Cleveland Browns hold on to beat Jacksonville Jaguars with key plays on defense

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Browns have never been 0-2 under coach Kevin Stefanski. That didn't change this afternoon .

Barely.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence's pass into the end zone as time expired fell incomplete, allowing the Browns to escape from Florida with an 18-13 win. More importantly, they also get out 1-1 for the season.

The Jaguars fell to 0-2 for the season. Only 31 of the 270 NFL teams to start with that record since 1990 have managed to overcome that hole to make the playoffs.

The Browns got off to a fast start, with quarterback Deshaun Watson leading them to 13-3 halftime lead. Watson finished 22-of-34 passing for 186 yards passing and a 78.8 passer rating.

Lawrence was 14-of-30 passing for 220 yards. He had a 71.4 rating.

Follow along here throughout the afternoon as the Browns try right the ship on the banks of the St. James River in Northeast Florida.

Jaguars lose 10 seconds on illegal shift penalty with less than a minute left

The Jaguars cost themselves 10 seconds when they were flagged for an illegal shift with 48 seconds remaining from their own 33, That left them with a first-and-15 from their own 39.

Jaguars take over at own 10 with 1:27 remaining, needing a touchdown

The Browns dodge a potential bullet when Deshaun Watson was ruled to have thrown an incomplete pass instead of fumbling near midfield. After the punt, Jacksonville took over at its own 10, down 18-13 with 1:27 remaining.

James Proche II catches onside try to help Browns keep ball

The Jaguars tried a high free kick in an attempt to get the ball back after the safety. James Proche II, added to the active roster on Saturday, fair caught the high kick at the Jaguars 42 with 1:44 remaining.

Corey Bojorquez pins Jaguars back, Alex Wright finishes them off

The Browns elected to punt on fourth-and-27 from the Jaguars 41. Corey Bojorquez got off the perfect punt, which hit at about the Jacksonville 1, made a right turn and went out of bounds at the Jaguars 2.

On the next play, Browns defensive end Alex Wright rushed Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and sacked him at the back of the end zone for a safety.

It gave the Browns an 18-13 lead with 1:44 remaining.

D'Onta Foreman starts run of penalties for Cleveland Browns

Running back D'Onta Foreman looked like he had picked up a massive first down with less than three minutes remaining. Instead, he was flagged for a facemask, which made it second-and-16 from the Jaguars 30.

It was the first of three crushing penalties for the Browns in four-play span. It went from a first-and-goal inside the Jacksonville 10 to third-and-36 at midfield.

Deshaun Watson kept the ball for nine yards on third down with 1:56 left.

Jameis Winston converts 2nd 4th down of game for Cleveland Browns

Jameis Winston's filled his role well for the Browns. On fourth-and-1 from the Jaguars 26 with 3:24 remaining, Winston came in for Deshaun Watson and ran the quarterback sneak for a 2-yard gain.

It's the second fourth down Winston has converted in the game. He also ran a sweep to running back Jerome Ford to convert another fourth down.

Jerry Jeudy gives Browns just 2nd 3rd-down conversion of game

The Browns have struggled all game on third down. That's what made Jerry Jeudy's 10-yard catch with less than seven minutes remaining so big.

It was just the second third-down conversion in 11 tries on the game.

Jaguars gets a little closer with Cam Little field goal in 4th

Jaguars rookie Cam Little made a 25-yard field goal with 7:32 remaining in the game. That pulls Jacksonville within 16-13.

The Browns defense was called for three penalties on the Jaguars' drive, including a pair of offsides calls. The Jaguars did have an illegal shift flag negate a touchdown.

End 3rd quarter: Cleveland Browns 16, Jacksonville Jaguars 10

The Browns led 16-10 after the third quarter. They face a third-and-16 from their own 24 starting the fourth.

Jaguars rookie Brian Thomas Jr. with big catch to set up Travis Etienne Jr.'s TD

The Jaguars picked up a spark in their passing game thanks to their rookie first-round pick out of LSU, Brian Thomas Jr. Thomas pulled in a 66-yard pass to the Browns 6 right in front of cornerback Greg Newsome II.

Two plays later, running back Travis Etienne Jr. ran it in from the Browns 4, making it 16-10 Cleveland with 1:11 left in the third.

Cam Little bounces field goal off right upright as Cleveland Browns avoid Jaguars scoring chance

The Jaguars got as close as the Browns 17 before defensive end Myles Garrett, sore foot and all, managed to get a strip sack of Trevor Lawrence. The 8-yard loss forced a 43-yard field goal try by rookie Cam Little, who hit the right upright to keep the game at 16-3 in favor of Cleveland.

Cleveland Browns' Martin Emerson Jr. leaves with injury, returns to play

Cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. needed assistance to get to the medical tent after he was injured on an 8-yard pass to Jacksonville's Travis Etienne Jr. with 7:50 remaining in the third quarter. Emerson appeared to be favoring his left leg as he went off.

However, Emerson was back on the field two plays later.

Pierre Strong Jr. out for remainder of game with hamstring injury

Running back Pierre Strong Jr. was ruled out by the Browns after suffering a hamstring injury. He sustained the injury on the Jaguars' second punt of the second half.

Another field goals for Cleveland Browns' Dustin Hopkins

Dustin Hopkins at least gave the Browns points on a drive that saw the two teams alternate penalties over the first four plays. Hopkins then ended the drive with a 44-yard field goal to give Cleveland a 16-3 lead with 10:20 left in the third quarter.

Dawand Jones back in at right tackle for Cleveland Browns

Dawand Jones, who missed time in both the second and third quarters, was back at right tackle for the Browns' second third-quarter possession. He had been out with cramping.

David Bell carted off for the Cleveland Browns with hip injury

Browns wide receiver David Bell was carted off the field with a right hip injury of some nature 22 seconds into the second half. Bell had a 6-yard reception on third down and appeared to injury to his leg as he was tackled.

Bell had caught all three passes for 27 yards in the game. They almost immediately announced it as a hip injury and that he would not return.

Germain Ifedi starts 2nd half at right tackle for Cleveland Browns

Germain Ifedi remained at right tackle for the Browns to open the second half. He came in for Dawand Jones in the second quarter after Jones left due to cramping.

Halftime: Cleveland Browns 13, Jacksonville Jaguars 3

The Browns led by 10 points at the end of the first half of play. They will also get the ball to start the second half after winning the coin toss and deferring.

Quarterback Deshaun Watson was 11-of-15 passing for 108 yards and 115.1 passer rating in the first half for the Browns. He's also run it four times for 11 yards.

Dustin Hopkins gives Cleveland Browns another 10-point lead

The Browns couldn't turn the big fourth-down play into a touchdown. They did turn it into points, as Dustin Hopkins made a 38-yard field goal for a 13-3 lead with 27 seconds remaining in the first half.

Cleveland will get the ball to start the second half.

Cleveland Browns pull off 4th-down fake job with Jameis Winston, Jerome Ford

The Jaguars thought the Browns were going to once again sneak the quarterback when Jameis Winston came on in a fourth-and-1 from the Cleveland 37. Turns out, they were wrong.

Winston instead handed the ball off to running back Jerome Ford on a sweep to the left. The Jacksonville defense was all tight in to defend the sneak, it easily gave Ford the corner.

Ford raced 36 yards down to the Jaguars 27.

Myles Garrett struggling with foot injury that kept him out Thursday

Browns defensive end Myles Garrett missed Thursday's practice with a foot injury. He was back the next day, and has played Sunday.

However, the injury has clearly bothered Garrett during the course of the game. He's been in an out of the lineup, and when he's gone to the sideline, he's been seen working on the foot with his hands.

Jacksonville Jaguars' Cam Little cuts into Cleveland Browns lead

The Browns defense didn't allow Jacksonville to get into the end zone after Trevor Lawrence's big scramble. They eventually gave up a 22-yard field goal by rookie kicker Cam Little to make it 10-3 Cleveland with 4:44 remaining in the second quarter.

JOK's missed sack leads to massive Trevor Lawrence run for Jacksonville Jaguars

The Browns nearly had a big sack on third-and-7 from their own 35. Instead, linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah missed on a sack of quarterback Trevor Lawrence, which allowed him to get outside and run 33 yards to the Browns 2, setting up first-and-goal.

Dustin Hopkins good from 53 yards to extend Cleveland Browns lead

The Browns nearly had a big pass play on third down, but Amari Cooper couldn't hold onto a Deshaun Watson pass at the Jaguars 15. The drop led to Dustin Hopkins to be called upon to make a 53-yard field goal to make it 10-0 Browns with 9:52 remaining in the second quarter.

Hopkins is now 10 for 10 on field goals from 50 yards or longer in a year-plus with the Browns.

Germain Ifedi in for Dawand Jones, who left with cramping

Germain Ifedi, for the second game in a row, replaced Dawand Jones at right tackle coming out of a timeout on the Browns' second offensive possession. He also did so in the opener when Jones left with a brief injury.

Jones was nowhere to be seen on the Browns sideline after he was replaced. They announced in the press box that Jones left with cramping and was questionable to return.

Jameis Winston replaces Deshaun Watson … for a quarterback sneak

The Browns made a quarterback change, for all of one play. Jameis Winston came in to replace Deshaun Watson on fourth-and-1 from the Jaguars 41 early in the second quarter.

Winston picked up two on the play, giving the Browns a first down.

End 1st quarter: Cleveland Browns 7, Jacksonville Jaguars 0

The Browns took a 7-0 lead into the second quarter over the Jaguars. Cleveland was facing second-and-6 from their own 40.

Deshaun Watson was 7 of 9 for 83 yards and a 105.1 passer rating in the first quarter. The Browns had a 114-15 edge in total yards as well.

Denzel Ward, Myles Garrett both come close to big plays

Cornerback Denzel Ward once again nearly had an interception. However, he couldn't quite pull in a second-and-5 Trevor Lawrence pass intended for Gabe Davis on the Jaguars' second possession.

On the next play, defensive end Myles Garrett nearly to to Lawrence. However, left tackle Cam Robinson basically tackled Garrett as he got close to the quarterback, but it didn't draw a flag.

Lawrence's third-down pass sailed into the bench anyways, forcing a three-and-out.

Quarterback Deshaun Watson runs in for Cleveland Browns TD

The Browns scored first when they took their opening possession 89 yards on 16 plays. Quarterback Deshaun Watson capped it with a 1-yard quarterback keeper with 2:29 remaining in the first quarter to give Cleveland a 7-0 lead.

The possession featured a little bit of everything formation-wise, from double-tackle eligible with Nick Harris and Zak Zinter to five-wide receiver sets. They also lined Harris up in the backfield at fullback, then split everyone in the jumbo package, including Zinter, out wide before Watson's touchdown.

D'Onta Foreman in Cleveland Browns starting offensive lineup vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Here's the starting 11 for the Browns, who went with a double-heavy tackle eligible formation with Zak Zinter and Nick Harris:

• QB: Deshaun Watson
• RB: D'Onta Foreman
• WR: Amari Cooper
• WR: Elijah Moore
• Extra tackle: Zak Zinter
• Extra tackle: Nick Harris
• LT: James Hudson III
• LG: Joel Bitonio
• C: Ethan Pocic
• RG: Wyatt Teller
• RT: Dawand Jones

Cleveland Browns starting defense vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Here's the first 11 the Browns ran out on defense against the Jaguars:

• DE: Za’Darius Smith
• DT: Dalvin Tomlinson
• DT: Shelby Harris
• DE: Myles Garrett
• LB: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
• LB: Jordan Hicks
• Nickel: Greg Newsome III
• S: Grant Delpit
• CB: Denzel Ward
• CB: Martin Emerson Jr
• S: Ronnie Hickman

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah wearing Guardian Cap over helmet in warmups

Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was wearing a protective Guardian Cap over his normal helmet as the Browns went through warmups. The cap was designed to look exactly like the Browns' helmet looks, and it blended in with the others unless one was looking closely.

The NFL recently permitted players who wanted to wear the caps in a game to do so.

Jacksonville Jaguars rule out TE Evan Engram after pregame injury

The Jaguars ruled out tight end Evan Engram after the initial inactives came out due to a pregame injury. Engram had two touchdowns in the Browns’ win over Jacksonville last December.

Safety Darnell Savage among Jacksonville Jaguars inactive players vs. Cleveland Browns

The following players will be inactive for the Jaguar against the Browns:

• Safety Darnell Savage
• Offensive lineman Javon Foster
• Offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen
• Defensive tackle Tyler Lacy
• Defensive tackle Maason Smith
• Defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson

Jack Conklin out against Jacksonville Jaguars, James Hudson III to start at left tackle for Cleveland Browns

Both Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills Jr. are among the Browns' inactive players as they play at the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Wills had been ruled out on Friday , while Conklin was listed as questionable, as they had been for the opener against the Dallas Cowboys.

As was the case against the Cowboys, James Hudson III will start at left tackle, while Dawand Jones will again start at right tackle. Hudson made his first career NFL start at left tackle in Wills' place against Dallas, playing all 76 offensive snaps.

Both Wills and Conklin have been practicing for at least the last two weeks, with Conklin having returned a week earlier. However, both continue to not be ready yet to play as they work back from knee injuries that ended their seasons last year.

DTR once again the No. 3 quarterback for the Cleveland Browns against the Jacksonville Jaguars

Dorian Thompson-Robinson led the other inactive players for the Browns, and will be the No. 3 quarterback behind Deshaun Watson and Jameis Winston. He held the same role against the Cowboys.

Other inactive players for the Browns: Cornerback Kahlef Hailassie, rookie guard Javion Cohen and rookie wide receiver Jamari Thrash.

When do the Cleveland Browns play today?

Kickoff is at 1 p.m.

Who is announcing the Jaguars vs. Browns game?

• Play-by-play: Chris Lewis
• Analyst: Jason McCourty
• Sideline: Amanda Guerra

What channel is Browns vs. Jaguars on: How to watch the Cleveland-Jacksonville game on TV, streaming

• TV channel: Fox WJW-TV (Channel 19)
• Stream: Paramount Plus and NFL+
• Announcers: Chris Lewis (play-by-play), Jason McCourty (analyst), Amanda Guerra (sideline reporter)

How to listen to the Cleveland Browns vs. Jacksonville Jaguars game on the radio, stream

• The Cleveland Browns Radio Network will carry the game, with Andrew Siciliano (play-by-play), Nathan Zegura (analyst) and Je'Rod Cherry (sideline reporter) on the call. Among the affiliates in the Akron-Canton area are WAKR-AM 1590, WONE-FM 97.5, WHBC-AM 1480, WQKT-FM 104.5, WKRK-FM 92.3, WKNR-AM 850 and WNCX-FM 98.5.
• The Cleveland Browns Radio Network's call can also be streamed at Cleveland Browns.com, as well as the Browns mobile app. It's also available on Sirius XM radio , with channel 228 carrying the Browns feed.
• The Browns also have a Spanish-language broadcast, with Rafael “Rafa” Hernández-Brito (play-by-play) and Octavio Sequera (analyst) on the call. Games will be streamed on La Mega Cleveland , as well as heard on WNZN-FM 89.1 in Lorain and WVKO-FM 103.1 in Columbus.

How to buy Jaguars vs Browns tickets

Tickets for Sunday's game on StubHub can be purchased on StubHub from $24 before fees.

Browns vs Jaguars weather

It's a potentially rainy day in Jacksonville, with the temperature at kickoff expected to be near 84 degrees, according to the National Weather Service . There is supposed to be winds between 7 and 11 mph, with gusts up to 17 mph. There's 49% chance of precipitation, which includes thunderstorms possible after 11 a.m.

Browns vs. Jaguars injury report

• Browns: OT Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee), out; TE David Njoku (ankle), out; OT Jack Conklin (knee), questionable
• Jaguars: S Darnell Savage (quad), out; LB Caleb Johnson (back), questionable; DT Tyler Lacy (toe), questionable

Cleveland Browns result in Week 1

Cleveland stumbled out of the gate, losing 33-17 at home to the Dallas Cowboys. The Browns led 3-0 at the end of their opening drive, but fell behind 27-3 early in the third quarter.

Jacksonville Jaguars result in Week 1

The Jaguars lost 20-17 at the Miami Dolphins last Sunday afternoon. The Dolphins received a 52-yard field goal by Jason Sanders as time expired to win the game.

Cleveland Browns predictions

So what should we expect from the Browns this Sunday against the Jaguars? Click here to see what our writers project as the score of today's game.

Browns vs. Jaguars betting odds

• Provided by BetMGM.com ; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 2 p.m. ET Saturday.
• Moneyline (ML): Browns +140 (bet $100 to win $140) | Jaguars -165 (bet $165 to win $100)
• Against the spread: Browns +3 (-110) | Jaguars (-110)
• Over/Under (O/U): 41 (O: -110 | U: -110)

Jacksonville Jaguars scores in all-time series vs. Cleveland Browns

Today is the 20th all-time regular-season meeting between the Browns and the Jaguars, all but two of them since Cleveland rejoined the NFL in 1999. Here's a look at the series between the Browns and Jaguars.

• Series record (regular season and playoffs): Jaguars lead 12-7
• Series record (regular season): Jaguars lead 12-7
• Playoff record: N/A
• Series in Cleveland (regular season and playoffs): Jaguars lead 7-3
• Series record in Cleveland (regular season): Jaguars led 7-3
• Series record in Cleveland (playoffs): N/A
• Series record in Jacksonville (regular season and playoffs):Jaguars lead 5-4
• Series record in Jacksonville (regular season): Jaguars lead 5-4
• Series record in Jacksonville (playoffs): N/A
• Last meeting: Browns won 31-27 in Cleveland on Dec. 10, 2023
• Series streak: Browns have won the last two meetings

Cleveland Browns 2024 active roster

• QUARTERBACKS (3): Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Deshaun Watson, Jameis Winston
• RUNNING BACK (3): Jerome Ford, D'Onta Foreman, Pierre Strong Jr.
• WIDE RECEIVER (6): Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore, Jamari Thrash, Cedric Tillman, James Proche II
• TIGHT ENDS (2): Jordan Akins, David Njoku
• OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (10): Joel Bitonio, Jack Conklin, Javion Cohen, Nick Harris, James Hudson III, Dawand Jones, Ethan Pocic, Wyatt Teller, Jedrick Wills Jr., Zak Zinter
• DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (9): Myles Garrett, Shelby Harris, Sam Kamara, Quenton Jefferson, Isaiah McGuire, Ogbo Okoronkwo, Za’Darius Smith, Dalvin Tomlinson, Alex Wright
• LINEBACKERS (6): Devin Bush, Khaleke Hudson, Winston Reid, Jordan Hicks, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Nathaniel Watson
• DEFENSIVE BACKS (11): D’Anthony Bell, Grant Delpit, Martin Emerson Jr., Kahlef Hailassie, Myles Harden, Ronnie Hickman, Rodney McLeod, Cameron Mitchell, Greg Newsome II, Mike Ford Jr., Denzel Ward
• SPECIALISTS (3): Corey Bojorques, Dustin Hopkins, Charley Hughlett

OT Germaine Ifedi, TE Blake Whiteheart elevated from Cleveland Browns practice squad to gameday roster

The Browns elevated offensive tackle Germaine Ifedi and tight end Blake Whiteheart from the practice squad to the gameday roster. The elevation of Whiteheart provides the Browns with a second tight end along with Jordan Akins with Pro Bowler David Njoku out with a high ankle sprain.

The second consecutive elevation of Ifedi is more tackle insurance with Jedrick Wills Jr. out and Jack Conklin listed as questionable. It may, as it did a week ago, mean that Conklin will more likely than not be inactive, making James Hudson III the starter at left tackle.

Ifedi would be a third tackle along with Hudson and Dawand Jones should Conklin be ruled out for the second game in a row.

Whiteheart was one of three tight ends the Browns had on their practice squad, along with Cameron Latu and the recently-signed Geoff Swaim. Whiteheart spent last season with the Arizona Cardinals on their practice squad with one regular-season appearance, when he played for former Browns assistant coach and current Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing.

Cleveland Browns 2024 schedule, results

• Sunday, Sept. 8: Home vs. Dallas Cowboys, L, 33-17
• Sunday, Sept. 15: At Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m., CBS
• Sunday, Sept. 22: Home vs. New York Giants, 1 p.m., FOX
• Sunday, Sept. 29: At Las Vegas Raiders, 4:25 p.m., CBS
• Sunday, Oct. 6: At Washington Commanders, 1 p.m., FOX
• Sunday, Oct. 13: At Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m., FOX
• Sunday, Oct. 20: Home vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m., CBS
• Sunday, Oct. 27: Home vs. Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m., CBS
• Sunday, Nov. 3: Home vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 1 p.m., CBS
• Sunday, Nov. 10: BYE WEEK
• Sunday, Nov. 17: At New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m., FOX
• Thursday, Nov. 21: Home vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:20 p.m., Amazon Prime
• Monday, Dec. 2: At Denver Broncos, 8:20 p.m., ESPN
• Sunday, Dec. 8: At Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m., CBS
• Sunday, Dec. 15: Home vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 1 p.m., CBS
• Thursday, Dec. 19: At Cincinnati Bengals, 8:15 p.m., Amazon Prime
• Sunday, Dec. 29: Home vs. Miami Dolphins, 8:20 p.m., NBC
• Saturday, Jan. 4 OR Sunday, Jan. 5: At Baltimore Ravens, TBA, TV TBA

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Browns hold on to beat Jacksonville Jaguars with key plays on defense