Cleveland Browns defensive end Alex Wright (91) sacks Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) in the end zone for a safety during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Browns defeated the Jaguars 18-13. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Cleveland Browns managed to go on the road to Jacksonville and avoid falling to 0-2 despite a close game against the Jaguars.
In the 18-13 victory, the Browns defense prevented the Jaguars from moving the football down the field and putting up points for most of the game.
Here are three defensive takeaways from their performance.
To the credit of the offense in the first half, the Browns defense only faced four Jaguars drives in the first half. With the offense running the ball well, moving the chains and draining the clock, Cleveland's defensive unit got lots of time to rest.
When they were on the field, the defensive unit prevented the Jaguars from finding the end zone the whole first half. On the first drive, Jacksonville was forced to punt after five plays and just 15 yards. The second drive was even worse for the Jaguars as the Browns forced a three and out.
The longest drive of the half for the Jaguars only resulted in a field goal after picking up 66 yards on 11 plays. The strong stand while being backed up against their own end zone was fitting for the Browns based on how the first half went.
Of the 30 game minutes, Jacksonville significantly trailed in time of possession with less that 10 minutes with the football.
The second half looked totally different for the Cleveland Browns offense. As that unit struggled and could not manage to put up points, the game was getting tight. With the score 16-13, Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars had an opportunity to march down the field for a game-winning drive.
Alex Wright had other plans as the backup defensive end sacked Lawrence in the end zone on the first play of the drive. The safety came at the perfect time, not only giving the team two important points, but also the ball back.
The offense then failed to run out the clock, only burning 17 seconds on three plays before punting. This meant that the Jaguars still had one more chance to drive down the field but needed a touchdown to win.
The Browns bent, giving up 57 yards, yet did not break. On the final play of the game, Lawrence launched a hail mary to the end zone, which was broken up after nearly being caught.
If it weren't for the strong defensive play in this game, the Browns would have lost due to such a poor performance in the second half overall.
This game was a major step in the right direction for Myles Garrett and company. Jim Schwartz's defense was stellar in 2023 at home, however, when this team went on the road the defense did not have the same success. They struggled against the Los Angeles Rams in the regular season and were dismantled by the Houston Texans in the wild card round loss to end the season.
Yes, the rain may have benefitted the defense in this game against the Jaguars. That being said, they kept Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne quiet for most of the game.
If this unit can continue to play like this away from home the rest of the year, then the Browns have a good chance to win a lot of games. The defense is the unit that gives the Browns an edge in many games. That looks to continue in 2024.