When asked about the challenges the Browns defense present, Jaguars offensive players had common one answer.
"Understanding [DE Myles Garrett], he's live each and every play," RB Travis Etienne said on Wednesday.
A week after losing 20-17 to the Dolphins, the Jaguars will host the Browns in their first home game of the season. An offense that scored 17 points in the first half last week before getting shut out in the second will look to rebound this Sunday – but will have to overcome the Cleveland defense.
In their last meeting in Week 14 of the 2023 season, the Browns won 31-27 and tallied four sacks and three interceptions. Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said that the team has reviewed film from last year's game in preparation for their Week 2 rematch against the Browns.
"Any time that we play an opponent again that has the same DNA as well as personnel, you're going to spend a lot of time watching that because you want to look at how they treated you, how they thought of you, defended you, where did that differ from what you planned going into the game and then try to figure out why that happened," Taylor said on Thursday.
The Browns pass rush fueled their Week 14 win over the Jaguars with 26 pressures. DT Maurice Hurst II, S Grant Delpit, DE Ogbo Okoronkwo and DE Za'Darius Smith all had sacks.
Check out photos of the team working to prepare for their game this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus
Offensive tackle Dawand Jones (79) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Safety Rodney McLeod Jr. (12) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 12, 2024.
Offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (71) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Running back Pierre Strong Jr. (20) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Tight end Jordan Akins (88) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 12, 2024.
Defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo (54) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Offensive guard Joel Bitonio (75) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 12, 2024.
Wide receiver James Proche II (11) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver David Bell (18) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 12, 2024.
Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson (94) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Linebacker Khaleke Hudson (39) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 12, 2024.
Linebacker Luji Vilain (98) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Wide receiver James Proche II (11) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Defensive end Za'Darius Smith (99) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Cornerback Cameron Mitchell (29) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Quarterback Jameis Winston (5) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Linebacker Winston Reid (59) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Running back Jerome Ford (34) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (71) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 12, 2024.
Defensive tackle Siaki Ika (62) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Cornerback Mike Ford Jr. (31) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver David Bell (18) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Director of Strength and Conditioning Larry Jackson during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 12, 2024.
Tight end Cameron Latu (82) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Running back D'Onta Foreman (27) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (17) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Cornerback Mike Ford Jr. (31) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 12, 2024.
Running back D'Onta Foreman (27) and Assistant Special Teams Coach Stephen Bravo-Brown during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver Cedric Tillman (19) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Running back Jerome Ford (34) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Pass Game Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach Chad O'Shea during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Tight end Cameron Latu (82) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Offensive Line Coach Andy Dickerson during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (71) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Linebacker Luji Vilain (98) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Cornerback Cameron Mitchell (29) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Safety Ronnie Hickman Jr. (33) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Safety Grant Delpit (9) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Cornerback Kahlef Hailassie (25) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Wide receiver Cedric Tillman (19) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Cornerback Greg Newsome II (0) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Cornerback Mike Ford Jr. (31) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Defensive end Sam Kamara (92) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Safeties Coach Ephraim Banda during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver Kadarius Toney (87) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver Amari Cooper (2) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Offensive guard Wyatt Teller (77) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 12, 2024.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Tight end Blake Whiteheart (86) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver David Bell (18) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver Cedric Tillman (19) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Bubba Ventrone during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Cornerback Mike Ford Jr. (31) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Linebacker Jordan Hicks (58) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Linebacker Nathaniel Watson (40) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Linebacker Jordan Hicks (58) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Offensive guard Joel Bitonio (75) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver David Bell (18) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Offensive tackle Jack Conklin (78) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 12, 2024.
Assistant Special Teams Coach Stephen Bravo-Brown, during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 12, 2024.
Cornerback Kahlef Hailassie (25) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Cornerback Kahlef Hailassie (25) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Offensive guard Zak Zinter (70) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Wide receiver Amari Cooper (2) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Tight end Geoff Swaim (84) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Center Ethan Pocic (55) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Cornerback Kahlef Hailassie (25) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Cornerback Kahlef Hailassie (25) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Offensive tackle Jack Conklin (78) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Cornerback Mike Ford Jr. (31) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Cornerback Cameron Mitchell (29) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Cornerback Kahlef Hailassie (25) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz reiterated Thursday a message he has shared many times: when it comes to his defense, the defensive line is the motor.
The Jaguars will be looking to pump the brakes on the Browns pass rush and will keep a close eye on Garrett as they look to prevent him from doing what he does best.
"There are certain guys in this league that we would classify as 'game wreckers,' and he is certainly one of those," Taylor said. "So, you pay special attention to that guy. Whether it's we're going to provide help in the pass game, we're going to run away from him. We will do everything in our power to be very aware of where 95 is at all times."
Garrett had a sack fumble on Prescott in Week 1, which the Cowboys recovered, and added five quarterback pressures on 27 pass rushes. His counterpart in Smith added another sack and two pressures.
Lawrence was only pressured eight times in Week 1 and had a 116.7 passer rating when pressured – the sixth-best rating in the league in Week 1. While Lawrence is well aware of the challenges of facing Garrett, he emphasized the talent featured across the Cleveland defense.
"Obviously just a physical group," Lawrence said. "You look at the two edge guys they have, Myles Garrett and Za'Darius Smith, I mean, both of those guys are great players. Everyone knows Myles and what he can do, but it's more than just him. It's the whole defense, the scheme, they play fast, they know what they're doing."
Beyond the pass rush, the Browns feature what Schwartz considers the top cornerback room in the NFL, led by Greg Newsome II, Martin Emerson Jr. and Denzel Ward.
While they did not record an interception last week, the Browns corners made several plays on the ball with six passes defensed – including three from Ward.
Ward had one interception on Lawrence the last time the two faced off, and Emerson had two, a single-game career high.
"Greg Newsome, Denzel Ward, they have Emerson as well, and I think all those guys are great players," Jaguars WR Christian Kirk said. "So, we're just going to have to be on it when it comes to our communication and details, when it comes to protections and whatnot. And then on the perimeter, we're just going to have to beat man coverage, they like to run a lot of man coverage and get up in your face, so that's going to be the challenge for us."
On the defensive side of the ball, the Jaguars feature a skilled group of pass rushers led by DE Josh Hines-Allen, who had 17.5 sacks last season.
Hines-Allen spoke of his awareness of QB Deshaun Watson's ability to scramble and make plays with his feet. Watson had five carries for 39 yards in Week 1 but was sacked six times.
"I mean, you can see just from last week too," Hines-Allen said. "Rushers having him wrapped up and him still having that capability to get away. So just being dialed in on when you have him, it's probably going to take more than one or two people to get him down. So, just jump on him and hold on for dear life because he still has all the capability of getting out of any tackle."
The Browns and Jaguars will face off in Jacksonville Sunday at 1 p.m.
