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The Jacksonville Jaguars will begin the NFL preseason in Week 1 by hosting the Cleveland Browns on Saturday. Check out our preview for this highly anticipated exhibition matchup below.
See where the Jags and Browns rank in our latest NFL power rankings
Browns vs Jaguars: What you need to know
- Jaguars host the Browns at TIAA Bank Field on Saturday, August 14th at 7:00 pm ET on NFL Network.
- Sportsnaut says the Jacksonville Jaguars will beat the Cleveland Browns, 24-16.
- Odds: The Jaguars are favorites by one point with the over/under set at 37.5.
Trevor Lawrence and Gardner Minshew vs Browns’ new-look defense
Much of the reason folks will tune in for this one is the debut of Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 overall pick and presumptive starting quarterback for the Jaguars. Home fans are eager to get a chance to see Lawrence in action, and he’ll have at least a decent test in front of him.
While Cleveland’s vastly improved defense figures to play some of its starters for only a series or two, if that, high draft picks such as cornerback Greg Newsome II and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah are in legitimate battles to start. Nevertheless, Lawrence and Minshew should be able to put together several scoring drives between them.
- Minshew Mania: The forgotten man in Jacksonville, Gardner Minshew is a solid QB in his own right who should continue to push Lawrence and make him earn the starting job. Minshew could also enhance his trade prospects with a solid showing versus Cleveland.
- JOKer is Serious: After being sidelined by COVID protocols to begin camp, Owusu-Koramoah should be ready to roll and state his case as a potential starter. He’s known for his ability in coverage in particular, and the preseason will be extremely important for the ex-Notre Dame star.
Advantage: Jacksonville Jaguars
Urban Meyer vs Kevin Stefanski
After a legendary college coaching career, Urban Meyer is finally making the leap to the pros. The Jaguars have handed over their program to Meyer, and he’s going to do things his way. It’ll therefore be interesting to see which team is better prepared, as Stefanski is the reigning NFL Coach of the Year.
- Burnin’ Urban: Few coaches have a competitive fire that burns hotter than Meyer’s. Whether that winds up burning him out or results in instant success in the NFL, his presence will make the Jaguars fascinating to watch.
- Captain Cool Kevin: Stefanski is much the opposite of Meyer in terms of personality and the way he carries himself. No longer a rookie coach, Stefanski should benefit from a fuller offseason program off a strong 2020 campaign. For purposes of this game, though, look for the coach to be extremely conservative in deploying his top players.
Advantage: Jacksonville Jaguars
Donovan Peoples-Jones vs. Jaguars secondary
Read any report coming out of Browns training camp, and the clear star is second-year wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones. The former top recruit who had an underwhelming college career at Michigan fell to the sixth round in last year’s draft. Expect DPJ to test Jacksonville’s defensive backfield in a big way this weekend.
- From OBJ to DPJ?: Odell Beckham Jr. is still working his way back from a major knee injury, and Jarvis Landry is highly unlikely to play. Peoples-Jones has a great chance to state his case as the Browns’ No. 3 wideout — and prove he can be a potentially elite receiver who ends up taking Beckham’s spot in due time.
- Jags’ dynamic duo: Cornerback Tyson Campbell and safety Andre Cisco are two rookies who’ll probably get a lot of work throughout the preseason. Campbell enjoyed a strong career at Georgia, and Cisco is a hard-hitting safety out of Syracuse. They’ll be chiefly charged with slowing Peoples-Jones down. How Campbell performs could dictate whether Jacksonville trades 2020 first-round pick C.J. Henderson.
Advantage: Cleveland Browns
Travis Etienne vs. Demetric Felton and D’Ernest Johnson
Lawrence’s Clemson teammate, tailback Travis Etienne, is being deployed primarily as a runner, but is also splitting out wide as a receiver. Etienne is fully capable of scoring any which way the Jags can manufacture touches for him.
With Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt likely getting little to no work in the Browns’ backfield, you’d expect Jacksonville to have a huge advantage at the position. That may not necessarily be the case.
- Browns’ own Swiss Army Knife: Sixth-round pick Demetric Felton is being cross-trained as a runner and receiver similarly to Etienne. Thus far, it seems like Felton is up to the task, and he could contribute sooner than expected to the Browns’ loaded offense.
- D’Ernest Earns Trust: When Chubb and Hunt got rare rest last season, Johnson made the most of his touches, with 166 yards on 33 carries for a healthy five-yard-per-attempt clip. The Jags need to brace for contact when the decisive, powerful 208-pounder hits the hole.
Advantage: Cleveland Browns
The bottom line: Meyer is quite monomaniacal when it comes to the concept of competition. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him push the envelope and get some of his key players more reps in the preseason. Thus, look for the Jaguars to pull this one out, since they’ll have better personnel on the field for the majority of the game.