Week 1 is just days away and even though naming Deshaun Watson the starter killed a lot of excitement for this Cleveland Browns season, there is a lot to look forward to going into this matchup with this Jacksonville Jaguars matchup. It has been a strange offseason with some highly questionable decisions, but the reality is that this is a new-look offense that could be a lot better than the past few years and if Watson can overachieve compared to expectations just a little bit, it’s not crazy to believe that the Browns might be in for a decent year.
Some analysts share that notion and believe this year won’t be as awful as many of the doubters are predicting. Of all sports offseasons, football is the longest and the most painful and it’s hard to believe Week 1 is finally here where the Browns have what ESPN’s Tony Rizzo believes is a huge opportunity.
During a recent episode of The Really Big Show, Rizzo said this Jaguars game is how you begin to change the narrative around the organization. Beating Jacksonville can change the trajectory of the whole season and get the locker room even more invested, which in turn could win back some of the lapsed fans who have churned since the Watson news.
“If you want to change the narrative, if you want to change instantly what people think of you, win Week 1 when you’re not supposed to. Week 1 can be a season-changer. You’re not playing the Eagles in Philly. You’re not playing the Bills. You’re not playing the Seahawks in Seattle, where they’re gonna get their rings. You’re playing the Jacksonville Jaguars. You can switch it all up right now. Your locker room starts believing. Your fans start believing. Your bitter media starts believing. It’s a totally different mindset if you can win that first game,” Rizzo said.
"If you want to change the narrative, if you want to change instantly what people think of you, win week 1," – Rizz on the Browns going into week 1. pic.twitter.com/o8wqD9SsaB
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) September 9, 2026
On the surface, a lot of analysts aren’t going to give the Browns a chance in this one, but there are a few interesting trends working in Cleveland’s favor. The Jaguars haven’t beaten the Browns since 2017 and Watson is 7-1 against the Jags in his career.
Jacksonville won 13 games last year but fell flat in the postseason, so the Jags will be highly motivated to get to the next level. Surely, they know about those trends as well and will have a little bulletin board material heading into this game, so it all lines up for the Browns to make a loud statement on Sunday.
Cleveland’s schedule isn’t that tough outside of the division this season. On paper, this is arguably the toughest game the Browns have all year. Rizzo is right in identifying this as a massive opportunity to change the course of this whole season right out of the gate.
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