5 Observations on Jaguars' Week 2 Loss

The Jacksonville Jaguars have lost again, this time losing 18-13 to the Cleveland Browns at home.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) is shoved out of bounds shy of the goal line by Cleveland Browns safety Rodney McLeod Jr. (12) during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars are reeling.

The Jaguars lost their home opener to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, falling 18-13 after a game filled with poor offense and self-inflicted mistakes. So, what did we see during the loss? We break it down below.

Jaguars' running game is what we thought it was

The Jaguars entered the 2024 season with serious questions about their running game after ranking among the bottom in the NFL a year ago. After some encouraging signs against the Miami Dolphins in Week 1, the Jaguars reverted back to their true self in Week 2.

Every time the Jaguars needed a short-yard conversion, they were stopped in their tracks. The Browns consistently put the Jaguars behind the chains, dominating the Jaguars up front. it wasn't just the line, either, with the receivers and tight ends struggling as well.

The Jaguars can't run the balanced offense they want without a running game, and Sunday was a step backward.

Jacksonville's secondary issues aren't going away

The Jaguars got some solid play out of third-year cornerback Montaric Brown, but their secondary issues are unlikely to go away until they get healthy.

Deshaun Watson had one of the best games of his Browns career on Sunday, routinely dicing up the Jaguars' defense from the pocket and on the move.

The Jaguars' pass-rush missed out on a few sacks, but there were far too many easy completions for Watson.

While third-round cornerback Jarrian Jones flashed during the offseason and training camp, it remains to be seen if his best spot is in the slot or on the outside.

Jones gave up several big completions from the slot on Sunday, revealing just how much the Jaguars' defense missed Darnell Savage. The Jaguars banked on youth on their depth chart and it isn't looking like the best call.

The Jaguars have big problems on offense

The Jaguars' first-half performance on offense was the worst display of offense from the team since the Blaine Gabbert era. Trevor Lawrence was 5-of-11 for 16 yards and routinely looked inaccurate and frazzled from the pocket.

Beyond that, the Jaguars had to call two different timeouts to avoid a delay of game from the goal line, which ended up costing the Jaguars a chance to get points at the end of the half.

It wasn't just Lawrence and the passing game, either. The Jaguars routinely failed to generate movement on the ground. Players looked out of place and unsure of what to do pre-snap. The Jaguars got red-zone penalties on scoring plays.

For a Jaguars offense that has now been together for three years, performances like Sunday are unacceptable.

Jaguars got some help from the rest of the AFC South

The only bright side for the Jaguars on Sunday? The fact that they are far from the only AFC South team to lose.

With the Houston Texans still set to play on Sunday Night Football, the rest of the AFC South is currently 0-6 after the Indianapolis Colts and and Tennessee Titans dropped games to the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets in Week 2.

The Jaguars are a bad team right now, but they aren't alone.

It doesn't get easier from here

This is the worst start the Jaguars could have envisioned through the first two weeks. The Jaguars blew a winnable game in Week 1 against a so-so Dolphins team, and then they had this sloppy loss against a Cleveland Browns team that struggles to score points.

To make matters worse, the Jaguars still have to go on the road to Buffalo and Houston in the next two weeks. This could get ugly.

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