The Cleveland Browns couldn't have asked for a worse start to the 2026 season. Trevor Lawrence carved up the Browns' defense, going 18 of 23 for 245 passing yards and four touchdowns with zero interceptions, as the Jaguars walked out of EverBank Stadium with a commanding 34-10 victory. The Browns, meanwhile, left with major question marks at their most important position.
In his first NFL action since the 2024 season, Deshaun Watson finished 16 of 22 for 205 yards and one touchdown, with one interception and one fumble, along with a team-high 38 rushing yards. On the surface, those might not seem like horrible numbers, but he had some costly misses and struggled to move the ball down the field for much of the game. Browns head coach Todd Monken stayed noncommittal about naming Watson the team's starter going forward, but proceeded to defend Watson's performance Sunday.
"It really wasn't all him. That's unfair," Monken said. "Certainly could have called it better, certainly could have played better around him.
Certainly there's plays I'm sure he wished he had back. There are certain things operationally that weren't clean enough. Is getting in and out of the huddle, getting our subs in.
Being up against it and saying that you're on the road, or the heat, or all that. That's just a bunch of excuses." More news: Patriots’ Kayshon Boutte Trade Looks Even Worse After AJ Brown Injury News It's true that Watson wasn't the only disappointment Sunday. Running back Quinshon Judkins, pegged as a potential breakout candidate this season, finished with just 33 rushing yards on 12 carries.
The offensive line gave up five sacks. The team was penalized 11 times for 75 yards and went just 1-for-8 on third downs. And the defense let Jacksonville do whatever it wanted, giving up 24 points in the first half alone.
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