Browns vs. Jaguars Prediction: Week 2 NFL Pick from Andrew Lawrence

NFL Week 2 – Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars

Where: EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, FL)

When: Sunday, September 15th at 1:00 PM EST

Watch: CBS

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Cle +3/Jax -3
Over/Under: 41.5

The Cleveland Browns head south to sunny Jacksonville, Florida, to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in an AFC conference matchup of two teams searching for their first win of the season. EverBank Stadium, or as it will be known for the Jags home opener, “TrEverBank Stadium, is set to host this contest in the 1 PM slate on Sunday afternoon. Both of these squads come into Week 2 looking to improve on their overall performance and are hoping to address the problematic play that led to Week 1 losses. Both the Browns and the Jaguars finished last season with winning records, and the expectations coming into 2024 were more of the same. Even in a 17-game schedule, it is important not to let things slide too far, and the difference between 1-1 and 0-2 could be detrimental to playoff hopes. Which team will right the ship and be celebrating in the locker room at the close of the 4th quarter? I think this one is pretty cut and dry, but let’s assess both squads and see who I’m backing.

The Browns don’t have much to hang their hats on when they look at their performance against the Cowboys last week. Quarterback Deshaun Watson found his pocket closing in quickly and frequently, and his poor decision-making resulted in a 2-interception performance. He looked like a shell of his former self and did nothing to disrupt the calls for a pivot to backup QB Jameis Winston. Watson will still get the start here in week 2, but as that pressure builds from the fanbase, he may be on a short leash if he can’t turn the page and return to his former stature. The 33-17 loss cannot be placed solely on Watson’s shoulders however as injuries across the offensive line led to poor pass and run blocking. The Browns enter Week 2 ranked 25th in passing yards per game, 22nd in rushing yards per game, and 26th in total yards gained. To make matters worse, top Cleveland tight end David Njoku has been ruled out of this contest with an ankle injury. There will be an increased urgency to use wide receivers Amari Cooper and Jerry Jeudy more effectively after the pair combined for only five catches and 41 yards in the season opener. The Browns hope to get bookend tackles Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin back this week, but neither have recorded a full practice this week so it remains unlikely. Even though they gave up 33 points, the Cleveland defensive unit was constantly dealt a bad hand by their offense and found themselves in short-field situations. Unfortunately, starting free safety Juan Thornhill suffered a calf injury that resulted in his placement on IR, ruling him out for the foreseeable future. The Browns will need to rely on pass-rushers Myles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith to wreak havoc in the Jaguars backfield.

The Jaguars, on the other hand, may have some positive play to build on from their opening game against the Miami Dolphins. The Jaguars led 17-7 at halftime before failing to score a single point in the second half and watching the Dolphins chip away and kick a game-winning field goal as time expired. The offense could not sustain drives late in the game and only amassed 162 passing yards on the day. Trevor Lawrence was mediocre, completing 12 of 21 pass attempts for one touchdown and 0 interceptions. The Jaguars clearly emphasized controlling the game on the ground and awarded Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby 12 carries apiece. Bigsby was the hot hand and accumulated 73 yards while Etienne was held to 44, though he did find his way into the endzone for his first TD of the new season. Rookie receiver out of LSU, Brian Thomas, caught Lawrence’s only passing TD of the day and Gabe Davis proved he is still the Jaguars main deep threat. Jacksonville hopes to see more production from their slot receiver Christian Kirk this week, and he may be leaned on more if the pressure from the Browns’ defensive line intensifies. The Jacksonville defense was able to tally three sacks in their first game but were unable to force any turnovers. The defense will look to feast against a banged-up offensive line and force Deshaun Watson to throw into double coverages for easy picks.

My Pick: Jacksonville Jaguars -3 (-110)

As I mentioned, this pick seems like a no-brainer. No much is going right for Cleveland and with the compounding injuries, things are only going to get more difficult. In what I expect to be a low-scoring affair, I give the advantage to the more balanced offense. Until Cleveland proves they can keep their QB off the ground and give him a chance to make accurate reads, I wouldn’t even put your money on them. The Jags will walk off the field victorious on Sunday. Book it. 

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