The Cleveland Browns got their first victory of the season in a tough, scrappy game Sunday afternoon. They defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road 18-13 in a game that had a lot of unusual plays.
A win is a win in the NFL, especially on the road. The Browns were looking 0-2 in the eyes with a tough test away from Cleveland. However, they got the job done and looked better in some key phases.
The orange and brown needed all three phases to pull out their first victory, from the first snap to the last. It was truly a team win, so here is a player from each phase that made a difference.
Three Bright Spots from Browns First Victory of the Season
Wide Receiver Jerry Jeudy Made Plays for the Offense
Jerry Jeudy is in his first season with the Browns and was a big part of their first victory of the season. He hauled in five of his six targets for 73 yards, leading the team in yards.
He averaged 14.6 yards per catch and had a longest reception of 30 yards. It was the timing of his plays that made the statline that much more important. Jeudy converted three first downs and made some crucial plays late.
Some of his catches were in the fourth quarter with the result hanging in the air. His ability to get open when plays don’t go as planned has been underrated as he starts his Browns tenure with Deshaun Watson.
Punter Corey Bojorquez Plays Big Part in First Victory
Special teams players usually get blamed when they fail and less praise when they succeed. Browns punter Corey Bojorquez was arguably the player of the game with how he set up the defense for a game-altering play.
Bojorquez had five punts on the day for 218 yards, good for 43.6 yards per punt. He had a long of 64 yards and three punts inside the 20.
Do you have a moment to talk about our lord and savior Corey Bojorquez?pic.twitter.com/etjnpxkTRA
— Browns Film Breakdown (@BrownsFilmBDN) September 15, 2024
His 39-yard punt just after the two-minute warning pinned the Jaguars at their own two-yard line. A punt he could try ten times and not do better, this set the defense up to wreak havoc.
And that’s what they did, as the Jaguars trailed with little time left in the game. They had to pass the ball from their own endzone and the defensive ends of the Browns collapsed on the quarterback in the endzone the next play. This gave them two points and the ball back to their offense, helping secure their first victory.
Safety Grant Delpit
The Browns’ defense made many great plays and gave up a chunk of their yards on a big catch and run. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence completed less than half his passes for 196 yards with most coming on a 66-yard play.
Safety Grant Delpit was one of the many guys to register a tackle for loss, as he tied the team lead with two tackles for loss. He was second on the team in total tackles with six and solo tackles with five.
Grant Delpit with a great play on the ball for this INT pic.twitter.com/Ssw81OGsjs
— Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) September 19, 2023
Besides the one major chunk of yards, the secondary did well in the passing game. Delpit also had the freedom to come up and pressure the offensive line, getting free for two big tackles for loss.
He hasn’t played a lot lately after an injury kept him out at the end of last season. His last game prior to the season opener was against the Jaguars last year, so it was good to see him return to form.
If the Browns can continue to get production from these guys, the first victory will turn into many more. They have a favorable matchup next week, and may just be trending in the right direction.
Main Image: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
