Analyst Says A Browns Week 1 Win Would Mean More Than You’d Think

With the Jacksonville Jaguars coming off a 13-win season and well-equipped to go on another playoff run in 2026, few fans and analysts are giving the Cleveland Browns a shot at taking them down in Week 1. Despite not having lost to the Jaguars since 2017, the Browns are seen as heavy underdogs by just about everybody outside of the Browns organization.

All the odds are against the Browns in this game and nobody would bat an eye if they rolled over and got walloped by 20+ points. Deshaun Watson is making his first start in two years and this is Todd Monken’s first game as a head coach, so while a loss would be expected, one analyst sees things differently.

During a recent episode of Afternoon Drive, Jonathan Peterlin talked about how massive this win would be if the Browns could find a way to pull it off. He believes it would immediately shift the tone around the organization and would be a great sign of things to come.

“I can’t preach how wildly impressive it would be [to win] in Week 1. If you beat Jacksonville Week 1, that’s a really good sign for what this team can be. I wouldn’t take it as a fluke,” said Peterlin.

"I can't preach how wildly impressive it would be [to win] in Week 1. If you beat Jacksonville Week 1, that's a really good sign for what this team can be. I wouldn't take it as a fluke."

➡️ @JPeterlin to @NickWilsonSays on what an upset would mean for the #Browns on Sunday 🏈 pic.twitter.com/PHv8iUSe8l

— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) September 11, 2026

Monken has some big challenges ahead of him and already has doubters labeling him as a future one-and-done head coach, but a lot of that goes away if he can win his debut. Winning this game would force everyone to start taking his team seriously instead of writing the Browns off as a team that is solely focused on 2027.

As a guy who wears his heart on his sleeve and had to wait decades to finally get this opportunity, Browns fans should feel confident that he is going to give this team everything he has. If he can get this team to fully embrace him as a culture setter and bring the same passion and intensity to the field that he does every day, this team could be a lot better than many believe.

We only have to wait one more day for all this speculation to turn into something real. Week 1 is finally here, but for Monken and Watson, perhaps it can’t come soon enough. The doubters are loud and the two of them have a massive opportunity to shut a lot of people up on Sunday.