The Jacksonville Jaguars notched their first win of the year, dominating Cleveland's offense to down the Browns at home 24-6Â at EverBank Field. Here's what you need to know:
- This season's better moments from Blake Bortles and the Jaguars told us this was coming. Facing a flat Browns squad, the rookie quarterback overcamethree interceptions to puncture Cleveland for 159 yards and one score. The story of the game, though, was Jacksonville's frisky defense, which owned the line of scrimmage and locked down the secondary to keep the Browns four of 17 on third downs.
- Sunday marked Brian Hoyer's ugliest afternoon yet. The Browns passer completed just 16 of 41 throws at 5.2 yards per clip. Hoyer struggled to find open targets, saw passes batted down and threw a crushing fourth-quarter interception -- just his second all season. Hoyer has thrived in boot action, but Jacksonville erased that approach, swallowing up Cleveland's small wideouts and holding tight end Jordan Cameron to one catch for five yards.
- The Browns desperately miss Alex Mack. Entering the game third in the league with 146.4 rushing yards per game, Ben Tate and company were held to 69 yards at 2.3 yards per clip. John Greco wasn't a disaster filling in for Mack, but the interior line struggled to push the pile and open holes. Nothing play-caller Kyle Shanahan dialed up seemed to work.
- With Toby Gerhart inactive, the Jaguars leaned on Denard Robinson in the backfield. The result was a smashing success, as the former Michigan quarterback blasted through Cleveland's injury-riddled defensive line for 127 yards off 22 carries and his first career rushing touchdown. Cleveland's battered run defense looms as a major concern.
- Mike Pettine got far too cute before halftime. Up 6-0 and staring down a fourth-and-1 in Jaguars territory, the Browns coach bypassed the field goal for an off-kilter pass attempt that handed the ball back to Bortles inside the two-minute warning. The rookie shredded Cleveland's defense with a three-play, 76-yard scoring drive for the 7-6 halftime lead.
- Cleveland crumbled on another wacky fourth-down attempt in the second half. From midfield, the Browns attempting to surprise the Jaguars by pulling the punt team in hopes of drawing a penalty on Jacksonville. Instead, Greco snapped the ball to Hoyer on a play Cleveland's offense didn't seem prepared for. Ugly.
- Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith was outstanding, racking up a sack, two passes defensed and the game-clinching interception of Hoyer.
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