Jacksonville
1st AFC South1-0
Cleveland
4th AFC North0-0
Jacksonville @ Cleveland preview
FirstEnergy Stadium
Last Meeting ( Oct 19, 2014 ) Cleveland 6, Jacksonville 24
Blake Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars look for their fourth straight win when they visit the winless Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Bortles threw the ball a season-high 51 times last week in a wild comeback win over the San Diego Chargers to remain in a tie with the Tennessee Titans for first place in the AFC South.
Bortles, who has been plagued by interceptions throughout his career, had some sage advice for his counterpart, Browns rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer. "Try to throw it to your team as much as possible," Bortles said. "It's tough. I've done it (thrown a lot of interceptions) and I've done it for a couple years. I think any quarterback will tell you that's the biggest thing." Bortles has thrown 11 touchdown passes this season and just seven interceptions. Kizer was picked off for the 12th time -- he's thrown for only four TDs -- in last week's 38-24 loss at Detroit.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Jaguars -7.5. O/U: 37.5
ABOUT THE JAGUARS (6-3): Jacksonville had five running backs active last week and spread the ball around plenty. Leonard Fournette, who missed the previous two games (one due to suspension), had 17 carries and two receptions while T.J. Yeldon, who had been inactive the first six games, had three carries and six catches. The Jaguars are surrendering a league-low 14.9 points per game and could make life miserable for Kizer with their defense that also leads the NFL with 35 sacks.
ABOUT THE BROWNS (0-9): Both Kizer and backup Kevin Hogan appeared on the injury list with issues, but Kizer is expected to start. Promising wide receiver Corey Coleman also is expected to be activated from the IR after having surgery on a broken bone in his hand. The Browns did get a useful list of bulletin-board fodder during the week when the Jags' Tashaun Gipson said Cleveland will probably go 0-16, the Jaguars will shut them out and that he hopes the offense scores 40 points against them.
EXTRA POINTS
1. The Browns are 1-24 spanning three seasons.
2. Jacksonville WR Allen Hurns (ankle) is out and the team is expected to activate fourth-round draft choice Dede Westbrook 3. The Browns rank 31st in the league in scoring, averaging 15.9 points.
PREDICTION: Jaguars 24, Browns 14