Game report: Browns 24, Jaguars 13

JACKSONVILLE – The starters played. That mattered.

Those starters also played well, which mattered as much – or more – than the final score in a 24-13 loss to the Cleveland Browns in the Jaguars’ second game of the 2022 preseason.

“It thought it went well,” Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson said.

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence flashed early. So did running back Travis Etienne Jr. So did the defense in a positive early performance in the Jaguars’ ’22 preseason home opener in front of 54,789 at TIAA Bank Field on a warm mid-August Friday night in downtown Jacksonville.

“We’re getting more and more in sync,” Lawrence said. “I thought we were on the same page for the most part.”

Lawrence, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, played three series and completed six of 12 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown. His highlight play: a 32-yard play-action strike to wide receiver Zay Jones on the game’s first play, a pass that set up a Jaguars field goal and a 3-0 lead.

“I thought we played well,” said Jones, who caught two passes for 47 yards in three series. “Overall, it was pretty solid.”

Lawrence’s nine-yard touchdown pass to tight end Evan Engram ended the night for the starting offense, making it 13-0 on the first drive of the second quarter.

“The energy felt really good,” Engram said. “We’re taking a lot of pride in putting a good product on the field.”

The game marked the first time the Jaguars’ first-team offense played in a game this preseason, with Pederson not playing most starters on offense in a loss in the Hall of Fame game on August 4.

“I thought for the first time they did some good things,” Pederson said. “It wasn’t perfect, but they settled in and did well – both sides of the ball.”

Pederson said the 25-26 snaps for the first-team offense were a bit longer than expected.

“I just wanted them to have the feel of the game, and go back out [for a third series],” Pederson said. “Sometimes in [training] camp, conditioning becomes an issue. You want to see…