Jaguars vs. Browns: Starting offense shows promise in preseason loss

The Jacksonville Jaguars lost 24-13 to the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL preseason but they should be encouraged about the effort their starting offense showed. After all, this was the first time running back Travis Etienne stepped into the football field since suffering a Lisfranc injury last year, which coincidentally came against the Browns.

Etienne averaged 2.6 yards per carry and dropped a pass that could have gone gotten the offense close to the goal line. On the other hand, he showed the ability to gain yards in chunks, something the Jaguars’ offense lacked last season. His very first run went for 12 yards. Here’s the play in question.

After the game, Trevor Lawrence said that it was great to have Etienne back, especially because last year was tough but especially for him, who was recovering from injury. Speaking of Lawrence, he went 6-of-12 for 95 yards with one touchdown. Of course, a quarterback would like to complete more than 50 percent of your passes but his yard-per-attempt average was nearly two yards higher than the one he logged last year (6.0).

His 32-yard reception to Zay Jones showed both Lawrence’s arms strength and a willingness to stretch the field. The quarterback told the local media that “it was good to see him fight and go make the catch”. He then noted that it’s always great to keep the defense “on the heels right away” Here are Lawrence’s post-game remarks about the wide receiver.

Other Jaguars skilled-position players also made plays against the Browns

Jones wasn’t the only Jaguars receiver that stood out against the Browns. Laquon Treadwell, who re-signed with the team earlier this year, moved the chains on third and long with a 19-yard reception. Even if the 2016 first-round pick doesn’t get a feature role in 2022, he should get his number called often.

Then, there’s tight end Evan Engram, who scored Jacksonville’s sole touchdown of the game. Sure, he was wide open and basically walked into the end zone but that’s due to the coaching staff’s superb play design. Engram struggled with drops early in training camp but has been significantly better in recent days.

Of course, things took a turn for the worse once the starters were pulled from the game. The second and third-string offenses weren’t able to put a single point on the scoreboard. Still, it was encouraging to see Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne fare well in their preseason debut.