CLEVELAND, Ohio — Week 1 was a bad showing for the Browns and quarterback Deshaun Watson. For an offense that’s advertised as dynamic with ability to put up some points, the Browns hope the first game is the low point for the unit.
As for Watson, the Cowboys made him uncomfortable all game. The extensive pressure forced him to react quickly, usually leading to escaping the pocket sooner than expected, leading to a sack or busted play.
Watson ended the loss to Dallas with a 53.3 completion percentage and 169 yards pass with one touchdown and two interceptions. He was sacked six times.
However, the Browns’ Week 2 opponent in the Jacksonville Jaguars features a defensive unit that is strong up front, but not as strong in the backfield — a unit Watson could exploit if he plays to his capabilities.
Jaguars pass defense
For the past couple seasons, the Jaguars pass defense has been on the bottom end of the league rankings.
Below are their rankings at the end of the 2023 season, per Team Rankings:
- Passing yards allowed per game: 239.8 (26th)
- Completions allowed per game: 23.8 (27th)
- Completion percentage: 65.48% (19th)
- Yards per completion allowed per game: 10.1 (tied 14th)
Quarterbacks have been able to feast on their pass defense in the last couple seasons, and Cleveland actually took part in that last season in Week 14, when quarterback Joe Flacco made his late season run on the way to the playoffs.
Flacco threw for 212 of his 311 yards in the first half, and finished with three touchdowns and one interception. He completed six of his nine passes that were thrown 10 or more yards downfield, and finished with a 71.9 passing grade when under pressure, per Pro Football Focus.
Though Jacksonville’s Josh Allen felt the Browns didn’t do much “without the big plays,” the record shows it’s a unit where quarterbacks can produce some air yards.
The last couple seasons, though, were under defensive coordinator, Mike Caldwell. They let him go ahead of this season for Ryan Nielsen.
Defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen coached one of the better pass defenses in 2023 with Atlanta, and looks to take that with him to Jacksonville. Getty Images
Ryan Nielsen
Nielsen came from Atlanta, where his defense finished eighth in passing yards allowed (202.9), and first in highest press coverage rate versus wide aligned routes (53.7%).
Nielsen has had to game plan for Watson as a defensive coordinator once before, going back to Week 16 of the 2022 season when New Orleans traveled to Cleveland.
During the game, Watson completed 48.4% of his passes for 135 yards, one interception and one rushing touchdown. He graded moderately in terms of passing under pressure and when being blitzed, in the high 60s, and he completed four of his six pass attempts when throwing under pressure, per PFF.
This was also the second-coldest game on record at six degrees, with a real feel of minus-16, so players were slipping and sliding, or dropping passes. Some incompletions could’ve been caught.
The Saints won, 17-10.
There is also Nielsen’s debut as Jacksonville’s defensive coordinator last weekend, which didn’t go so well.
The Jaguars blew a 10-point lead and lost, 20-17, as Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa threw for 207 of his 388 passing yards in the second half.
Miami does hold one of the best offenses that ranked third last season in points (27.9) and first in pre-snap motion percentage (68.2%). But the doubts are there about whether the Jags’ pass defense has improved.
Pressure rate
Cleveland faced a Cowboys’ defense that finished last season first pressure rate percentage (42.5%). That percentage was the best of any defense over the last six seasons.
Jacksonville finished last season 14th in pressure rate percentage, a little over 35% on the season.
Better up front, worse in the backfield.
Josh Allen of the Jacksonville Jaguars finished second in sacks (17.5) last season, and leads a sturdy Jacksonville front.Getty Images
Jaguars run defense
The Browns finished the loss to Dallas with 93 rushing yards on 19 carries (4.9 per carry) and one touchdown. Jerome Ford had the touchdown, along with 12 carries for 44 yards, though 21 of that came in the fourth period when the game was decided.
Jacksonville kept Miami to 81 rushing yards in the loss.
And when you go back to the Browns’ matchup with Jacksonville in 2023, Cleveland finished with 28 carries for 82 yards (2.9 per carry) and one touchdown. That 82 rushing yards is further down from what Jacksonville’s run defense was allowing on the season, 103.1 per game, which finished ninth league-wide.
“Jacksonville has an elite front: (Travon) Walker, (Josh Hines-Allen) Allen, those guys, (Arik) Armstead, you know, they like to bring the heat,” Watson said. “They’re very athletic, they’re very tough, very fast, and they play super, super hard.”
Allen finished second in the league in sacks (17.5), and Walker wasn’t too far off with 10 of his own. Armstead joined after a season with San Francisco, and had five sacks with a sturdy 49ers unit.
Looking forward
After the kind of Week 1 performance that was, the only way for the Browns is up.
Coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey will look to exploit the defensive backfield of the Jags and try to have Watson push the ball down the field.
