JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A few thoughts on the Cleveland Browns' 24-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field.
What it means: Belief in the NFL can last only one week when a team is not mentally sharp and plays poorly. The Browns, their fans and their media all felt pretty good about the team after a big win over Pittsburgh. As good as that game was, this effort against the Jaguars was poor, as the offense couldn't run or pass and the decisions on the field and the sideline cried for more explanation. It was a bad day for the entire team, as the Jaguars obviously took personally all the talk that the Browns could visit and beat them. This was Mike Pettine's first clunker. Now he and his team must respond.
Stock watch: This also was the first real clunker for Brian Hoyer in his nine starts for the Browns. He had several passes blocked at the line, was not on the same page with his receivers and simply seemed out of sorts, as the Jaguars almost seemed to know the Browns' plays. The Browns never, though, had Johnny Manziel warm up to come in the game. That would seem to indicate that the Browns feel, as Pettine said in the week leading up to the game, that Hoyer is “entrenched” as the Browns starter. The team gives every indication that is the case, but with Manziel on the sideline it will always be watched.
Crazy call: On fourth-and-5 at the Jacksonville 43 early in the fourth quarter, the Browns tried to catch the Jaguars napping and rushed the punt team off the field and offense back on. Hoyer wound up running an option play that went nowhere after he pitched to Ben Tate. What looked like a silly call, though, seemed intended more to catch Jacksonville off guard, as Hoyer snapped the ball as a Jaguars player scampered to the sideline. Clearly Hoyer thought the Jaguars had 12 on the field, and so did an official who threw a flag. When the ball was snapped, Hoyer ran and pitched probably figuring the Browns would get the first down to penalty. Except the player running off was Jacksonville’s 11th man. The Browns not only miscounted the number of players, but they also did not get the first down against 10 defenders.
Road woes start: One time is a quirk. Two times is a concern. Three times is a pattern. In every road game this season, the Browns have stared poorly. Very poorly. They trailed Pittsburgh 27-3 at halftime, and they trailed Tennessee 28-10 at the half. Jacksonville went to the locker room leading 7-6 in part thanks to Pettine’s decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Jaguars' 24. The Browns failed, Blake Bortles came to life, and the Jaguars scored a late touchdown to go ahead. In three road games, one against an 0-6 team, the Browns have been outscored 62-19 in the first half. The difference against the Jaguars: The offense never got going in the second half.
Interesting decision: The second-guessers were out in full force after the Browns failed to get 1 yard twice from the Jaguars' 24 late in the first half. The Browns led 6-0 and Jacksonville’s offense had done little when Pettine and Kyle Shanahan made some “interesting” calls. First they handed off to Terrance West from the pistol. West, who was jitterbugging way too much the first half, ran right into the back of center John Greco and was stopped. On fourth down, Pettine bypassed a field goal and nine-point lead and Shanahan ran play-action out of the pistol. Jacksonville ate the play up, and the throw was incomplete. The Jaguars followed with their first touchdown of the game, which opened up all the second-guessing discussion.
Game ball: Nobody deserves the game ball for the Browns. They played that poorly. Someone has to get it, though, and Billy Cundiff did make both of his field goal attempts. On an embarrassing day, the guy who made two field goals to account for all of the team's points gets the game ball.
What's next: The Browns return home for the second of three games against struggling teams as they face the Oakland Raiders in Cleveland.
