The Cleveland Browns arrived in Jacksonville for their matchup with the Jaguars with a lot of optimism. There was the thought that the offensive line and skill players could elevate Deshaun Watson to a level that the team has not seen from him. Sadly, the end result could not have been further from that.
After the first quarter, it became clear it was going to be a long day for the Browns.
The Jaguars had their way with the Browns in every facet of the game, even in the discipline area with penalties. It was a matchup that could be forgotten or serve as a fire for this team heading into an already pivotal second week for the team.
Without going on much longer, here are our instant takeaways from the game.
Quarterback is not going to solve anything in 2026
Deshaun Watson was an issue today, there
is no doubt about that. However, the quarterback position was not the top issue today. The defense was expected to lead the way this season, and against the Jaguars they couldn't create any pressure; they couldn't defend the pass, and their run game was physical and ran over the Browns' tacklers. Whether it is Watson or Shedeur Sanders, the quarterback cannot do everything for this team in 2026.
The pass rush HAS to be better
Speaking of a lack of pressure, the Browns' defensive line did not show up today. Whether it was the Jaguars' offensive line, the play designs, or the heat, something happened where they just couldn't generate any heat. Jared Verse had no pressures and that simply cannot happen again this season. It's the first week; things can change, but this was an alarming performance from a group that entered the season with high expectations.
Todd Monken could be in for a long season
The Browns season is not going to get any easier after this blowout loss to the Jaguars. Week 2, they will be battling the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, then the Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers. All those teams looked good in Week 1 in some degree. The Browns, by contrast, did not. First-year head coach Todd Monken will need to make major adjustments if they want to be competitive in September, let alone the rest of the season. If not, this could be one and done for the first-year head coach.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Instant Takeaways from the Browns blowout loss to the Jaguars
