Browns scouting report: Jacksonville Jaguars
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is an analyst on the Cleveland Browns for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Browns v. Jacksonville Jaguars
Sunday, 1 p.m., Cleveland Browns Stadium
Record: 8-4.
Last game: Lost to Cincinnati Bengals, 34-31 in OT, December 4, in Jacksonville.
Coach: Doug Pederson, 18-12, second year; 64-51-1 overall.
Series record: Jaguars lead, 12-6.
Last meeting: Browns won, 27-25, November 29, 2020, in Jacksonville.
League rankings: Offense overall is 12th (22nd rushing, ninth passing), defense overall is 24th (fifth rushing, 30th passing) and turnover differential is plus-3.
Things to watch
1. In the blink of an eye, the Jaguars season changed dramatically Monday night. They were on their way to a ninth win over the Bengals, which would have moved them into the No. 1 AFC seed. They ended the night with a loss, dropping them to the No. 4 seed, and, worse, lost their franchise quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, to a high ankle injury with 5:25 left. Coach Doug Pederson fell short of naming backup C.J. Beathard the starter against the Browns, but it would stun everyone in Jacksonville if Lawrence were able to recover in time to play. He stunned the same people, however, when he returned from a knee sprain suffered late in Game 3 against the Colts and recovered to play four days later against the Saints. Lawrence has never missed a game – 46 in a row – since drafted No. 1 overall in 2021. They could be without two additional offensive starters – receiver Christian Kirk (core muscle) and left tackle Walker Little (hamstring), who was the lineman pushed into Lawrence, causing the ankle injury.
Trevor Lawrence is expected to miss the first game of his NFL career Sunday because of a right high ankle sprain.
2. Beathard did well in relief of Lawrence (9 of 10 for 63 yards). He nearly pulled out the win in overtime, but a 43-yard completion to Calvin Ridley at the Bengals 2 was erased by a holding penalty. Beathard hasn’t started a game since 2020 with the 49ers. He has a 2-10 record in 12 starts, all with the 49ers, with an 80.8 passer rating.
3. A bigger surprise than the 354 yards passing yielded to Bengals backup QB Jake Browning was the utter failure of the Jags’ fifth-ranked run defense. It allowed 156 rushing yards to Cincinnati – nearly double its season average. A key player in the run defense, nose tackle Foley Fatukasi, suffered a knee injury and could miss the Browns’ game.
4. Jacksonville’s pass rush comes from edge rushers Josh Allen (13.5 sacks) and 2022 No. 1 overall draft pick Travon Walker (five). Allen, who also leads the team with 24 quarterback hits, is in line for a huge second contract after this season.
5. One of the Jaguars’ offensive downfalls has been their running game. They’re not good in short-yardage situations and when they need to milk the clock and possess the ball.
Did you know … ?
1. The Jaguars drew heavy criticism for signing Kirk to a $17 million-a-year free agent contract in 2022, but he’s actually been a bargain. The slot receiver was on pace to besting the career-year he set last season (84 catches, 1,108 yards, 8 TD) until his injury Monday night. Kirk’s contract, however, balloons to $24.3 million and $27.2 million cap numbers the next two seasons.
2. Another controversial move – trading for receiver Calvin Ridley during a season-long gambling suspension last year – is also paying off. Ridley, a first-round pick of the Falcons in 2018, was acquired for a fifth-round draft pick in 2024 and a conditional pick in 2025 that could be as high as the second round if the Jaguars sign him to a new contract. Ridley’s 2023 season (42 catches, 574 yards, 4 TD) has out-produced the compensation.
3. Evan Engram is third among NFL tight ends with 73 receptions and sixth with 606 receiving yards.
4. The Jaguars’ 21 takeaways (12 interceptions, 9 fumbles) are tied for second, one behind Denver’s 22.
Small world: Head coach Doug Pederson played for the Browns in 2000. He was the quarterback of record in expansion coach Chris Palmer’s last Browns win against Bill Belichick’s Patriots … Defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell was a linebacker for the Browns in 1993-95 … Running back D’Ernest Johnson played for the Browns in 2019-22 … Assistant receivers coach Tyler Tettleton played quarterback at Ohio University and was a Browns offensive quality control coach in 2019.
