Jaguars defeat Browns 34-10 as Watson struggles in return after 693 days

Opening turnover and early deficit

Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson made his first NFL start in 693 days on Sunday, but the Cleveland Browns fell behind immediately in a 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. On Cleveland's opening possession, Watson guided the offense to the Jacksonville 33-yard line before throwing an interception on second-and-5. Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun leaped to pick off the pass after Watson failed to spot the dropping coverage against a delayed blitz. The turnover initiated a one-sided first half in Florida heat reaching the mid-90s. Jacksonville turned the mistake into points and built a 17-0 lead in the second quarter while limiting Cleveland to 28 total yards over 27 plays.

Watson explained the opening interception after the game:

I saw the coverage that brought the blitz late up the middle. They timed it up very well. Got knocked off platform, and 23 made a good play. That's pretty much how that kind of played out. Then we just couldn't get our rhythm back. Jacksonville made the plays and got points and we didn't. And that's where the game got away.

Jacksonville offensive control

Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence directed a clinical offensive showing under head coach Liam Coen. Lawrence completed 18 of 23 pass attempts for 245 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions, finishing with a 150.6 passer rating. Wide receiver Parker Washington made contested catches to extend drives against a Cleveland defense that spent most of the contest on the field. Jacksonville averaged roughly 8.0 yards per play across their initial two drives and accumulated 360 total offensive yards on the afternoon. The Jaguars pushed their advantage to 24-0 by halftime before opening the third quarter with another touchdown to lead 31-0.

Quarterback scrutiny and offensive penalties

Watson entered the regular season after winning a training camp competition over Shedeur Sanders. The game marked Watson's return from consecutive Achilles tendon tears suffered on Oct. 20, 2024 against Cincinnati and throughout the 2025 campaign. Watson, who earns $46 million this season under a five-year, $230 million contract signed in 2022, struggled to push the ball downfield. In the first half, Watson completed 1 of 5 passes traveling at least 10 air yards for 20 yards and one interception. Jacksonville sacked Watson five times, leaving him as Cleveland's leading rusher with 38 scrambling yards. Procedural errors compound the struggles, including three consecutive penalties during a two-minute drill before halftime.

Browns head coach Todd Monken defended the quarterback during his postgame address:

I didn't take this job to lose, OK. We're going to analyze everything how we do, how we coach, starting with me. How we do it offensively, defensively. Deshaun is part of that, always has been, always will be, as our quarterbacks will be.

Late scores and upcoming schedule

The Browns avoided a shutout at the 8:31 mark of the third quarter when a 62-yard kickoff return by Raheim Sanders led to a field goal. Cleveland added their only touchdown with 1:52 remaining in the fourth quarter on a 46-yard pass from Watson to rookie receiver Denzel Boston. Watson finished 16 of 22 passing for 205 yards, with nearly a quarter of that total coming on the late scoring drive. The defeat dropped Cleveland's record in season openers to 3-23-1 during the era of team owner Jimmy Haslam, who bought the franchise in 2012. Cleveland (0-1) travels to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1) in Week 2, while Jacksonville heads west to play the Denver Broncos.