Avoiding 0-2 at all cost makes the Browns and Jaguars a pair of desperate teams

Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.

JACKSONVILLE, FL

Four downs on Browns (0-1) v. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)

First down: Who wants it more?

By now, everyone knows an 0-2 start all but guarantees a ticket to watch the NFL postseason, not to participate in it. Since 1970, less than 10% of teams that started 0-2 made the playoffs – 40 out of 416. Houston did it last year and Cincinnati did it in 2022. But it happens less than once a season. So these are desperate times for these teams with high expectations – yes, already. How did they get to the point of classifying this September match-up a must-win game? The Jaguars lost 5 of their last 6 last year to blow a big division lead, and then coughed up a 17-7 lead in Miami last week and lost on a last-second field goal. Adding to the Jags’ pressure, this is their first chance at home to erase the bad memories of last season. The Browns laid a giant egg in their home-opener. Their ineptness spread to every facet of the team, causing everyone outside their building to hurtle straight to DEFCON 1 and declare a state of emergency. Inside the building, the Browns have taken a more intentional approach to what happened against the Cowboys. “When you look at a lot of the greatest teams, a lot of them lose that first game and have difficulty early on,” linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah said. “When you’re having so much success to start off with and never are really challenged early on, some teams get smacked when it comes to playoff time. I’m not glad we lost the game, but we learn from those mistakes and find a way to conceptualize it for our benefit.” The Browns weathered plenty of adversity last year. This season is starting no different.

Second down: 4’s horror show.

This puts Deshaun Watson’s week in perspective. His humiliating season debut – 3.75 yards per pass attempt, 6 sacks, 17 quarterback hits, 2 interceptions and a 51.1 passer rating in a 33-17 defeat that wasn’t that close – wasn’t the worst thing that happened to him. In the days before Watson’s first game back from November shoulder surgery, he lost his estranged father and a good friend and former college teammate to a shooting. The day after the game, Watson was hit with perhaps the most serious civil lawsuit of 27 filed against him for inappropriate acts alleged before he joined the Browns. The latest charges of sexual assault and battery, which date to October of 2020, spurred a new NFL investigation that potentially could lead to another suspension and, perhaps, a void of $92 million in contract guarantees scheduled for 2025 and 2026. Teammates and coaches voiced their faith and confidence in Watson being able to focus on his task at hand, which is to win over everyone else’s faith and confidence. It bears noting that in Watson’s signature win – and last win -- as a Cleveland Brown in Baltimore last season, he actually played worse in the first half before rallying his team from a 15-point deficit to win, 33-31. If Watson somehow supervises a win here in Game 2, it might not erase all his troubles but it would give him some breathing room for a week.

Third down: The bank of Trevor.

They’ve renamed EverBank Stadium TrEverBank Stadium for the Jaguars’ opener through a promotional association Trevor Lawrence has with the naming rights holder. Yes, life is good for the fourth-year quarterback, who doesn’t turn 25 until next month. He has his own stadium name, at least for one day, and a $275 million contract that puts him in the company of Joe Burrow and Jordan Love for the second-highest per-year salary average ($55 million) in the NFL. There’s just one thing: Lawrence has lost six games in a row – the longest active streak in the NFL. “He’s a rapidly maturing young quarterback,” said defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. “Very, very talented, both with his legs and with his arm. Makes quick decisions and you can really see his transformation as a young player to now a veteran player and just getting the ball out quick and those kinds of things, particularly first and second down. Really good at IDing coverage and knowing where he’s going with the ball.” In a meeting on December 10, the Browns sacked Lawrence four times, hit him 12 times and forced three interceptions in a 31-27 Browns win. These points of clarification, however: Lawrence played with a high ankle sprain suffered the week before, Joe Flacco was the Browns quarterback who outgunned Lawrence, and the Browns’ defense was at home, where it lived up to its self-proclaimed elite status.   

Fourth down: Injury dominoes falling already.

After one game, the Browns had to put five players on injured reserve – safety Juan Thornhill, linebacker Mohamoud Diabate, linebacker Tony Fields, defensive tackle Maurice Hurst and cornerback Myles Harden. They will most miss, however, the injured player who wasn’t put on the IR list – tight end David Njoku. With only one available tight end experienced in what they’re trying to do on offense, Jordan Akins, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Browns convert to a four-receiver, spread offense with Cedric Tillman joining Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore. This would help to make Watson more comfortable, which seems to be the theme of all the offensive changes. It also would stretch a Jaguars secondary missing two of its top three cornerbacks -- Tyson Campbell and nickel back Darnell Savage -- to the breaking point. What about the running game, you say? I say, the running game left when Bill Callahan departed to Tennessee.

The pick: Browns 21, Jaguars 19.

My record: 1-0.