Cleveland Browns vs Jacksonville Jaguars NFL Week 1 Live Updates, Highlights and Analysis

It has been a tumultuous offseason in Cleveland. The departure of Myles Garrett. A quarterback controversy. There was drama galore.

Now, however, the time for drama off the field is over. It's time for the Browns to start telling the story of 2026 on the field—Sunday the team will take the field at EverBank Stadium to face a Jacksonville Jaguars team that went 13-4 and won the AFC South in 2025.

It's a game where the Browns are significant underdogs—and a contest that could set the tone for the early portion of the 2026 campaign.

We're going to do some tone-setting of own here at Bleacher Report, tracking all the highlights and happenings from Sunday's showdown. Or beatdown. Whatever.

Trying to maintain some optimism—at least until kickoff.

Almost feel bad for the guy. Waits years to get his shot at being an NFL head coach--and barely gets an NFL team.

Some thoughts regarding yet another Week 1 loss by the Browns--their seventh in the last eight years.

With the exception of that long touchdown throw in garbage time, Watson was worse than his stats--16-of-22 for 205 yards with that score and a pick. But there won't be a change coming under center next week in Tampa.

The run game was non-existent. Watson was the team's leading rusher, and Quinshon Judkins averaged less than three yards per carry.

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the performance was the defense. Jacksonville could easily have eclipsed the 360 yards of offense the team had, and the Jaguars converted half of their third downs.

If that's what Cleveland fans have to look "forward" to on a weekly basis, those fans will be actively rooting for the Browns to tank by Thanksgiving.

Granted, it's in a blowout loss, but this 46-yard touchdown throw from Watson to Denzel Boston is both the best throw we've seen from Watson in a dawg's age (see what I did there?) and a nice catch from the second-round rookie.

To be fair, no one expected Jared Verse to be a one-for-one replacement for Myles Garrett in Cleveland.

But Verse did his best Garrett imitation Sunday--or at least his best impression of Garrett's vanishing act last Thursday night.

Verse played the run fairly well, logging four tackles (three solo) and a tackle for loss. But he was a complete non-factor rushing the passer--no sacks, QB hits or even pressures.

The Browns may just be trolling us at this point.

Cleveland finally got some offense going on a drive that included Deshaun Watson's best throw of the afternoon.

The team made it into the red zone and everything.

But back-to-back sacks resulted in a turnover on downs.

Nick Mullens is in for Trevor Lawrence under center for the Jaguars

That Cleveland's offense is hot garbage is not exactly breaking news. That tends to happen when a team has no quarterback. But even without Myles Garrett, the Browns were supposed to at least be decent defensively.

They don't look it. The Browns have allowed over 350 yards in less than three quarters. The Jaguars are piling up 4.7 yards per carry and 7.2 yards per play.

The only reason it isn't 38-3 is that Jacksonville killed their own drive with penalties. The Jags are the only team stopping the Jags in this mess.

The good news is that after a long kickoff return, the Browns finally got inside Jacksonville's five-yard line.

The bad news is that a delay of game penalty cost Cleveland five critical yards, and after a Watson wormburner on third down the team was forced to settle for a short field goal.

Now all the Browns need are four unanswered touchdowns and they'll be right back in this thing!

What else can you really say? Trevor Lawrence is having his way with the Cleveland defense. A scramble-drill turns into a 32-yard scoring strike to Jakobi Meyers.

It was Lawrence's fourth touchdown pass of the game.

Might as well put this out there, because you can bet the rent that fans will be calling for a switch at quarterback in Cleveland.

This Browns fan isn't going to argue that Deshaun Watson is trash. His arm strength is shot. His decision-making is--I legitimately wonder after making $230 million to mostly sit on his butt if he even really cares anymore.

But putting Shedeur Sanders out there is going to fix exactly nothing.

Sanders has no pocket presence. He can't read defenses. Hi decision-making isn't any better than Watson's.

It's like arguing the merits of the electric chair vs. the gas chamber.

Plus, the guy who signs the checks wants Watson--possibly so he can justify giving him that fully guaranteed abomination of a contract.

And in Cleveland, Jimmy Haslam gets what Jimmy Haslam wants.

The Browns commit approximately all the penalties ever on their final drive of the half, and it's 24-bupkus at the break.

Passing: Deshaun Watson (8-for-13, 75 yards, INT)

Rushing: Quinshon Judkins (five carries, 14 yards)

Receiving: Jerry Jeudy (two catches, 26 yards)

Cleveland was outgained 234-95, turned it over twice and barely had 11 minutes of possession.

What was it John McKay said about his team's execution?

Defensive tackle Mason Graham has caught a lot of flak from fans for not making a bigger statistical dent--largely because he was part of the Travis Hunter trade a year ago.

But late in the second quarter, Graham recorded the first full sack of his young career, forcing a Jaguars punt.

The way this game is going, you have to take good news anywhere you can get it.

Well, the Browns managed to avoid turning it over. Even crossed midfield. But outside the first drive of the game (which ended in an INT) the Cleveland offense has been offensive.

Rookie wide receiver KC Concepcion gets the ball punched out by Jaguars linebacker Ventrell Miller. Jags recover, and five plays later Lawrence finds tight end Brenton Strange from 14 yards out.

Another long drive by the Jaguars (11 plays) concludes with a 47-yard field goal from Cam Little, and Jacksonville is up 17-scratch.

The Browns are being embarrassed in just about every way a team can be. Being blown off both lines of scrimmage. Can't cover. Can't tackle. The offense is laughably bad.

Thought it would take until at least Week 3 for the team to hit rock-bottom.

Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker combine for a strip-sack of Watson and it's punting time again as the first quarter ends.

Over the first 15 minutes, the Browns were outgained 138-28.

Nine plays, 74 yards and Trevor Lawrence's second touchdown pass of the quarter and the Browns are down two scores.

Lawrence is eight of 10 for 114 yards and two touchdowns. Parker Washington has four catches for 69 yards and a score.

And someone apparently forgot to tell the Browns defense that the game started.

Well this is going just swimmingly so far--third-down back Dylan Sampson is in the locker room after suffering a knee injury.

Two Quinshon Judkins carries for four yards. One off-target throw to Harold Fannin. And it's Corey Bojorquez time.

Well, it didn't take the Jaguars long to make the Browns pay for the turnover.

Jacksonville drove 59 yards in eight plays over about four minutes before Trevor Lawrence found Parker Washington from 30 yards out.

The Browns had a promising early drive going. The team had moved the ball inside Jacksonville's 30-yard line.

And then Deshaun Watson threw a terrible interception--he just didn't see Jags linebacker Foyesade Oluokun.

The season is off to a very Cleveland start.

For what it's worth, this isn't the first time Deshaun Watson has started for the Browns on the road against the Jags.

Watson's stats weren't great back in Week 2 of the 2024 season--186 yards on 22 of 34 pass attempts. But Watson ran for a score, Cleveland's defense balled out, and the Browns won 18-13.

No team in the NFL allowed fewer rushing yards per game than the 85.6 the Jaguars gave up.

Quinshon Judkins will have to earn every yard Sunday, and this is a game Deshaun Watson may have to win with his arm.

Nothing says football and Fall quite like playing a game inside a sauna.