JACKSONVILLE — Well, that didn’t take long.
Any optimism surrounding the beginning of the Todd Monken era disappeared almost immediately Sunday as the Jacksonville Jaguars demolished the Cleveland Browns 34-10 at EverBank Stadium.
Deshaun Watson’s first regular-season appearance since 2024 began with an interception on Cleveland’s fifth offensive play. Jacksonville turned the mistake into the first of four touchdowns on its opening six possessions.
Trevor Lawrence found Parker Washington for a 30-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter before connecting with Josh Cameron from four yards out. Cam Little’s 47-yard field goal and Lawrence’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Brenton Strange sent Jacksonville into halftime with a 24-0 lead.
Cleveland’s first half was an exercise in offensive futility. The Browns gained only 95 yards, recorded five first downs and committed two turnovers. KC Concepcion Jr. lost a fumble, and three consecutive penalties ruined Cleveland’s final opportunity to score before halftime.
Lawrence found Jakobi Meyers for a 32-yard touchdown early in the third quarter, extending Jacksonville’s lead to 31-0 and mercifully ending any remaining suspense.
Andre Szmyt finally put Cleveland on the board with a 26-yard field goal after Raheim Sanders returned a kickoff 74 yards. The Browns didn’t reach the end zone until Watson connected with rookie Denzel Boston for a 46-yard touchdown with 1:52 remaining.
Watson completed 16 of 22 passes for 205 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also led Cleveland with 38 rushing yards, which may or may not tell you everything you need to know about the Browns’ offense.
Lawrence completed 18 of 23 passes for 245 yards and four touchdowns. Washington caught five passes for 83 yards and a score, while Bhayshul Tuten led Jacksonville with 66 rushing yards.
Cleveland finished with 272 total yards, went 1-for-8 on third down and failed to score on either of its red-zone possessions. The Browns also committed 11 penalties for 75 yards and allowed five sacks.
The defense wasn’t much better. Jacksonville accumulated 360 yards, converted five of 10 third downs and controlled possession for nearly 34 minutes without committing a turnover.
Monken wanted his team to establish an identity in the season opener. Instead, the Browns looked undisciplined, overmatched and completely unprepared.
What’s Next: Cleveland will remain in Florida to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, September 20, at 1 p.m. ET.
