Entering the long-awaited 2026 season opener, head coach Liam Coen made one thing clear: He wanted the Jaguars to be violent and physical. In a dominant 34-10 win over the Cleveland Browns Sunday, Jacksonville lived up to that.
It logged five sacks and an interception, forced a fumble and held the Browns to a 1-for-8 clip on third down. Cleveland went scoreless in the first half, and the Jaguars persisted with heavy pressure on quarterback Deshaun Watson through all four quarters.
“We play at our best as a team here in Jacksonville when we're playing grimy, physical, nasty, and we're flying around with relentless pursuit,” Coen said.
Here are three takeaways from the 24-point win.
Trevor Lawrence is picking up right where he left off
After starting the 2025 season with just 10 touchdown passes through the Jaguars’ first nine games, Lawrence finished the year hot, throwing 22 through the final nine games (including postseason). He also threw for at least 244 yards in each of Jacksonville’s final five regular-season games. In Sunday’s opener, Lawrence tossed four touchdowns and tallied 245 yards through the air. He was even pulled in the fourth quarter after Jacksonville built its lead to 31.
Though interceptions may have been a concern entering 2026 — Lawrence finished tied for top five in the league in interceptions in 2025 (12) — he showed elite decision-making and promising ball security in the rout.
“[Trevor] spread the ball around and trusted the guys around him to make plays,” Coen said. “I was definitely pleased with the way Trevor ran the offense today.”
The former first-round pick threw two touchdown passes in the first quarter alone, with the second marking the 100th of his career. He finished 18 of 23 and averaged 10.7 yards per completion, displaying an ability to navigate the pocket and generate explosive downfield plays.
A big piece of that downfield production stemmed from the stellar play of receiver Parker Washington, who nabbed five receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown, all in the first half. His WR1-caliber effort was summed up by a highlight-worthy diving touchdown grab for Jacksonville’s first score of the season.
Lawrence tossed longs of 32 and 30 yards to Jakobi Meyers and Washington, respectively, both for touchdowns. He also posted a 93.4 Total QBR and looked like a true MVP candidate in his first start since January.
“I feel really comfortable and really confident in what we're doing,” Lawrence said. “We gotta have a short memory and enjoy it tonight. It was awesome to get a win in Week 1.”
Defensive line is back to impeding the run and disrupting quarterbacks
The Jaguars’ defensive line stood tall in its season opener. Through Cleveland’s first four drives, the Jaguars held the Browns to 34 yards of total offense, forcing two three-and-outs and two takeaways.
Jacksonville also limited the Browns to just 87 yards on the ground and didn’t surrender a rushing touchdown. Cleveland only reached the red zone twice, scraping just three points out of its two trips.
Most notably, the physical play of defensive ends Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker stood out.
“Just guys flying around, trying to make plays for the defense,” Hines-Allen said. “You know, [Travon] started it off … We may not win on the first rush, but we can track it down and give everything we can.”
The pair combined for three of Jacksonville’s five sacks and played a large role in holding Cleveland to under 90 yards rushing. In fact, Watson was the Browns’ leading rusher (6 carries for 38 yards).
A majority of Cleveland’s rushing yardage came from Watson’s ability to narrowly slip past the defensive line in the backfield and gain positive yardage. Running back Quinshon Judkins was limited to just 33 yards on 12 carries.
Ventrell Miller shines, linebacker room flashes depth
Jacksonville’s linebacker room stepped up in a big way in the season-opening win. Its physical play and ability to make strong tackles were apparent throughout, and Jacksonville linebackers accounted for both an interception and a forced fumble in the first half.
At the center of the Jaguars’ defensive success sat Ventrell Miller. He logged a team-high 10 tackles (seven solo), two tackles for loss and a sack, establishing himself as a swarming presence in the heart of Jacksonville’s defense. Miller saw action on 33 snaps, and his third-quarter sack was the first of his NFL career. He also forced a fumble in the second quarter, resulting in a five-play, 44-yard touchdown drive for the Jaguars.
Miller’s dominant performance earned him a team-high PFF grade of 94.6.
“[Play] fast, violent, physical,” Miller said. “Hitting people with violence, attacking the ball, creating takeaways, stopping the run. The same thing over, like I said, taking it to the next level.”
Veteran linebacker Foyesade Oluokun, Jacksonville’s leading tackler in 2025 (143), delivered a standout performance as well. He kickstarted the Jaguars’ defensive efforts with an interception on Cleveland’s opening drive and remained a consistent, violent force as a defensive leader.
Along with his interception, Oluokun finished with four tackles (three solo) and a pass deflection, earning an 89.9 PFF grade, the second-highest on the team.
“I'm so happy that we just came out with the juice,” Oluokun said. “I think that we can play with the right energy that came from our accountability all off-season, building up to this first game. We got to keep going.”
Branson Combs, Miller’s counterpart at inside linebacker, played 15 snaps in the win and earned the third-highest PFF grade on Jacksonville’s defense (84.6).
During preseason, Coen explained both Miller and Combs would see some run at linebacker, and both made the most of their opportunities in the opener. Despite logging just nine tackles and going without a sack through his 10 games in 2025, Combs finished with four tackles (one for loss) and a sack in the first game of his second NFL season.
Dennis Gardeck also flashed as a depth piece in Sunday’s win, logging two tackles and a quarterback hit. He nearly forced a Watson fumble in the fourth quarter, but after a replay review, officials ruled the Cleveland QB down.
Though it’s only Week 1, Jacksonville’s 24-point victory showed that its explosive offense and physical defense have what it takes to make the Jaguars legitimate contenders. As Coen put it, they put together “a true team win.”
Lawrence and Jacksonville’s stifling defense will look to build on their statement performance when they head to Denver, Colorado, to take on Bo Nix and the Broncos Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET.
Contact Curan Ahern at cahern@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @CuranAhern.
Contact Max Bernstein at mbernstein@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @maxbernstein23.
Max Bernstein is a fourth-year sports and media journalism major and sports management minor. This Fall, he is a Sports Editor and a Florida Gators and Jacksonville Jaguars reporter at The Alligator. Now in his ninth semester with The Alligator, Max previously served in roles including Digital Managing Editor, Sports Editor, Assistant Sports Editor and Football Reporter. He has also made appearances on the Paul Finebaum Show. In the rare moments Max isn't working, he's usually with his girlfriend Reese, watching sports with his fraternity brothers or missing his family and his two cats.
Curan is a senior sports journalism student in his sixth semester at The Alligator. He is currently a sports editor and football beat reporter for the Gators and the Jaguars. He previously served as a men's tennis and sports enterprise reporter, and he is pursuing a public relations minor.
