Our Browns vs Jaguars prediction backs Jacksonville heavily. Cleveland travels to EverBank Stadium on Sunday, September 13. CBS has the 1:00 PM ET kickoff on the opening weekend of the 2026 NFL season. Squawka Signal’s live read, including where the value sits, is in the block just below. Moreover, Signal rates all 16 Week 1 games the same way.
On last season’s numbers this is the widest gap of the weekend. Jacksonville went 13-4 with 474 points; Cleveland went 5-12 and scored 279, the fewest of any team playing this round. Furthermore, the Browns threw 18 interceptions at a 70.0 passer rating.
Yet one number complicates it. Cleveland’s defense recorded 53 sacks in 2025, and Myles Garrett had 23 of them, more than any player in the league. Jacksonville’s line, meanwhile, allowed 41. That is the single route to an upset here.
Browns vs Jaguars: our editor’s props
Two editorial calls to sit alongside the live Signal numbers above.
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Our props
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Browns vs Jaguars: 2025 season form
Jacksonville went 13-4 with a points difference of plus 138. Cleveland went 5-12 at minus 100, and no team playing this weekend scored less than their 279.
| 2025 regular season | Browns | Jaguars |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 5-12 | 13-4 |
| Points for | 279 | 474 |
| Points against | 379 | 336 |
| Point differential | -100 | +138 |
| Sacks recorded | 53 | 32 |
| Sacks allowed | 51 | 41 |
| Interceptions made | 11 | 22 |
| Third-down offense | 33.6% | 39.2% |
| Red-zone offense | 52.6% | 61.8% |
| Red zone allowed | 58.0% | 59.6% |
| Opponent passer rating | 90.0 | 78.5 |
The sack rows are the interesting ones. Cleveland recorded 53, more than any side on the slate, yet allowed 51 in return, which is the profile of a team that cannot protect its own quarterback. Jacksonville also intercepted 22 passes and held opponents to a 78.5 rating, so the ball rarely came free against them.
Browns vs Jaguars injury report and team news
The official Week 1 game-status report is not out yet, because teams file their first designations in the days before kickoff. This section updates as soon as the Out, Doubtful and Questionable tags appear.
Deshaun Watson has been officially named as Cleveland’s starter, ahead of Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. Jerry Jeudy and Isaiah Bond lead the receivers, meanwhile, with Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson in the backfield.
Trevor Lawrence starts for Jacksonville. Brian Thomas Jr., Travis Hunter and Jakobi Meyers give him a deep receiving group, while Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr. share the run game after Travis Etienne’s move to New Orleans.
The matchup that decides it: Myles Garrett against a Jaguars line that allowed 41 sacks
The Browns are a 5-12 team with an elite pass rush, which is an unusual combination. They recorded 53 sacks in 2025 and Garrett alone accounted for 23, the most in the league.
Jacksonville’s protection is the vulnerability that makes it relevant. Their line allowed 41 sacks last season, and Trevor Lawrence threw 12 interceptions. Consequently, if the Browns are going to stay in this, it happens through Garrett rather than through their own offense.
That offense is the problem, though. Cleveland converted 33.6% of third downs and posted a 70.0 passer rating, both the weakest figures of any team playing this weekend. Even a dominant afternoon from the front seven may not be enough.
Players to watch
- Myles Garrett (CLE, DE): 23 sacks in 2025, the most in the league, against a line that allowed 41.
- Trevor Lawrence (JAC, QB): 29 touchdown passes last season, though he also threw 12 interceptions.
- Brian Thomas Jr. (JAC, WR): Jacksonville’s primary target in an offense that converted 61.8% in the red zone.
- Deshaun Watson (CLE, QB): Officially named as the starter, inheriting the league’s least productive offense.
- Devin Lloyd (JAC, LB): Five interceptions in 2025, part of a defense that took the ball away 22 times.
How to watch Browns vs Jaguars
The game kicks off at 1:00 PM ET on Sunday, September 13 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville. CBS has the broadcast, meanwhile, with Paramount+ carrying the stream. Because this is an early Sunday window, coverage is regional, so check your local listings.
| Detail | Browns vs Jaguars |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, September 13, 2026 |
| Kickoff | 1:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM CT / 11:00 AM MT / 10:00 AM PT |
| Venue | EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, FL |
| TV | CBS |
| Live stream | CBS / Paramount+ |
| Week | Week 1, 2026 NFL season |
Browns vs Jaguars prediction and score projection
Our Browns vs Jaguars prediction is a comfortable Jacksonville win, and this is one of the few games where Signal is bolder than the market rather than more cautious.
The Browns do have a genuine weapon. Garrett’s 23 sacks against a line that conceded 41 is the sort of mismatch that can keep a bad team in a game. Still, 279 points across a season is the harder problem, and it is not one a pass rusher can solve.
So we will take the Jaguars to win, 25-15. Indeed, a 13-4 team hosting a side that scored 279 points should not need to be at its best. Which side carries the value, though, is a separate question from who wins, and the live read on that sits in the Signal block.
Signal rates every game on our NFL picks page. Meanwhile the title race is priced through Super Bowl LXI odds, with both conferences on the NFC and AFC Championship pages. Finally, player markets sit with our NFL player props coverage, and kickoff is confirmed on NFL.com.
Browns vs Jaguars FAQ
The Jaguars, heavily. Jacksonville went 13-4 and scored 474 points, whereas Cleveland went 5-12 and scored 279, the fewest of any team playing this weekend. The live win probability and the current market price both sit in the Signal block on this page.
Spreads move all week, so both the live line and our model’s projected line sit in the Signal block rather than in this answer. As a guide to the gap: Jacksonville finished 13-4 at plus 138, Cleveland 5-12 at minus 100.
CBS has the broadcast and Paramount+ carries the stream. Kickoff is 1:00 PM ET on Sunday, September 13, 2026 from EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville. Coverage is regional in the early window.
Their route is Myles Garrett, whose 23 sacks led the league, against a Jacksonville line that allowed 41. However, Cleveland scored 279 points in 2025 and converted 33.6% of third downs, both the worst figures on this weekend’s slate.
Jaguars 25-15. Cleveland converted 33.6% of third downs in 2025 and posted a 70.0 passer rating, both the weakest figures on this weekend’s slate. Consequently points should be hard to come by.
21+ | Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER | Signal probabilities and odds approximate at time of writing and subject to change