Evan Engram among 3 winners in the Jaguars loss to the Browns, also 5 losers

The Jacksonville Jaguars entered Week 14 looking to bounce back from a loss on Monday Night Football. There were reasons to believe they would pull it off even though they were missing several key players.

For one, Trevor Lawrence was suiting up just six days after spraining his ankle. Also, the offensive line had done a much better job of blocking up front the past two weeks. Last but not least, the passing game was clicking. Thus, it wasn't farfetched to think the Jags could upset the Cleveland Browns. Unfortunately, they came short, and that was mostly because of missed opportunities.

Offsides, pass protection issues, and drops hindered the offense, while the defense couldn't stop Joe "Montana" Flacco. While Jacksonville woke up in the fourth quarter, it was too late, and their comeback attempt fell short, so which players had a role in the loss? Here are five, along with three that shined.

5 Jaguars players who faltered vs. the Browns in Week 14

5. Montaric Brown

Sophomore cornerback Montaric Brown had filled in for Tyson Campbell while he was dealing with a hamstring injury. Campbell missed Week 14, this time with a quad injury, and Brown stepped in his place.

The former Arkansas Razorback had previously fared well, making a few plays and missing others along the way, but he had overall done a solid job. That wasn't the case against Cleveland.

Brown, a seventh-round selection by the Jags in last year's draft, played 70 defensive snaps and gave up nine passes on 11 targets (81.8 percent completion rate) for 88 yards. But that wasn't his worst offense. The second-year cornerback missed four tackles or 36.8 percent of his attempts. Basically, he missed one of every three tackles he tried to make.

This was an all-around bad performance from Brown, who might not get his number called again if he struggles the next time he's given a chance.

4. Zay Jones

Zay Jones had a career season in 2022 but he's been somewhat overwhelming this season. While his presence draws coverage away from Christian Kirk and Calvin Ridley, his numbers don't particularly pop off the stat sheet. Granted, a knee injury kept him out of six games this season but he hasn't had a huge performance in the ones he's been in, tallying 23 receptions for 219 yards with two touchdowns.

In Week 14, Jones caught a measly five receptions on 14 targets for 29 yards. It's true that Lawrence overthrew him a few times, but he also had a drop early in the game that could've moved the chains and potentially gotten the Jaguars into the red zone but couldn't reel it in. Former Jaguars tight end Clay Harbor said it best, Jones had to make that play.

3. Gregory Junior

Montaric Brown wasn't the only reserve corner who was called upon against the Browns, but whereas Brown was substituting for Tyson Campbell in the boundaries, Gregory Junior filled in for Tre Herndon in the slot.

This was Junior's second straight game of extensive action in 2023, playing a total of 32 defensive snaps, including 29 at nickel. The results weren't great for the Ouachita Baptist product, who gave up three receptions on four targets for 33 yards. On the bright side, Brown didn't miss a tackle, which is a small victory on a day in which the defense botched 12.

2. Calvin Ridley

Week 14 wasn't a great day for the Jaguars wide receiver corps. In particular, Calvin Ridley had to step up in light of Christian Kirk's absence but instead came crashing down, catching four passes on 13 receptions for 53 yards. On top of that, he was directly responsible for an interception, going deep instead of turning around.

Trevor Lawrence attributed the turnover to miscommunication but that's simply not acceptable at this point of the season. It would've been one thing if it happened in Weeks 1 or 2, not near the end of the year, when this kind of mixup should have already been smoothed.

1. Trevor Lawrence

Trevor Lawrence deserves praise for playing through the ankle sprain. The Jaguars should also be pleased that he didn't aggravate the injury, but his play was less than ideal in a game in which the Jags had a shot at winning. He didn't get great protection, and he was likely bothered by the injury but that doesn't justify his questionable decision-making in the loss.

Two of the three interceptions he had were overthrows. Steezy Trev has mostly made good decisions this season, but he had a day to forget in Week 14, completing 56 percent of his passes for 257 yards with three touchdowns and the three picks, and a season-low 5.14 yards per attempt.

3 Jaguars players who shined in the loss to the Cleveland Browns

3. Parker Washington

There were a few bright spots in the loss to the Browns and Parker Washington was one of them. You could make the case that he deserves to be lumped together with the players who struggled because of his lost fumble. However, the play had to do less with the rookie failing to secure the ball and more with linebacker Anthony Walker Jr.'s determination to rip it off his hands.

Leaving the fumble aside, Washington had his second encouraging outing in a row, tallying two catches for 27 yards, including the back shoulder pass that resulted in a 19-touchdown19 touchdown reception.

2. Antonio Johnson

Rookie defensive back Antonio Johnson was a healthy scratch the first four games of the season. He had to wait for his chance to get playing time but made the most out of his chance against the Browns, forcing a fumble and allowing a 0.0 percent completion rate on three targets. Furthermore, he didn't miss a single tackle, one of the few Jaguars defenders in Week 14 not to do so.

Johnson ended up playing 20 snaps, and the coaching staff should consider giving him more playing time moving forward based on his recent performance.

1. Evan Engram

While Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones were non-factors against the Browns, tight end Evan Engram showed up, giving Trevor Lawrence a reliable target that finished the game with 11 catches for 95 yards. He also set a career record for receptions in a season with 85, shattering his previous best of 73 he posted last year.

If that wasn't enough, Engram entered the game with just one touchdown reception but had two in Week 14. It's a tad disappointing that his outstanding outing was overshadowed by the loss, but it still warranted recognition, which is why he popped up on this list.

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