The Cleveland Browns are flying high at the moment after recording their biggest win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in 25 years. They will look to continue their momentum and win their third-straight game when they face the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are still winless after six games this season.
Read on for a complete preview of this AFC matchup and while you’re at it check out our preview of the game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Indianapolis Colts here.
[sc:Football ]Cleveland Browns vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Preview
When: Sunday, October 19, 1:00 PM ET
Where: EverBank Field, Jacksonville
Line: Cleveland Browns (-5) at Jacksonville Jaguars (+5); total: 45.0 – view all NFL lines
Betting on the Cleveland Browns
There was a major debate at the start of the season on who should start as quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. Should it be the hometown hero Brian Hoyer whose season was wrecked by a knee injury last year? Or should they go with the highly-touted rookie Johnny Manziel who arrived with much fanfare from Texas A&M this season?
[sc:NFL240banner ]Head coach Mike Pettine decided to go with the 29-year-old veteran and so far Hoyer has vindicated his coach’s decision to put his trust in him. Hoyer passed for 217 yards and a touchdown as he led the Cleveland Browns to an emphatic 31-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, their biggest win over their rivals since they recorded a 51-0 shutout victory back in 1989 and just their second win against Ben Roethlisberger in 20 tries over the last decade.
With the win, Hoyer improved to 6-2 as the Browns’ starter and will be oozing with confidence heading into the game against the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars this coming Sunday. He completed just eight of 17 passes against the Steelers but his passer rating was an incredible 113.0 as he averaged 12.7 yards per passing attempt.
Tight end Jordan Cameron had a field day against the Steelers, receiving for 102 yards on three catches for an impressive 34.0 yard per catch average. Cameron was expected to produce in a big way this season but has struggled with injuries through an up-and-down first six weeks. He will face the third-worst passing defense in the league with the Jags allowing an average of 294.0 yards against them this season.
The Browns are the third-best rushing team in the league this year with an average of 146.4 yards per game. They will lock horns with a Jaguars defensive line that is 20th in rushing defense (117.2 yards per game) so expect running backs Ben Tate and Isaiah Cromwell to wreak havoc offensively once again.
The duo combined for 155 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the 21-point win against the Steelers.
The Browns are 3-1-1 ATS this season.
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Betting on the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville’s season just went from bad to worse on Sunday as they lost for the sixth-consecutive time, succumbing to fellow strugglers Tennessee 16-14. The Jaguars had a fantastic chance to grab their first victory of the season but kicker Josh Scobee had his 55-yard field goal attempt blocked in the dying seconds to send Jacksonville to 0-6.
The Jaguars became the fourth franchise in NFL history to start consecutive seasons with at least six straight losses. It’s not a total surprise, though, considering that the Jaguars are dead last in the league this season in terms of total offense with an average of just 290.0 yards per game and third-worst in total defense with opponents averaging 411.2 yards per game against them.
There were some positives, however, for the Jaguars to take heading into their game against the Browns this coming Sunday. Quarterback Blake Bortles had his best performance yet, as a starter, completing 32 of 46 passes for 336 yards and a touchdown while also throwing one interception. The 22-year-old rookie also rushed for 38 yards as he helped the Jags outgain the Titans 379-290.
Meanwhile, wide receiver Cecil Shorts III’s game looks to be back on track. He led the Jaguars with 10 catches, 16 targets and 103 yards in the game against the Titans and will be Bortles’ primary target when they face the Browns this coming weekend. The Browns have the 10th-worst passing defense in the league this season (259.6 yards per game).
A primary concern however for the Jaguars is their offensive malaise at home. They have scored an average of just 13 points per game in their two home matches thus far this season.
The total has gone under in Jacksonville’s last two games. They are 1-5 ATS this season.
Writer’s Prediction
The Browns (-5) pound the Jaguars to extend their win streak to three.
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