With the Cleveland Browns ending their QB controversy, the Jacksonville Jaguars can begin game-planning for Deshaun Watson. Watson has never lost to Jacksonville in his career, dating back to his prime with Houston.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have one more preseason game before taking the field for Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns.
While the Jaguars haven't had much controversy regarding who will start at various key positions, outside of offensive line, the Browns' offseason has been littered with back-and-forth about the starting quarterback position.
On Monday, new Cleveland head coach Todd Monken ended the debates, naming Deshaun Watson the QB1 over second-year gunslinger Shedeur Sanders.
The opening responses to this move were negative, considering Watson's recent comments about the fanbase, and the lack of return on investment from his contract to this point.
ESPN Analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky had strong words about the move on First Take, saying "Browns fans should not go to games."
But, for Jacksonville, it means that defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile can begin to gameplan for Watson, who is more-seasoned than Sanders.
Watson has had the Jaguars' number across his career, sitting at 7-0 against Duval from his time with the Houston Texans.
But, this is not the same Jaguars teams from Watson's heyday with the Texans, as the defense should once again be very dynamic.
Last season, the Jaguars' 31 takeaways ranked second in the entire league, while their run defense stood strong thanks to key pieces like Arik Armstead on the interior.
A healthier Travis Hunter will bolster and already solid defensive backfield anchored by Montaric Brown and Jourdan Lewis.
Hunter will also be playing with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, returning from injury against the team that could have drafted the former Heisman winner.
Jacksonville of course traded up to select Hunter, while the Browns moved down.
Browns Owner Jimmy Haslem even admitted that Cleveland would have drafted Hunter, calling him "not a good, but a great kid."
The environment at Everbank Stadium will be raucous, especially with the highly-scrutinized Browns coming to town.
Expect Jacksonville's defense to be active and explosive early on, giving the offense opportunities to cash in early.
Throughout the offseason, media outlets and members of the team have talked about the strides starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence and his receivers have taken, setting high expectations for how good the offense can be.
CBS Sports Senior NFL Columnist Pete Prisco is one recent endorser, saying that he expects the Jaguars' passing game to be "explosive."
With the depth at the wide receiver position, and continued growth of tight end Brenton Strange, Lawrence has not shortage of weapons.
Most gambling books have the Jaguars as heavy favorites, being favored by 7.5 points.
If the Jaguars can get off to a hot start, they could start the season with a big performance against an unstable situation at quarterback.
