Jacksonville Jaguars coach Kevin Maxen wanted a win in Week 1. Having come out publicly six weeks ago — the first male coach in major American men’s sports to come out — a win in the team’s first game would be the exclamation point on an incredible, positive journey he’s had since coming out.
The Jaguars delivered, posting a 31-21 win on the road at the rival Indianapolis Colts to start the season 1-0.
It wasn’t just a win. It was the Jaguars’ biggest win on the road against their AFC South rival since 2017.
Plus it was a come-from-behind win, which is becoming the hallmark of this Jaguars team that last season pulled off a shocking second-half surge to beat the Los Angeles Chargers in the NFL Playoffs.
The team’s scoring output of 31 points was one of the highest of any team in this first week of the NFL season. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence had a solid game, completing an impressive 75% of his passes.
The success again erodes the years-long nonsense we’ve heard about gay men being a “distraction” for sports teams. It was utter nonsense 20 years ago, and it’s utter nonsense now. Maxen and the Jaguars are the latest team to prove that.
The storylines of Week 1 set up the Jaguars for a colossal Week 2 home game against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. This Chiefs lost to the Detroit Lines in the NFL Kickoff Game on Thursday, With the Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders both posting wins in Week 1, the pressure is already increasing for the defending champs to get a win.
And if the Jaguars can beat the Chiefs, their 2-0 start could set them on a course for a very successful 2023 campaign.
Maxen, now totally out as an NFL coach, will be there every step of the way. And he hasn’t been shy about his big public life change on social media, though he hasn’t made it the center of his life.
So far, Maxen is playing this perfectly. This is a part of who he is, but it isn’t all of who he is.
We at Outsports will be following the Jaguars closely all season.
