Too little, too late.
Jacksonville (0-2) could not overcome its miserable first-half offensive showing against Cleveland (1-1) on Sunday, in which it scored three points and quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw for a mere 49 total yards, 16 passing and 33 rushing.
Despite a 10-point second-half effort from the Jaguars, sparked by a 66-yard reception via rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., the Browns ultimately were able to put the game away in its final minutes, securing an 18-13 victory.
Cleveland burned 5:44 off the clock on its second-to-last drive, which ended in a punt to the Jacksonville two-yard line, creating a 98-yard, must-score situation for the Jaguars.
Lawrence was sacked for a safety by Browns defensive end Alex Wright on the very next play.
The Browns went three-and-out and punted after their two-point score, giving the Jaguars a final chance to pull off a comeback from their own 10-yard line.
Lawrence found wide receiver Gabe Davis for a 22-yard gain, scrambled for 12 yards, and hit Thomas for a 28-yard pickup to get the Jaguars into Browns territory with 0:08 left after a spike. But his final throw, a hail mary into the end zone, hit the ground incomplete.
Game over.
Lawrence finished 14-of-330 passing for 220 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions, as Jacksonville’s only six-point score of the day was a four-yard Travis Etienne Jr. rushing touchdown.
Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson went 22-of-34 for 186 yards with a zero passing score, zero interception line, although he added a touchdown on the ground.
The matchup included a combined 19 penalties for 152 yards between the teams, with Cleveland flagged 13 times for 100 yards.
The Jaguars head to Buffalo to face the Bills in Week 3, for Monday Night Football on Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
