Top 5 Browns vs. Jaguars Matchups To Watch In Week 7

Say what you will about Jacksonville, but their defense has improved in the past two games. They only allowed one touchdown to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and just 16 points to the Tennessee Titans. Sure, it’s not saying a ton, but the Jags are still trending the right direction. Hoyer has been efficient all season, and one would think he shouldn’t have a problem moving the ball against Jacksonville. Look for him to have the edge in this matchup.

This is likely a matchup Haden is looking forward to, if only for redemption from last season. Shorts burned Haden badly with a game-winning touchdown last year, and the Browns corner was beside himself afterwards. Haden’s 2014 season started poorly, but he rebounded a bit last week against Pittsburgh. He’ll look to keep building on this, and hope to make up for his mistake from last year.

Cleveland has been running the ball at will lately, and the Jaguars defense is ranked near the bottom of the league. It certainly appears as though the Browns have a chance to run wild in Jacksonville. If the Jags get gashed by the likes of Ben Tate and Isaiah Crowell, it’ll make for quite an uphill battle.

The Browns defense has made a few strides recently, but still has to prove it can consistently stop opponents. Meanwhile, Bortles has looked impressive despite his team’s struggles. If Cleveland still has issues stopping the pass, the rookie could shine. The Browns need to make Bortles’ day a long one, otherwise he’ll definitely give the Jags a chance to win.

Emotions are high in Cleveland after a surprising romp over the hated Steelers. While this is all well and good, the Browns can’t overlook Jacksonville because of their winless record. Cleveland needs to take advantage of what appears to be an easy win, but they won’t be able to do so if they don’t take the Jaguars seriously. The Browns believe they can contend, but giving Jacksonville its first win won’t help their cause.