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Overreacting, underreacting and properly reacting to Browns' Week 2 win at Jaguars

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Nothing generates reactions swings like a close Week 2 win fresh off a lopsided loss the previous week. Overcorrection turns into the name of the game, with people trying to score points on those who held a contrary opinion to theirs.

The good thing here is that all of your opinions are dumb and bad, and the only ones that work are the ones with which are aligned with this space. Just kidding — what do you think this is, cable news?

However, there are some opinions that have emerged from the Browns' 18-13 win at the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday that cover the spectrum. There are some that, to no one's surprise, overreacted to something from the win, as well as those who may be underreacting to something, likely to not get themselves burned down the road.

There are, yes, also just the right reactions to what happened in the game. Yes, it is possible to not get your hottest takes off all the time.

Anyway, let's dive in now to one of each coming out of the game as the 1-1 Browns head into Week 3's home game with the winless New York Giants.

Proper reaction: Defense still really good for Cleveland Browns

Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (6), safety Ronnie Hickman (33) and safety Grant Delpit (9) celebrate a fourth-quarter safety against the Jaguars Sunday in Jacksonville.
Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (6), safety Ronnie Hickman (33) and safety Grant Delpit (9) celebrate a fourth-quarter safety against the Jaguars Sunday in Jacksonville.

The Browns defense won Sunday's game in Jacksonville. That's no slight at all to the progress made by the offense, but the defense showed why it remains one of the best units in the NFL. You may point to Jacksonville's 5.9 yards-per-play average to counter this, but we point to two plays — Trevor Lawrence's 33-yard scramble and his 66-yard pass to Brian Thomas Jr. — that really inflate that number a bit. The reality is, when it came time to make a play, the defense made them with some frequency. Despite the Jaguars being able to move the ball, especially in the second half, they only got into the end zone once in four trips to the red zone. It wasn't perfect for the Browns defense, nor was it completely healthy at some prime spots. Still, the unit that was so strong a year ago appears to still have sharp teeth, and it seems to have travelled as well for this week.

Overreaction: Deshaun Watson and Amari Cooper can't ever figure things out

Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown (30) is called for pass interference against Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper (2) on Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla.
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown (30) is called for pass interference against Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper (2) on Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla.

Two games into the season, and the quarterback and the No. 1 wide receiver look like they're not only not on the same page but they're not even in the same book. Two games in, Deshaun Watson has targeted Amari Cooper 17 times, but only completed five passes to him. That's including three catches on eight targets in Jacksonville. So, is it time to panic? Not quite yet. These two have a history of it appearing to not be working, only for things to eventually click. The two appeared to be struggling early during their time together in Cleveland, essentially the first eight games Watson started over two seasons. However, in the last four full games Watson played last year before his season ended, he found Cooper 25 times for 443 yards and two touchdowns. The bet here, especially with a proven pro like Cooper, is it works itself out in the end.

Underreaction: Corey Bojorquez's ability to pin teams back punting the ball

This is just another opportunity to step back and appreciate what punter Corey Bojorquez did with his 39-yard punt with roughly 1:50 remaining in the game. Did you see it? No, really, did you see it? It. Made. A. Right. Turn. The only thing that was missing was that it didn't put on its turn signal, it was so impressive. That, however, has been what Bojorquez has been good at, especially in his two-plus years with the Browns. He won AFC Special Teams Player of the Week once in 2022 simply because of how he was able to do it in a win over the Washington Commanders. Bojorquez may not always get the best distance on his kicks, but in situations like the one the Browns were in Sunday, he's worth the money they're paying him to get kicks off like that one.

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns vs Jaguars reactions: Defense, Deshaun Watson and Amari Cooper