Sep 16, 2026 10:00 AM

A disastrous interception and defensive breakdowns derailed Todd Monken’s debut as Jacksonville feasted on Cleveland’s early blunders, leaving the Browns searching for answers after a brutal season opener.

Todd Monken head coaching debut certainly didn't go the way he had hoped. The Cleveland Browns were demolished by the Jacksonville Jaguars 34-10 in a game that spiraled pretty quickly after an early turnover by Cleveland. 

No matter how ugly, ever game comes with some good and some bad as far as the on the field play in concerned. As the book closes on Week 1, here are three plays that defined Cleveland's season opener. 

For an even more in-depth breakdown of the Browns Week 1 game tape, be sure to check out our Week 1 film review show

1) Deshaun Watson's opening drive Interception 

The Browns opening drive was off to a tremendous start until this costly interception from Watson, just outside the red zone. 

Key details: 

- Presnap, the Jaguars walked up a LB (#51 Venrrell Miller) to double-mug the A-gap and show six potential blitzers 

- Once the ball is snapped, the two DEs drop and only four guys actually blitz, including Miller

- In what looked like it was supposed to be a play-action, Quinshon Judkins skips the fake to pick up Miller coming right up the middle, in a perfect world, there would have been some sort of communication to slide LG Zion Johnson to pick it up 

- The A-gap pressure forces Watson to slide slightly to his left,

- The Browns are running a basic curl-flat concept to the left side of the field 

- As soon as Watson avoids the pressure, he locks onto Jeudy running the curl and stares him down, leading Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun right into the window he's throwing into, where he makes the pick 

This mistake by Watson killed a promising drive and the offense quite literally never recovered from it.

2) Trevor Lawrence's first quarter TD pass to Parker Washington

A mere 8 players after Watson's pick, the Jaguars turned the Browns turnover into points with Lawrence finding Washington for a 30-yard TD pass 

Key Details: 

- It looks like the Browns are in cover 1 robber here, which means one safety takes the deep middle of the field and the other safety steps down to takeaway any routes in the middle of the field, everyone else is in man coverage

- Things go haywire pretty quickly because Washington's route

- Myles Harden has him in coverage out of the slot, and he gets turned around because Washington's first step is outside to the right

- Once he cuts back in to his left to start his corner route, Harden is already in chase mode and Washington is also able to use Browns' LB Carson Schwesinger as a screen as he races to cover the RB out of the backfield 

- Harden gets tied up with Schwesinger a bit and can't recover, as Washington races into a wide open area of the field

It was honestly the perfect route/call for the coverage Cleveland was in, and once Harden was chasing the play it was over. Harden is likely going to be an easy target for opposing offenses moving forward 

3) Denzel Boston's first career TD late in fourth quarter

With the game well in hand, Monken opted for keeping the starters in to let them get some more in-game reps together and the decision produced the team's first touhdown of the season and the first of Denzel Boston's career. 

Key details:

- Brown are in 11 personnel (one TE, one RB, 3 WRs) and KC Concepcion comes in motion from out wide into the slot 

- Boston is also in more of a slot position with a reduced split and is running a seam route 

- The defense appears to be in cover 4 with both outside corners and the two safeties each dropping into their fourth of the field on the back end

- As the play develops, Concepcion runs an out that pulls backup safety Caleb Ransaw down from his fourth of the field

- Boston runs a great route, and even though Jags CB Montaric Brown (who is the only starter on the field) picks up on what's happening, Boston gets even with him and it's over

- Once Boston clears Brown, he stacks his route to get on top of him and shows late hands in the end zone to make the catch

It's rare that Watson even attempts a throw like this, so perhaps it's something he and the offense can build on moving into Week 2. 


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