The Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) entered Week 1 as an "under-the-radar" pick for many NFL analysts and left as a stark reminder that they are still one of the AFC's powerhouses.
While the Cleveland Browns (0-1) have issues on both sides of the football, the Jaguars left no question about which the better team was in a 34-10 blowout win in Jacksonville.
On Monday, Jaguars head coach Liam Coen lauded the team for playing complementary football. Jacksonville was successful on both sides of the ball with four passing touchdowns on offense and two turnovers on defense.
The team's top player aside from quarterback Trevor Lawrence on Sunday was receiver Parker Washington, who caught five passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. Washington is looking to secure
a long-term contract extension and is betting on himself to get the most out of that looming pact.
"Was it perfect? No, by any means, a lot to clean up and coach off of, some technique and a couple things that we need to continue to work on and coach on," Coen said Monday. "But I was pleased with their energy, the way that they executed some situations, and jumped out to a fast start, which is something that we've really been harping on.”
The Jaguars have won nine straight regular-season games dating back to last year, and don't appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Coen is tied with former Jaguars coach Gus Bradley for the fifth-most wins by a Jacksonville head coach in team history with 14 regular-season wins. Coen has coached 18 games, while Bradly coached 62 from 2013-16.
So, what did we learn from Week 1?
Trevor Lawrence continues path to MVP in win over Browns
Lawrence ended as a rising star and one of the league's Most Valuable Player candidates a season ago, and he continued that ascension on Sunday against Cleveland.
In his last nine regular-season games, Lawrence has thrown for 2,444 yards, 28 touchdowns and averaged a 111.5 passer rating.
Against Cleveland, Lawrence completed 78.4% of his passes for 245 yards and four touchdowns. Lawrence's 150.6 passer rating against the Browns was a career-high.
One highlight from Sunday's victory was Lawrence's 100th-career touchdown to rookie wideout Josh Cameron. Lawrence used play-action to freeze the defense slightly before looking off a safety toward the back of the end zone, fitting the football between four Browns defenders to Cameron for the rookie's first-career touchdown.
Trevor Lawrence has 19 TDs and 1 INT over his last 7 regular season games.
— Underdog (@Underdog) September 14, 2026
Here's why:pic.twitter.com/fwIRCpOOJQ
Jaguars get positive early returns on Nate Boerkircher pick
Jacksonville's plan for second-round rookie tight end Nate Boerkircher went off without a hitch on Sunday against Cleveland. The team selected Boerkircher to help in the run game, and he did so on Sunday.
Jacksonville did not need many plays to score against Cleveland. The team's longest drive came in the third quarter with a 10-play, 57-yard drive that ended in a field goal. Still, thanks in part to the defense stymying anything Cleveland threw at them, Jacksonville won time of possession 33:51 to 26:09.
The Jaguars ran for 126 yards, including 66 yards on 15 carries for second-year back Bhayshul Tuten. Boerkiercher was a major part of that success, earning praise on social media for his blocking ability. At one point, Boerkircher walled off Browns edge rusher Jared Verse, allowing Tuten to turn the corner for a first-down run.
On another play, Tuten ran for 12 yards after Boerkircher blocked multiple Browns defenders alongside fellow rookie guard Emmanuel Pregnon.
Nate Boerkircher was an absolute dog in the run game yesterday pic.twitter.com/rgLAJQzqB8
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) September 14, 2026
Ventrell Miller leads defense in debut as starter
Linebacker Ventrell Miller earned the highest grade on the team, according to Pro Football Focus, at 92.4 for his performance against Cleveland. Miller was credited with nine tackles (six solos), a sack, a quarterback hit and a forced fumble against the Browns.
Miller earned the starting spot after the Jaguars let former starter Devin Lloyd walk in free agency this spring. Lloyd posted a career year in Jacksonville last year under defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, and Miller is picking up where Lloyd left off thanks to his playmaking ability.
“He played well on defense for sure. I thought he was active, played physical with his hands. He's done a phenomenal job, I think, even dating back to last year when he got in there, of ball disruption. He had another punch-out yesterday," Coen said when asked about Miller. Miller was drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Jaguars return to the field against the Denver Broncos on the road in Week 2. Last year, Jacksonville defeated Denver 34-30 on the road.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @Demetrius82 or on BlueskyatDemetrius.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars continue dominance in Week 1 win over Browns: What we learned













