Cleveland’s new era opened with a thud as Trevor Lawrence shredded the Browns, while turnovers, penalties and protection problems buried the offense.

The Cleveland Browns wanted Todd Monken’s debut to represent a fresh start. Instead, Sunday’s 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars looked like a collection of every problem Cleveland hoped it had left behind.

Turnovers. Penalties. Poor protection. Third-down failures.

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And by early in the third quarter, the Browns were staring at a 31-0 deficit.

Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence picked apart Cleveland’s revamped defense, completing 18 of 23 passes for 245 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Lawrence finished with a 150.6 passer rating as the Jaguars scored on six of their first seven possessions.

Cleveland simply couldn’t answer.

Deshaun Watson, making his first regular-season start in nearly two years, threw an interception on the Browns’ opening possession and spent much of the afternoon under pressure. Watson finished 16 of 22 for 205 yards, one touchdown and one interception while being sacked five times.

His 46-yard touchdown pass to rookie Denzel Boston came with just 1:52 remaining and the outcome long decided.

The problems went far beyond quarterback play.

Cleveland managed only 272 total yards, went 1-for-8 on third down and failed to score a touchdown on either of its two trips inside Jacksonville’s 20-yard line.

The Browns also committed 11 penalties for 75 yards and turned the football over twice. Rookie KC Concepcion Jr. lost a fumble, adding another short field for a Jacksonville offense that didn’t need much help.

Even Cleveland’s running game offered little relief. Quinshon Judkins was held to 33 yards on 12 carries, while Watson actually led the Browns with 38 rushing yards.

Defensively, the absence of Myles Garrett was impossible to ignore.

Cleveland generated just one sack while Lawrence routinely found open receivers. Parker Washington caught five passes for 83 yards and a touchdown, while Lawrence also connected with Josh Cameron, Brenton Strange and Jakobi Meyers for scores.

There were a couple of bright spots. Raheim Sanders ripped off a 74-yard kickoff return, and Boston’s late touchdown was the first of his NFL career.

But those were footnotes.

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For a franchise hoping Monken, Watson and a reworked roster could change the direction of the Browns, Week 1 delivered a brutal reality check.

Cleveland didn’t just lose.

For most of Sunday afternoon, it was never really competitive.