By admin 
The Cleveland Browns opened the 2026 National Football League regular season with a 34-10 road loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the team buried itself in a deep, deep hole early, and was never able to remotely get back into the game.
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However, while all of that sounds terrible, and I’ve never been much of a glass half-full guy — as I AM a Cleveland sports fan — there actually were a few things that were encouraging in the midst of the 24-point loss. Sure, the bad things outweighed the good things by quite a bit, but let’s focus on the positives.
Carson Schwesinger is a Tackling Machine
Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger, the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year, tied for a game high with 10 combined stops, including three solo tackles, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hit. He had plenty of opportunity, as it seemed like the Jaguars were running downhill all afternoon.
Honestly, though, for a 34-10 game, and the Jaguars moving to a more run-heavy offense in the second half, the Browns run defense was somewhat encouraging. The team held Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten to 66 yards and 4.4 yards per attempt, which isn’t a big number. And, while Jacksonville had 126 rushing yards, it managed a pedestrian 3.9 yards per attempt with no rushing scores.
Jared Verse Debuts With Four Total Stops
Browns defensive end Jared Verse, acquired from the Los Angeles Rams as part of the deal for two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, made his regular-season debut for the team. He accounted for three solo tackles and four total stops, while posting a tackle for loss.
While Verse didn’t get to the quarterback, and the Browns had just one sack from defensive tackle Mason Graham, it was better than the return the Rams had from Garrett. On a side note, in the offseason, Graham looked a lot different heading into Year 2, and it showed early on in Week 1.
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Back to Verse, he debuted with no tackles, no assists and, of course, no sacks in Australia against the San Francisco 49ers, and now he needs knee surgery which will keep him out multiple weeks. Is it possible the Browns could actually win the trade? It might not end up that way, they right now, they are.
Going Into Week 2, Browns Need More Pressure
The Browns were able to record just the single sack from Graham, and they need to be able to make life a lot more miserable for the opposition. Jaguars quarterback stayed upright in a mostly clean pocket all day, completing 18 of 23 passes for 245 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.
One of the few times the Browns were able to pressure Trevor Lawrence on Sunday — and from a zone look.
Inverted Cover 2: Campbell takes the deep half with outside leverage, and Delpit replaces the blitzing Schwesinger as the middle runner. Part of the disguise Mike Rutenberg… pic.twitter.com/IthepTpdNT
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) September 14, 2026
Safety Ronnie Hickman was decent, posting a total of eight stops with three solo tackles, tying a team best. In fact, he was one of six players to go for three solo stops. Cornerback Tyson Campbell, newly acquired Quincy Williams, Graham, Hickman, Schwesinger and Verse each had three solo tackles.
Graham also led the way with two tackles for loss. However, safety Grant Delpit was the only player on the entire defense to record a pass defensed, and the team generated just three quarterback hits. Heading into Week 2 at Tampa Bay, the Browns defense needs to ratch up the pressure on what is sure to be a very, very motivated quarterback Baker Mayfield.
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This story was originally published September 14, 2026 at 3:28 PM.