Jaguars obliterate Browns in dominant display

The Cleveland Browns travelled to Jacksonville on Sunday looking to begin a new chapter after another difficult season. Cleveland went 5-12 in 2025, prompting the inevitable departure of Kevin Stefanski and the arrival of former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken as head coach. The Browns also entered the season with significant questions at quarterback, with Deshaun Watson making his return to the starting role amid continued scrutiny. With a revamped offensive line and a young group of offensive weapons, Cleveland faced an immediate test against a Jacksonville team that was expected to contend in the AFC.

The Jaguars, meanwhile, entered 2026 with considerably higher expectations after a 13-4 campaign in 2025. Under head coach Liam Coen, who rejuvenated not just the team but the Jaguars’ entire culture, Jacksonville had established itself as one of the AFC’s emerging contenders and was looking to build on last season’s success with Trevor Lawrence leading the offense. The Browns represented a very different challenge from the teams Jacksonville would expect to face deep into the season, but with Cleveland’s defensive talent and an unfamiliar coaching scheme under Monken, the Jaguars were never going to overlook their visitors. For Cleveland, much of the attention today, and likely will all season, centred on whether its defense could keep the game competitive while the offense found its rhythm. The Browns had traded away star pass rusher Myles Garrett during the offseason but added Jared Verse.

Watson certainly did himself no favours early on, throwing an interception to Foyesade Oluokun on the first drive of the season after less than 3 minutes, giving Lawrence and the Jaguars’ offense prime field position, the last thing Cleveland wanted on the road. It didn’t take long for Jacksonville to take full toll, as Lawrence found Parker Washington on a 30-yard end zone throw as the Jags flew out to a 7-0 lead.

Back-to-back offensive drives ended in an easy touchdown for the Jaguars, with Josh Cameron getting on the board for his first NFL score on short yardage. The result was all but determined before quarter time.

Cleveland’s best moment of the first quarter was preventing a turnover as Watson was stripped while sacked, continuing his nightmare season opening.

With things seemingly unable to get any worse for the Browns, they did. Rookie KC Concepcion’s 2^nd NFL catch ended in a turnover, as his fumble was recovered by Josh Hines-Allen, and, you guessed it, converted into another Jaguars touchdown, scoring this time was Brenton Strange.

One can only imagine the reception Browns fans would’ve offered their team had this gone down in Cleveland, as the team entered the sheds down 24-0.

Things picked up where they left off in the 2^nd half. The Jaguars waltzed down the field in under 3 minutes as Trevor Lawrence shared the love with his 4^th touchdown pass for the half, this time finding Jakobi Meyers.

Cleveland finally got on the board halfway through the 3^rd period, as Raheim Sanders’ 74-yard kickoff return injected enough life into the offense to generate a 26-yard field goal from Andre Szmyt, ending the shutout at last.

With the remainder of the game being nothing more than a formality, a horrible day for Watson was punctuated with back-to-back sacks on 3rd and 4th down to turn the ball over once again.

A consolation touchdown for Denzel Boston’s first in the league on a 46-yard deep ball clawed back some minor respectability on the scoreboard.

Jacksonville ran out 34-10 winners in an absolutely dominant display at home, picking up where they left off last season with a defense that takes the ball away for fun an offense with a happy knack of turning great field position into points, led by Trevor Lawrence, who will find himself in legitimate MVP conversations if his 2025 form continues to translate into this season. Despite a very weak opposition, they did what they needed to do and will look forward to a matchup in Denver next week.

As for Cleveland, it’s going to be a long season. There is genuine young talent on both sides of the ball, but immediate discussions among coaching staff will be held as to whether Deshaun Watson is the right man to get the best out of those on the offensive end. Patience is rightfully running out for Browns fans after their diabolical last few years, and it’s still hard to see much light at the end of the tunnel.

Touchdowns
Cleveland: N/A
Jacksonville: Washington, Cameron, Strange, Meyers

Top Performers
Cleveland: Graham
Jacksonville: Lawrence, Hines-Allen, Washington, Miller, Oluokun, Walker

Injuries
Cleveland: Sampson (knee)
Jacksonville: Green II (elbow)

Crowd: 41,156 at EverBank Stadium