The first quarter saw the Lions go down early. The first Detroit Lions drive sputtered out after just six plays and 16 yards. The ball was promptly placed in the hands of Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles, who had quite a night for himself. On the first drive, the Jaguars marched 82 yards up the field and capped the drive with a 13-yard pass to Allen Hurns for a touchdown. The ball went back to the Lions: out again after another six plays.
The Jaguars marched up to score again as the first quarter gave way to the second, although this time they would be aided by multiple Lions penalties.