After three straight playoff appearances the Browns faltered and fell short of season goals in 2021. Head Coach Rivera was sidelined for 5 weeks as he suffered medical issues throughout the season causing him to miss games. The Browns as a result seemed to lose focus and struggled while Rivera was recovering. Rivera was able to return to coach for the last few games and has already confirmed he will return to coach in 2022.
The Browns were not very active during free agency but did conduct some trades through the season. The Browns acquired RB Mixon to Crowell’s replacement. When starting quarterback Cross went down with an injury the Browns made several calls to acquire help at the QB position. Wentz was traded and started in four games. Lastly Cleveland traded for CB Mahon whom went on to start at CB3.
Re-signed:
Trent Schmidt, RT, has been solid depth and even been to a Pro Bowl but unfortunately he was asking too for the Browns. Malik Tolver, RG was a 2nd round pick a few years ago who developed into a good player but was lost in the depth chart.
Isaiah Crowell was the bell cow for the Browns during these last four years was released during the offseason. Crowell is in the back end of his career in the NFL but should still be able to land a job. During the last four years he amassed 6,576 yards and 68 touchdowns. He led the AFC in yards in 2018 and 2019 with 1,949 and 1943 yards respectively.
Trae Waynes was signed a few seasons ago to be the CB2 and had a high salary cap hit. Waynes played well but appears to have lost a step. Unsurprisingly the Browns decided to part ways with Waynes to clear up $11M in salary.
The Browns traded away mostly depth players with the exceptions of wide receivers Poppy Pete and Jakhari Spievey who both starts last season.
The Browns offense took a step forward this season despite injury at the quarterback position. The offense was a top 5 team in passing and finished 7th for rushing offense was well. The offense at times struggled when Head Coach Rivera had to miss games. With Rivera cleared to coach next year the Browns offense should be able to put up better and more consistent numbers.
Wide outs McGee and rookie Pugh finished the year tied for team high of 53 receptions. McGee finally moved up to WR1 and showcased his ability to take the top off a defense. McGee had a career high in yards and touchdowns.
This was a trying season for the Browns defense. The pass defense played well and finished as a top ten unit. Whereas the run defense was the worse it has ever been under HC Rivera and placed 27th by the end of the season. It is not known whether it was the players or the play calling that caused such a huge drop off in rush defense.
Morgan Lawrence – 93 TAK / 2 SACK / 1 INT
Cordea Tankersley – 66 TAK / 3 INT
Dex Betts – 75 TAK / 1 INT
Myles Garrett – 56 TAK / 13 SACK
Solomon Thomas – 57 TAK / 13 SACK
THE BROWN NOTE:
Running Back Musical Chairs
Traded
The Browns continue to use a plug and play approach to running backs this season. Recently acquired rookie HB Gideon has started the last few weeks. While displaying potential he generally only has about one big play per game. The rookie also struggles to run through contact.
Joe Mixon has largely been underutilized and hasn’t had much success with the Bengals. Mixon at 25 and with an affordable salary hit can be featured as a lead back if needed. The Browns were rumored to be interested in drafting a running back in the upcoming draft but many scouts are skeptical of this year’s talent.
MLB Blake was on borrowed time with the Browns rumored not to be interested in re-signing him. Blake at 26 has developed into a sure handed tackler with decent coverage skills. Blake spent his time with the Browns backing up MLB Lawrence.
LOLB Mayo is young at 23 and has spent time on and off the Browns active roster these past two seasons. Mayo is athletic enough to play in coverage consistently and tackles well. Mayo was in talks with the Browns to resign before he was traded. Mayo should get the chance to start and continue to develop in Cincinnati.
THE BROWN NOTE:
Recent Transactions
Released
The release of Zeitler wasn’t exactly a surprise and frees ups $10M in much needed cap space. Zeitler is coming off of two straight Pro Bowl seasons so he should be able to find a new home quickly.
Mitchell’s time with the Browns ended with the addition of CB McMahon. Mitchell was signed during free agency to add depth.
Traded
The Browns have been actively shopping Spievey around this season. Spivey had a productive rookie debut last season and has become a quality wide out. With the additions of rookie receivers Pugh and Pope it was evident Spivey had fallen down the depth chart.
Charles Gideon is a rookie and was drafted in the 3rd round by the Houston Texans. The Browns were rumored to have been interested in selecting Gideon before the Texans drafted him. Gideon ran a blazing 4.33 that caught the eyes of many scouts.
Gideon will get his chance to start for the Browns after a mediocre displaying out of fellow rooking running back Henry Walter.
The Browns had a second trade in which they shipped talented rookie DT Allison to the Bears. Allison did not see playing time in Cleveland but he has all the tools needed to compete right away in Chicago.
In exchange the Browns received 3rd round rookie cornerback McMahon from the Bears. McMahon is extremely athletic with a quick burst of acceleration to keep up with receivers. McMahon is a young talent at 21 and has tons of upside.
The Brown Note: 2021 Draft Grades
Now that the NFL draft is in the books we reflect back on the Browns draft picks. We’ve given them Grades based on several criteria such as impact, when they were picked, value at pick, bust and other things.
Haynes Pugh– 1st RD, WR
Skill-Set Summary: Pugh runs great routes with the speed and suddenness to get separation. He can stretch teams vertically and is a dangerous run-after-the-catch receiver. With his speed Pugh could line up as a slot or outside receiver to produce mismatches. Additionally Pugh is a great, if not the best kick returner in the draft using his combination of speed, acceleration, and agility to carve up yards.
With the recent departure of wide receiver Pete and likely departure of Meredith there was a need to grab a playmaker. This draft class was loaded with smaller speedster wide outs but Pugh was one of the best all-around receiver in the draft. In addition he brings his playmaking abilities as a kick returner something that the Browns have been missing for a few seasons. GRADE: A-
Haynes Pope– 1st RD, WR
Skill-Set Summary: Pope showed a quick burst off the line with the speed to get separation. Pope also ran good routes with excellent hands and showed a knack for getting away from the secondary. Nimble athlete with light feet allowing him to elude tacklers in space. Produced four return touchdowns during his collegiate career.
Many speculated that the Browns were going to go after Defensive players or offensive line men with this late first round pick. Instead the Browns doubled down on receivers by drafting Pope. Clearly the Browns want to surround quarterback Cross with some new weapons. Pope is the same type of player as fellow rookie Pugh but Pope is just a hair less developed as Pugh. GRADE: A-
Austin Lowry– 2nd RD, MLB
Skill-Set Summary: Lowry is a tough run defender who is strong, instinctive, and physical in the tackle box. However, He is not a fast linebacker with sideline-to-sideline speed. He also isn't a great athlete and will need a lot of development in pass coverage to be a three-down defender in the NFL. At the next level, Lowry would fit best as an inside linebacker in a 3-4 defense with a fast run-and-chase linebacker next to him. He could be limited to being more of a run-stuffing linebacker for the pro game.
Browns Linebackers Kirksey and Blake are in contract years and rumored not to be in Cleveland’s plans for the future. So it was only logical that the Browns would draft a linebacker at some point. Unfortunately this year’s crop of linebackers were not highly graded by many scouts. So picking Lowry here was a stretch and reach for the second round. Since Lowry isn’t quick enough side line to side line he will most likely serve as depth this season and unlikely to see playing time. GRADE: D
Garrett Ambrose– 3rd RD, RG
Skill-Set Summary: Ambrose impressed scouts in 2020 as an excellent run blocker for Purdue. He blocks with aggression and has a temperament that is hard to find in college blockers. In pass protection, Garrett was very dependable as well. He also has enough athleticism and quick feet to slide in pass protection
Ambrose falling to the third was a steal and a great value of a pick. The only real knock on Ambrose is his age (24). He is a Quick learner and should develop nicely throughout the season. GRADE: B+
Shawn Allison – 4th RD, RE
Skill-Set Summary: Allison has the skill set to be a difference-maker at the point of attack. He is strong enough to shed blocks, yet has the speed to close on the quarterback. Allison is a tough run defender who has some quickness and a burst to close when he breaks free. However, Allison badly needs to develop some pass-rushing moves to succeed at the next level.
Allison will most likely be moved to DT in the Browns defensive scheme. He has all the tools needed to compete right away for the starting job next to DT Hawkins. Overall not a bad pick for the 4th round. Grade: C-
Sean Vinatieri – 4th RD, LOLB
Skill-Set Summary: While at UCLA Vinatieri was able to get some wins in the one-on-ones by using his power moves to run by blockers. Vinatieri will need to get stronger in the run game. In the early going of his NFL career, he could compete to earn a roster spot as a backup designated pass-rusher in a 4-3 or 3-4 defense. The main story about Vinatieri is his battles with injuries during his time at UCLA. Those injuries limited his growth and seemed to have slowed him down raising concerns about his ability to play at the next level.
Vinatieri lacks top end athleticism for a dedicated pass rusher. He also struggles to shed blocks and has the inability to stay healthy. Vinatieri will probably never be more than a practice squad player and will likely be a cut candidate. GRADE: F
Henry Walton – 5th RD, HB
Skill-Set Summary: Has athletic ability NFL team’s desire from the position. Utilizes explosive, sudden jump-cut to bound like a deer from gap to gap. Combination of lower body power and balance through contact allows him to run through weak tackle attempts. Lateral quickness and speed to the edge appear to be in order. Looks most comfortable as an outside runner. Walton has a knack for being careless with ball security raising red flags for many NFL teams.
Walton was not scouted by the Browns staff but they were impressed with his combination of speed and ability to cut back. Crowell is in his final year of his contract and at times has appeared to have lost a step. Wouldn’t be surprised if Walton or some UDFA gets a chance to compete for the starting role. GRADE: C-
Carlo Flowers – 6th RD, WR
Skill-Set Summary: At wide receiver, he shows great vision as well as the ability to take a screen and turn it into a big play. He is willing to catch the ball through contact and absorb big hits. He doesn’t have the ability to beat press and can get knocked off his route. While he can catch through traffic, he doesn’t have a big catch radius and has consistently struggled with drops.
Flowers is young enough to spend time on the practice squad. He will need to improve his skill set across the board to play slot receiver in the NFL. GRADE: D
Garrison Washington – 7th RD, HB
Skill-Set Summary: Washington is a solid college back, but for the NFL, he looks limited as he lacks a burst and first-step quickness. Hood needs three or four steps to get going and is only a North-South runner. He doesn't have the feet to be elusive or run laterally. Washington looks like a third-day talent and rotational back for the NFL.
Washington lacks the agility to be a featured back in the NFL. Compounding his lack of agility is his poor ball security. Washington will most likely be a journey for his NFL career.GRADE:F
Another game where the Cleveland offense struggled and it appears to be a trend for this season with the new quarterback.
Pass Rush – Backing their 7 sack performance in week 1, the Browns brought down Mariota 7 times. This time it was all Garrett, who was determine to make a play finishing the day with 3 sacks. Even rookie DE Gilmore got another sack continuing to exceed expectations.
Offense – For a second week the offensive unit struggled to move the ball. Starting with running back Crowell not having much success all day. He finished the day with 8 attempts for a lousy 26 yards. Putting a lot of the offense on the shoulders of young quarterback Cross this game. Cross missed too many throws and couldn’t find any rhythm with his receivers. He finished the day with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. One note, Cross led the team rushing with 56 yards.
Pass Defense – The Titans offense numbers were not gaudy today but the Browns secondary played badly. Even with Mariota completing only 10 passes he tossed 3 tds very easily. The Titans had no issues making plays when needed and could have gotten more scores easily.
Jakhari Spievey – The rookie wideout had a decent debut in week 1 but that progress came to a screeching halt in week 2. Early in the game he caught a pass in the middle of the field and coughed up the ball. Giving the Titans great field position for an easy score. The Browns staff has talked about Spievey’s potential and it remains to be seen how much faith they put in the rookie.
The game was an ugly game to watch if you were a fan of offensive plays. Both teams struggled to produce offensively. It was a competitive game until a touchdown late sealed the game.
Run Defense – The much maligned run unit had an exceptional day against the Bengals. Mixon had 8 attempts for a grand total of 10 yards. The Browns were flying to the ball early and made a few tackle for losses. This was a good start to the season for this part of the defense.
Pass Rush – This is the most creative the Browns defense looked. They moved Garrett and Thomas all over the line and it paid dividends. The whole dline was able to constantly able to bring Dalton down and disrupt the passing game. Look for the Browns defense to sprinkle in some new looks throughout the season.
Vincent Gilmore- The rookie DE figured to be a depth or maybe sometimes a rotational player. He made the most out of the handful snaps he received. Finishing the game with 1.5 sacks in his debut. This unexpected production from Gilmore, may allow greater flexibility with the D-line.
Zane Gonzalez – In a game where the offense only scored two touchdowns, Gonzalez came through with 11 points in the kicking game. Gonzalez kicked 3 FG with a long of 57 yards. Additionally he notched 2 extra-point kicks as well.
Christian Kirskey- The veternan linebacker set the tone for the Browns defense early. Forcing a fumble on the Bengals opening drive.
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Offense - The collective group struggled although it was not a surprise given the new quarterback. What was unexpected was the lack of a productive ground game. The offensive line did not block well for Crowell allowing the Bengals to shed the blocks all day. The wide outs were not able to break coverage all day. Not sure if it was due to the Bengals defensive backs or bad play calling. Barring the 71 yard touchdown for McGee the group and play calling struggled.
Quarterback Devvone Cross, had an up and down debut. Clearly his development will take some time but how quickly can he get up to speed will be the key. Cross missed a handful of throws unfortunately but ultimately stepped up when needed to win the game.
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Now that the NFL draft is in the books we reflect back on the Browns draft picks. We’ve given them Grades based on several criteria such as impact, when they were picked, value at pick, bust and other things.
Deandre Jackson– 1st RD (via Saints), LG
The Browns went for a safe and surefire stud with their first pick.
Skill-Set Summary: He is strong at the point of attack with the ability to get a push in the ground game. He also has enough athleticism and quick feet to slide in pass protection. At this point in his development his run blocking abilities surpass his pass protection.
The draft grade here was originally lower but with many GMs and Scouts calling this a weak class the grade is a little higher now. Another factor is that the Browns have plenty of depth at this position. Jackson, is the Browns most polished player this draft. Barring any injuries will be a depth player this season but will have a chance to start next season. GRADE: B-
Lamarcus Heeney- 1st RD, SS
A last minute addition to the All-Star game, Houston SS Lamarcus Heeney made his draft stock soar with a great performance.
Skill-Set Summary:
During his career at Houston, strong safety Henney was notorious for setting the tone for a game with crushing blows to opposing running backs, wide receivers and tight ends. His ability to fill gaps and make impact plays against the run is what enabled him to garner attention from NFL scouts. Heeney will need to become a more sure handed tackler instead of always going for the big hits. In addition he will have to improve in his coverage to make an impact in the NFL.
The Browns fell in love with the performance that Heeney displayed in the All-Star game. Cleveland believes that performance indicates a quick developmental player. Picking him here though may have been a reach and is the second year in a row, that the Browns drafted a safety in the first round. GRADE: C-
Thomas Lynch– 2nd RD, DT
Skill-Set Summary: Raw and young is the best way to describe the 21 year old defensive tackle. Lynch lacks the ability to tackle consistently and block shed. Lynch struggles with double teams and has limitations as a pass-rusher for the NFL that push him down. He does have a quick burst of acceleration and pursues the football well.
The lack of talent in this draft started to show as early as the 2nd round. This pick was clearly made hastily and is a bust. Lynch is too raw as a player and will most likely end up on the practice squad. GRADE: F
Vincent Gilmore – 3rd RD, LE
Skill-Set Summary: Gilmore was one of the stars of the combine's defensive line drills with a very fast 40 time. He is a fast edge defender and a natural pass-rusher, who clearly has a ton of upside. He needs to develop a spin move, a rip move, and maybe a club move - if he adds strength. Gilmore is too reliant on using speed and trying to dip under offensive tackles. In the NFL, he's going to need more than that.
The Browns added a solid speed rusher to add depth behind LE Thomas and RE Garrett. While he won’t surpass the starters, he can easily become a rotational player especially on third and longs. Adding Gilmore was a good move it gives them flexibility and allows them to move around Garrett and Thomas. GRADE: C+
Shrederick Henry – 4th RD, MLB
Skill-Set Summary: Henry is a fast and athletic linebacker who has a good skill set, but has a lack of instincts and awareness. He is fast and quick twitch but lack the agility to change directions in coverage. Besides his speed, Henry, has displayed good pursuit of the ball carrier. He is also underrated in his ability to play zone coverage.
Henry was picked based off his pure athletic abilities I am being told. The Browns scouts did not attend any of Henry’s games or pro day. Henry will have a real chance of starting at LOLB right away and could be good player if his awareness increases. C-
Giovani Enunwa- 5th RD, CB
Skill-Set Summary: His impressive combine which included a 4.40 time caused teams to take a second look at him and reevaluate where they would take him. He is undersized for the NFL and would best as a nickel corner to defend slot receivers.
Enunwa will need to greatly improve on his coverage skills and awareness to be an NFL caliber cornerback. He will likely make the 53 man roster because of his speed and athleticism. Grade C-
Jakhari Spievey- 6th RD, WR
Skill-Set Summary: Spievey is a project of a player at wide out. His struggles to get off the press are well documented. Another factor that hurts his stock, is he lacks the ability to run a full route tree at the moment. Spievey does have long speed and acceleration to excel in the NFL. He also has good hands and has no troubles making contested catches.
Another shot in the dark by the Browns late in the draft. Spievey has potential if he can improve his route running this season. Grade D
Christian Dupree – 7th RD, MLB
Skill-Set Summary: Protype middle linebacker in college who had a up and down career. He was able to turn a quick 40 at the combine. Quick to chase down the ball carrier but needs refinement in his tackling techniques. Lack of awareness and skill in coverage hurt his draft value as well.
The Browns ended their draft by adding another linebacker. Dupree is quick but he isn’t as good as Henry, who the Browns picked in the 5th. Dupree will probably never be more of a backup player and will be a cut candidate. Grade D
THE BROWN NOTE: New Quarterbacks in Town
With the departure of QB Kizer, the Browns had no quarterbacks on the roster. The Browns wasted no time in acquiring new quarterbacks. Let’s take a look below at the new quarterbacks for this season.
Nathan Peterman (traded from the Bills) – Drafted in the 5th round of the 2017 Draft, Peterman was originally thought to take over the starting quarterback job eventually. However, that failed to happen.
The Browns traded a 5th round pick in exchange for Peterman. The Browns wanted to ensure they had at least 1 quarterback on the roster if free agency didn’t go well. Peterman at this point will serve as the 3rd string quarterback and provide depth at the position.
Career Stats: 1663 Yards / 13 TD / 22 INT
Tyrod Taylor (free agent) – The Browns Brought in the veteran Quarterback Taylor. Taylor played good and bad at times in Buffalo. Released he went to play for Carolina last year. There he had a decent year with over 3, 000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards. In a salary cap saving moving the Panthers decided to cut Taylor.
Taylor has the skills set needed to start for the Browns right now if they give him the starting nod. With the addition of QB Cross, the signs are pointing downward for Taylor as the starting quarterback. Taylor will most likely only play at this point if Cross struggles or get injured.
Career Stats: 13, 552 Yards / 96 TD / 82 INT
Devvone Cross – Many are wondering who Cross is and why the Browns went aggressively after Cross in free agency. The Browns, Seahawks, and Bengals were are all interested in signing during the offseason.
Cross is young at 22 years old with plenty of room to develop. Playing his rookie year in Arizona he did well enough to impress the Browns coaching staff. Cross most likely gets the starting nod due to his intangibles and potential. Playing in nine game he posted over 2,000 yards passing.
Cross has got a lively arm and is more of a west coast quarterback at this point in his career. He’s very athletic for his height at 6’4 and creates play using his mobility. The downside being he still is very raw as a passer and needs to be more consistent with his throws. There will likely be some growing pains in the passing game this season as Cross isn’t as advanced as Kizer was.
Career Stats: 2070 Yards / 14 TD / 14 TD
The Brown Note: QB Kizer Traded!
In a shocking twist of events the New Orleans Saints have acquired Quarterback Deshone Kizer from the Browns. Kizer, the 2x pro bowl QB will get to be the face of the Saints.
Head Coach Ron Rivera stated that trading Kizer was a business move. Rumors were floating around that the Browns brass were not confident that they could extend his contract along with other key players.
Moving on from Kizer frees up some potential cap space to use on LE Thomas, RE Garrett, TE Njoku, and CB Tankersley.
With many scouts calling QB class weakest they’ve seen in a few years, expect the Browns to kick the tires on free agent quarterbacks. There’s a possibility that they trade for a veteran quarterback as well.
Armed with a couple extra picks in the draft now perhaps the Browns organization can soften the loss of Kizer.
THE BROWN NOTE:
Season Review
What a year for the Cleveland Browns and their fan base. For a second year in a row the Browns had 10 plus wins. Head Coach Rivera has energized this fan base by establishing a winning culture in Cleveland of all places. Following a 10-6 year, Rivera took the team to the divisional round in the playoffs with a 13-3 record.
Acquisitions (the notable ones)
The Browns addressed a need for a stud offensive linemen early in the season by the acquisition of Tunsil. In addition to Tunsil, the Browns traded for CB Tankersley as well. The Browns spent much of the offseason focusing on getting more athletic in the secondary. In free agency they aggressively targeted CB Trae Waynes and signed him to a four year deal. Lastly, they signed FS Houston-Carson to fill in as a veteran safety across from the rookie safety Betts.
Re-signed:
Soon to be Free Agents (the notable ones)
The Browns appear to be losing starting players in CB Taylor and LOLB Alexander this offseason. The sides could not come to agreements on contract length. The coaching staff has shown to be more inclined to go with younger players.
Offense
The Browns offense took a big forward this season finishing 5th now in yards (9th last season), 13th (12th last season) in passing, and 6th (8th last season) for rushing yards. The offense played its best when RB Crowell shouldered the load. Crowell again finished close to 2,000 yards rushing and only 6 yards short of last season’s total. Injuries and perhaps work load appeared to hamper the star running back at times though.
Quarter back Deshone Kizer, played about as well as last season. Good enough for the young QB to earn his second Pro Bowl. There were times throughout the season when the passing game was out of sync.
Rumors are that Offensive Coordinator Chris Dale may be fired in the offseason.
Wide out McGee again lead the team in receptions and receiving yards and continues to be the focal point of the aerial attack. Wide out Merideth struggled to stay healthy missing four games and then he was knocked out of a few games.
Defense
Defense finished 9th for total yards, 10th for pass, and 12th for rushing yards. The offseason was spent on improving the defense. Specifically the pass coverage but it appears that the whole defense took a step back this season. At times the run defense was out right horrendous.
Myles Garrett was the star on defense this season. He led the team in Sacks and was the heart of the pass rush. In addition, Garrett was a key in run defense finishing with a career high of 73 tackles and good for 2nd on the team. On the other side of Garrett, at LE Thomas was a disappointment this season. He missed four games with an injury and could not match the production of Garrett. Rookie DT Hawkins drafted in the 3rd round exceeded expectations and outplayed DT1 Brantley.
MLB Lawrence had a productive season but failed to reach the highs of his rookie pro bowl season.
The first round rookie, FS Betts had an up and down season. He didn’t produce the ball hawking numbers that the Browns were looking for. The new additions of CB Tankersley and Waynes added speed to the back end of the defense. They played reasonably well at and should anchor the CBs next season.
Awards : 11x
THE BROWN NOTE: Week 17 Winners and Losers
After each game there are players who impress and some who disappoint. This is where our weekly “Winners and Losers” column was born. Sometimes being labeled a loser is a bit harsh, but ultimately there are players every game who simply don’t measure up to “the standard”.
Time to diagnose who falls into which category for the Cleveland Browns after the Week- 17 game against the Ravens.
Winners
Deshone Kizer – The quarterback didn’t post big numbers with only 10 passing attempts. Despite only completing 7 passes he was responsible for two touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown. Most importantly he didn’t force any bonehead throws. This was a good tune up game for the team to head into the playoffs. 241 YDS / 2 TD / 0 INT / 1 RUSH TD
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Poppy Pete- the Browns receiving corps wasn’t very active today due to the effective rushing attack by Crowell. Pete only registered one catch but he displayed his ability to turn it up the field for a big 90 yard touchdown.
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Isaiah Crowell – The Crow had his best performance of the season with over 200 yards rushing. Crowell has been very successful versus the Ravens defensive front over the last two seasons. Displaying grit and determination when hitting the lanes and broke 7 tackles in the contest. Today’s performance showcases Crowell’s ability to be one of the top running backs in the league. 20 ATT / 222 YDS / 4 TD
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Offfensive Line – Quietly the offensive line has rebounded from a few bad games. They have protected Kizer well the last two weeks and helped set Crowell off today. Going forward one has to wonder if this is future Hall of Fame Left Tackle Joe Thomas final year.
Losers
Defense – Somewhat disappointing was the Browns defensive unit today. The Ravens focused on attacking the ground with HB Dixon. He was able to exploit the run defense to a tune of 162 yards and two touchdowns. The Browns pass defense wasn’t terrible allowing 203 passing yards and got one interception. Although they did allow WR Perriman to record five receptions for 132 yards and a touchdown.
THE BROWN NOTE: Week 16 Winners and Losers
After each game there are players who impress and some who disappoint. This is where our weekly “Winners and Losers” column was born. Sometimes being labeled a loser is a bit harsh, but ultimately there are players every game who simply don’t measure up to “the standard”.
Time to diagnose who falls into which category for the Cleveland Browns after the Week- 16 game against the 49ers.
Winners
Deshone Kizer – The Browns quarterback was able to carry this team and lead them to victory. Early in the game he was calm and collective throwing three touchdowns in the wins. The Browns offensive line was very stout in protecting Kizer allowing him all day to survey the field. 271 YDS / 3 TD / 1 INT
Rashaud McGee & Cameron Merideth- On the Browns opening drive, Merideth came down with a deep touchdown pass. From then on it was a shootout with Meredith and McGee both recording a touchdown. Despite McGee only having 1 catch he turned it into a 78 touchdown showcasing his catch after run ability. Meredith finished with 3 recpetions for 91 yards and a touchdown. McGee had one catch for 78 yards and a touchdown.
http://xboxclips.com/DSMx+UpstageTim/51129f4b-1287-479a-8dc7-a53fa9164a0d
Run Defense – Another good performance by this unit. They held both 49ers running backs Williams and Rawls to 40 yards on 14 carries. The run defense recorded five tackles for losses in addition. This was one of the better performances of the season and we are still unsure of what to think of this run defense.
Defensive Takeaways- The pass defense played poorly today but the defense came through towards the end of the game. With the game on the line and the 49ers driving to win the game late in the 4th quarter. 49ers, Newton, scrambled for the 1st down and instead of sliding he dove and coughed up the ball. The Browns defense recovered and clinched the game. In addition to that the defense recorded 2 fumbles and 1 int.
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Losers
Defense – All game the pass rush could not hit home. There were too many times that Cam was able to roll out the pocket to avoid pressure. Disappointingly the Browns recorded only 1 sack on Newton. Poor showing from this unit today that almost costed them the game. The Pass defense wasn’t much better allowing Newton to carve them up to the tune of 352 YDS and 3 TDs. Receiver Doug Baldwin was able to record over 100 yards. It was mildly annoying that the 49ers kept lining up TE Rudolph as a WR and Browns could stop it or him.
Isaiah Crowell – The Crow struggled again this week against the 49ers front. There were times were he appeared to be sluggish with his acceleration and just looked out of sync. Have to wonder if he’s gotten worn down from the heavy work load of the last 3 seasons. 16 ATT / 68 YDS / 1 TD
THE BROWN NOTE: Week 15 Winners and Losers
After each game there are players who impress and some who disappoint. This is where our weekly “Winners and Losers” column was born. Sometimes being labeled a loser is a bit harsh, but ultimately there are players every game who simply don’t measure up to “the standard”.
Time to diagnose who falls into which category for the Cleveland Browns after the Week- 15 game against the Chargers.
Winners
Rashaud McGee – The crafty receiver was leaned on heavily throughout the game. This was a showcase of how dynamic and a threat McGee can be. Unfortunately, games like today will be far and few in between with the bulk of the offense running through Crowell. 7 REC / 178 YDS / 2 TD
Isaiah Crowell – A much needed game for the Pro Bowl running back. After two games of being held under the century mark. Finding lanes, stiff arming, and cut backs Crowell was top form today. 21 ATT / 172 YDS / 2 TD
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Run Defense – Overall the defense played well as a whole but the run aspect was dominant. Chargers Running Back Gordon was held to 51 yards on 15 carries for about 3.4 yards per carry. The Browns can be a good run stuffing defense or they can get gashed. Regardless today they played well against the Chargers.
Losers
Offensive Line – Previously the second game against the Steelers was the Browns offensive line performance until today’s game. Early and often the Chargers defense found ways to hit and bring quarterback Kizer down. To be fair Kizer at times held onto the ball too long or attempted to roll out of the pocket. Regardless it still doesn’t take away the fact that the line gave up 8 sacks.
Cameron Meredith – What a disappointing year for the wide receiver. Meredith started out the year on pace to have a productive season. Then he was injured with a shoulder injury which keeping him sidelined for a few games. Big surprise he gets knocked out in the game early on with a concussion. Meredith’s inability to stay on the field may cost him longevity in Cleveland.