walker, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, who finished last season with 10 sacks, was credited with a zero-yard sack on Tagolaivoa in the first quarter then sacked Tagolaivoa for a 14-yard loss to force a third-quarter punt after a Dolphins drive that reached the Jaguars 26. "That was just one of those effort plays," Walker said. "Obviously, I knew the type of set that I was getting the whole game. It finally opened up for me the way he got his shoulders to turn and I hit him in the right spot, and there it was."