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By Andrew Gould
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Rob Gronkowski thinks one of Week 1's biggest underdogs will pull off a stunner to open the 2026 NFL season.
The Cleveland Browns will start their schedule on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are 8.5-point favorites. While the Jaguars went 13-4, the Browns are starting Deshaun Watson after two Achilles tears.
Gronkowski thinks Cleveland can start Todd Monken's coaching tenure with a bang. The former star tight end identified the Browns as a top Week 1 upset pick on FanDuel TV's Up & Adams.
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"I'm gonna go the Browns at Jaguars because I just think the Jaguars aren't as spectacular as everyone's putting them out to be," Gronkowski said. "So that's why I see that upset definitely being the best possibility."
The Jaguars found their footing under first-year head coach Liam Coen, averaging 33.6 points over an eight-game winning streak to end the regular season. They ranked sixth in scoring offense and eighth in scoring defense before dropping a narrow Wild Card Round loss to the Buffalo Bills.
The Browns, meanwhile, fired Kevin Stefanski after scoring the NFL's second-fewest points per game (16.4). They're handing the offense back to Watson, who hasn't played in a regular-season game since Oct. 20, 2024.
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An elite defense helped Cleveland upset the Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Cincinnati Bengals last season, so perhaps they can steal a low-scoring contest at Jacksonville. However, that unit no longer has the services of superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett.
Gronkowski is going out on a limb by backing the Browns. ESPN Analytics gives the Jaguars a 75.6% win probability on Sunday.
Everyone will see if Gronkowski is right when the Jaguars and Browns clash this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
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