The Jaguars are heading into Week 1 with plenty of confidence, but there are still a few reasons not to get too comfortable about Cleveland.
Start with Jared Verse. Jacksonville saw firsthand what he can do last season in London when he was with the Los Angeles Rams, and he’s the kind of blue-chip pass rusher who can wreck a game plan fast. He’s one of the best defenders the Jaguars’ offensive line will face all season, and the injury report around Anton Harrison and Cole Van Lanen only adds to the concern.
Verse was a problem in 2025, piling up a team-high 67 pressures for the Rams and turning 11.2% of them into sacks, good for 7.5. That was nearly twice his rookie sack rate.
Since entering the league in 2024, he has produced 143 pressures, which is tied for fifth-most with Will Anderson. If Jacksonville doesn’t handle him cleanly, he can swing the whole matchup.
The Browns also bring an interesting skill group to the table in KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston, Harold Fannin, and Quinshon Judkins. It’s a young bunch, with two rookies who have yet to make their true NFL debut and two second-year players, but there’s real talent there. Todd Monken is installing his system in Cleveland for the first time, and Concepcion could end up being a major part of the chess match.
“That was part of our team meeting this week in terms of, ‘Hey, where's he at? And what are the possibilities of what you could get?’
You don't know quite where they're going to put him, all that stuff, but you know he's in the game, let's have an alert for what could possibly come," Jaguars coach Liam Coen said on Friday. "I have a lot of respect for him as a player coming out of A&M.
We had a lot of like for him personally and in this building. I have a lot of respect for him, hopefully as a pro.
I think we have to be aware. We absolutely have to be aware.”
Jacksonville does have answers on defense, including its run defense and playmakers such as Travis Hunter, Antonio Johnson, and Jarrian Jones. On paper, the Jaguars should be equipped to deal with what Cleveland brings.
Still, this is the NFL, where being the favorite doesn’t make the stress disappear. The Jaguars may be the better team, but they’re also the ones carrying upset-alert pressure against a Browns team that could be perfectly content if Verse walks away with only half a sack and Cleveland gets to celebrate the Myles Garrett trade for a week.
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Brian Thomas Jr. Just Put Jacksonvilles Biggest Passing Game Concern Back In Focus
Brian Thomas Jr. briefly sent a ripple through the Jaguars opener when he went down with a shoulder injury in the first quarter against the Browns and was first listed as questionable to return. He made his way back to the sideline and then re-entered the game in the second quarter, which offered an immediate sense of relief for a team counting on him to be a major part of the passing attack this season.
The episode still brought back the questions that followed him through training camp, where the shoulder issue had already been part of the background. For Jacksonville, that is the kind of scare that matters beyond one series or one game, because Thomas is expected to be one of the key pieces in a passing game that cannot afford many more reminders of how fragile its early-season outlook can be. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Defense Flipped Deshaun Watsons Return In Just One Drive
Deshaun Watsons return to a regular-season game came with plenty of buildup, but Jacksonville wasted no time turning the opener into a test. On Clevelands first drive, Watson threw an interception on his first regular-season snap in nearly two years, and Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun brought it back to set up a touchdown for Jacksonville.
Watson had won the Browns Week 1 job after a full-camp competition, and the game marked his first regular-season start since October 2024. For the Jaguars, it was the kind of fast start that can reshape an opener in an instant, especially when the defense is the one delivering the early jolt. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Week 1 Opener Could Bring A Problem Fans Dread
Week 1 brings the usual opening-day buzz, but for fans heading to Jacksonvilles opener against Cleveland on Sunday, Sept. 13, the forecast adds a familiar late-summer wrinkle. Weather across the NFL slate could be unsettled, and the game is among the ones drawing attention as conditions are expected to be the kind that can turn a clean September afternoon into a messy one in a hurry.
For the Jaguars, the concern is less about the calendar and more about the experience, since rain delays and slippery conditions can quickly change how a season opener feels in the stands and on the field. Fans planning to be there should keep an eye on local weather updates and follow safety guidance if storms move in, because this is the sort of situation that can linger right up until kickoff. [Read more 🡒]