Jaguars Have Advantages Over Browns in 3 Key Areas Ahead of Week 1

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars will officially kick off the 2026 season on Sunday, hosting the Cleveland Browns in a home opener that could set the tone for the early stretch of the season.

For the Jaguars to find success against the Browns, they will have to lean on a few key players, staff members, and other advantages they can potentially find. So, which of these advantages could prove to be the greatest for Jacksonville in Week 1? We break down a few below.

The HC Matchup

liam coe — Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen answers questions after the Jacksonville Jaguars eighth day of NFL Training Camp at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla., Friday, August 7, 2026. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars and Browns are being led by two head coaches who are early in their tenures, but that doesn't change the advantage the Jaguars have when it comes to Liam Coen vs. Todd Monken. Both are play-callers with years of offensive success behind their names, but this will be Monken's first game as a head coach, and he will be doing it for a team that has gone 8-26 over the last two seasons. Coen, meanwhile, proved enough in his first year as head coach to earn the proper respect.

With Coen at the helm as offensive play caller, the Jaguars scored 25 plus points in 13 games in 2025, tied for the NFL lead. Their eight straight games with 25-plus points scored from Weeks 9 to 16 also tied for the longest streak in the NFL last season. Monken found plenty of success with the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson, but he is in a tough situation in Cleveland for his first go at the head job. With Coen already having a strong year under his belt, it should be expected for the Jaguars to look a bit more crisp and prepared than their AFC North foes.

In the Slot

Dec 29, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) celebrates his touchdown against the Tennessee Titans in the second quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

I will be very surprised if this is not a big week for Parker Washington. Two of the Browns' top four defenders play cornerback in Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell, but neither one of them is going to be in the slot against Washington. Instead, Washington is bound to face off with slot cornerback Myles Harden, who allowed a team-high five touchdowns and a 116.5 passer rating in coverage a year ago.

Washington simply has been absolutely electric since he got promoted to a starting role last November, and there is little reason to think that Harden will be able to slow him down. Washington looked like the Jaguars' No. 1 receiver during training camp, and his chemistry with Trevor Lawrence is seemingly at an all-time high. The Browns have some talented pieces in the secondary, but this matchup just seems like it will be a long day for Harden.

Campanile vs. Watson

The last time Deshaun Watson won a game in which he started? Week 2 of the 2024 seaon, a sloppy 18-13 win in Jacksonville over one of the worst Jaguars teams of the last decade. Despite playing an all-time bad Jaguars defense, Watson recorded just 186 yards on 34 attempts, and the win was much more about the Browns' defense than anything else. A lot has changed since that bleak afternoon in Duval, but Watson is somehow due to make another start against the Jaguars.

What Jacksonville didn't have two years ago against Watson was Anthony Campanile, whose scheme proved to be a headache for several quarterbacks a year ago. Watson is already a turnover-prone quarterback who gifted defenders with interceptions this summer and in the preseason, and there is little reason to think Campanile can't muddy the picture on him enough times to force enough takeaways and missed throws to make a difference.

Add us as a preferred source on Google