JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — New Jaguars coach Liam Coen tried to stay out of the limelight in the postgame locker room. Team owner Shad Khan wouldn't let him.
Khan presented Coen with a game ball following his first win as an NFL head coach.
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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) runs with the ball against Carolina Panthers defensive end Derrick Brown (95) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Dawuane Smoot, left, sacks Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) looks to pass the ball against the Carolina Panthers during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, front left, looks on during the first half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jourdan Lewis (2) tackles Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Trevor Lawrence threw a touchdown pass, Travis Etienne ran for 143 yards and Jacksonville beat the Carolina Panthers 26-10 to deliver the franchise's new regime an emphatic debut victory Sunday.
“My boss gave it to me, so I had to accept,” Coen said. “It's a cool moment for me personally and all that, but really it's about those guys. These guys played their tails off.”
Brian Thomas Jr. also ran for a score for Jacksonville, which controlled both lines of scrimmage and kept Lawrence upright all afternoon.
The game was delayed 1 hour, 16 minutes because of nearby lightning strikes. The Jags led 10-3 when players and coaches headed to locker rooms and did much of the scoring after it resumed.
Jacksonville’s revamped defense contributed as much as Lawrence and the offense. Newcomers Jourdan Lewis and Eric Murray made several big plays, with Lewis’ pass breakup leading to a first-half interception for Foye Oluokun.
The complementary play generated rave reviews for Coen, first-time general manager James Gladstone and first-time executive vice president Tony Boselli. Throw in first-time offensive and defensive coordinators, and there was no telling how the Jaguars would handle their season opener.
“It feels great the direction we're heading,” Lawrence said. "You got to take for what it is. We won in Week 1. We're 1-0 to start the season, and we're all pumped about that. ... No one takes it for granted how hard it is to win in this league, so we're all really proud of that.
“But it's one game. We got to keep doing it. Consistency is what will be the difference.”
The Jags were much better than the Panthers, who turned the ball over twice in the first half and turned it over on downs twice in the second.
Bryce Young turned in another season-opening stinker. He completed 18 of 35 passes for 154 yards, with a TD pass to Chuba Hubbard, two interceptions and a fumble. He also made a head-scratching throw out of the back of the end zone on a fourth-and-1 play from the 5-yard line and slammed his helmet to the ground afterward.
It was the third time in as many years that Young struggled in an opener. He had a combined four interceptions in blowout losses the past two seasons.
“Obviously no one likes to lose, but it’s Week 1,” Young said. “We’re going to watch it (Monday). We’re going to wear it. We’re going to see where we can grow, and after that, we’re going to flush it.”
Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, the second overall pick in the NFL draft, was more active on offense while playing both sides of the ball in the season opener. Hunter played 39 offensive snaps and caught six passes for 33 yards. He played just six snaps on defense, where he worked as an outside cornerback in passing situations.
He looked like he might have a touchdown catch late in the second half, but Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn made a leaping, one-handed snag for an interception.
Travis Etienne has family bragging rights for at least a year. He got a win in his first meaningful game against his younger brother, Trevor. They exchanged jerseys on the field after the game.
Travis Etienne ran 16 times and topped the century mark for just the second time in his last 28 games. Both came against the Panthers. His 71-yard scamper in the second quarter set up a touchdown.
Trevor Etienne served as Carolina’s backup running back and primary punt and kickoff returner. He totaled 47 all-purpose yards.
Panthers: Defensive end Turk Wharton, who left Kansas City to sign a three-year contract worth $45 million in free agency, was ruled out in the second quarter with a knee injury. Wharton was previously evaluated for a concussion but ultimately cleared to return. Carolina linebacker Pat Jones left with an ankle injury. The Panthers also played without starting left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, who is recovering from an appendectomy.
Jaguars: Right tackle Anton Harrison left the game late with a back injury.
The Panthers play at Arizona next Sunday.
The Jaguars play at Cincinnati the same day.
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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) runs with the ball against Carolina Panthers defensive end Derrick Brown (95) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Dawuane Smoot, left, sacks Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) looks to pass the ball against the Carolina Panthers during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, front left, looks on during the first half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jourdan Lewis (2) tackles Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting Thursday to discuss Iran's deadly protests at the request of the United States, even as President Donald Trump left unclear what actions he would take against the Islamic state.
Tehran appeared to make conciliatory statements in an effort to defuse the situation after Trump threatened to take action to stop further killing of protesters, including the execution of anyone detained in Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests.
Iran’s crackdown on the demonstrations has killed at least 2,615, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported. The death toll exceeds any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The sound of gunfire faded Thursday in the capital, Tehran. The country closed its airspace to commercial flights for hours without explanation early Thursday and some personnel at a key U.S. military base in Qatar were advised to evacuate. The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait also ordered its personnel to “temporary halt” travel to the multiple military bases in the small Gulf Arab country.
Here is the latest:
Abdul Malik al-Houthi, leader of the Iran-backed Yemeni rebel group, said on Thursday that “criminal gangs” were responsible for the situation in Iran, accusing them of carrying out an “American-Israeli” scheme.
“Criminal gangs in Iran killed Iranian citizens, security forces and burned mosques,” he said without providing evidence. “What’s being committed by criminal gangs in Iran is horrific, bearing an American stamp as it includes slaughter and burning some people alive.”
He also said that the U.S. imposed economic sanctions on Iran to create a crisis leading to the current issues in the country with the end goal of controlling Iran.
Yet he said the U.S. has “failed in Iran” and that Iranians “will not yield to America.”
The president of the European Union’s executive arm says the 27-member bloc is looking to strengthen sanctions against Iran as ordinary Iranians continue their protests against Iran’s theocratic government.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday following a meeting of the EU’s commissioners in Limassol, Cyprus that current sanctions against Iran are “weakening the regime.”
Von der Leyen said that the EU is looking to sanction individual Iranians —apart from those who belong to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard — who “are responsible for the atrocities.”
She added that the people of Iran who are “bravely fighting for a change” have the EU’s “full political support.”
Canada’s foreign minister says a Canadian citizen has died in Iran “at the hands of the Iranian authorities.”
“Peaceful protests by the Iranian people — asking that their voices be heard in the face of the Iranian regime’s repression and ongoing human rights violations — has led the regime to flagrantly disregard human life,” Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand posted on social media Thursday.
“This violence must end. Canada condemns and calls for an immediate end to the Iranian regime’s violence,” she added.
Anand said consular officials are in contact with the victim’s family in Canada. She did not provide details.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies announced Thursday that a local staff member was killed and several others were wounded during the deadly protests in Iran over the weekend.
Amir Ali Latifi, an Iranian Red Crescent Society worker, was working in the country’s Gillan province on Jan. 10 when he was killed “in the line of duty,” the organization said in a statement.
“The IFRC is deeply concerned about the consequences of the ongoing unrest on the people of Iran and is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the Iranian Red Crescent Society,” the statement continued.
U.S. President Donald Trump has hailed as “good news” reports that the death sentence has been lifted for an Iranian shopkeeper arrested in a violent crackdown on protests.
Relatives of 26-year-old Erfan Soltani had said he faced imminent execution.
Trump posed Thursday on his Truth Social site: “FoxNews: ‘Iranian protester will no longer be sentenced to death after President Trump’s warnings. Likewise others.’ This is good news. Hopefully, it will continue!”
Iranian state media denied Soltani had been condemned to death. Iranian judicial authorities said Soltani was being held in a detention facility outside of the capital. Alongside other protesters, he has been accused of “propaganda activities against the regime,” state media said.
Trump sent tensions soaring this week by pledging that “help is on its way” to Iranian protesters and urging them to continue demonstrating against authorities in the Islamic Republic.
On Wednesday Trump signaled a possible de-escalation, saying he had been told that “the killing in Iran is stopping.”
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union’s main foreign policy chief said the G7 members were “gravely concerned” by the developments surrounding the protests, and that they “strongly oppose the intensification of the Iranian authorities’ brutal repression of the Iranian people.”
The statement, published on the EU’s website Thursday, said the G7 were “deeply alarmed at the high level of reported deaths and injuries” and condemned “the deliberate use of violence” by Iranian security forces against protesters.
The G7 members “remain prepared to impose additional restrictive measures if Iran continues to crack down on protests and dissent in violation of international human rights obligations,” the statement said.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has spoken with his counterpart in Iran, who said the situation was “now stable,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Abbas Araghchi said “he hoped China will play a greater role in regional peace and stability” during the talks, according to the statement from the ministry.
“China opposes imposing its will on other countries, and opposes a return to the ‘law of the jungle’,” Wang said.
“China believes that the Iranian government and people will unite, overcome difficulties, maintain national stability, and safeguard their legitimate rights and interests,” he added. “China hopes all parties will cherish peace, exercise restraint, and resolve differences through dialogue. China is willing to play a constructive role in this regard.”
“We are against military intervention in Iran,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told journalists in Istanbul on Thursday. “Iran must address its own internal problems… They must address their problems with the region and in global terms through diplomacy so that certain structural problems that cause economic problems can be addressed.”
Ankara and Tehran enjoy warm relations despite often holding divergent interests in the region.
Fidan said the unrest in Iran was rooted in economic conditions caused by sanctions, rather than ideological opposition to the government.
Iranians have been largely absent from an annual pilgrimage to Baghdad, Iraq, to commemorate the death of Imam Musa al-Kadhim, one of the twelve Shiite imams.
Many Iranian pilgrims typically make the journey every year for the annual religious rituals.
Streets across Baghdad were crowded with pilgrims Thursday. Most had arrived on foot from central and southern provinces of Iraq, heading toward the shrine of Imam al-Kadhim in the Kadhimiya district in northern Baghdad,
Adel Zaidan, who owns a hotel near the shrine, said the number of Iranian visitors this year compared to previous years was very small. Other residents agreed.
“This visit is different from previous ones. It lacks the large numbers of Iranian pilgrims, especially in terms of providing food and accommodation,” said Haider Al-Obaidi.
Europe’s largest airline group said Thursday it would halt night flights to and from Tel Aviv and Jordan's capital Amman for five days, citing security concerns as fears grow that unrest in Iran could spiral into wider regional violence.
Lufthansa — which operates Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings — said flights would run only during daytime hours from Thursday through Monday “due to the current situation in the Middle East.” It said the change would ensure its staff — which includes unionized cabin crews and pilots -- would not be required to stay overnight in the region.
The airline group also said its planes would bypass Iranian and Iraqi airspace, key corridors for air travel between the Middle East and Asia.
Iran closed its airspace to commercial flights for several hours early Thursday without explanation.
A spokesperson for Israel’s Airport Authority, which oversees Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, said the airport was operating as usual.
Iranian state media has denied claims that a young man arrested during Iran’s recent protests was condemned to death. The statement from Iran’s judicial authorities on Thursday contradicted what it said were “opposition media abroad” which claimed the young man had been quickly sentenced to death during a violent crackdown on anti-government protests in the country.
State television didn’t immediately give any details beyond his name, Erfan Soltani. Iranian judicial authorities said Soltani was being held in a detention facility outside of the capital. Alongside other protesters, he has been accused of “propaganda activities against the regime,” state media said.
New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters said Thursday that his government was “appalled by the escalation of violence and repression” in Iran.
“We condemn the brutal crackdown being carried out by Iran’s security forces, including the killing of protesters,” Peters posted on X.
“Iranians have the right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and access to information – and that right is currently being brutally repressed,” he said.
Peters said his government had expressed serious concerns to the Iranian Embassy in Wellington.
Women cross an intersection in downtown Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
A demonstrator lights a cigarette with a burning poster depicting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally in support of Iran's anti-government protests, in Holon, Israel, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Protesters participate in a demonstration in support of the nationwide mass protests in Iran against the government, in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Protesters participate in a demonstration in support of the nationwide mass protests in Iran against the government, in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
