Finding The Right Backup For Watson Is a Big Deal

The “legal tampering” period in the NFL starts Monday, so the free agent frenzy is about to begin. We are sure Browns’ GM Andrew Berry will make an impact, as the team has already freed up salary cap space by restructuring the contracts of Denzel Ward and Jedrick Wills.

However, it wouldn’t be a Browns off-season without discussing the quarterback position. We are sure the front office figured once they traded for Deshaun Watson in 2022, that discussion would be over for the next five to ten years.

But due to injury or suspension, Watson has played only 12 games since the 2020 season, which when the ’24 season begins was four years ago. And when he has played, he’s only shown some glimpses of the player he was his four years in Houston, when he put up a 104.5 passer rating.

And that’s why the back up spot is important. When you are a playoff team, like the Browns were in 2023, and they hope to be back in ’24, you can’t have your season do down the drain having an inexperienced reserve QB.

Of course, the people’s choice is Joe Flacco, who went 4-1 as a starter last season, and actually had the team’s highest passer rating for the Browns a year ago, 90.2 to Watson’s 84.3.

Better yet was Flacco’s average yards per attempt, which was 7.9 compared to Watson’s 6.5. In fact, if Flacco had qualified for the passing title, that figure would have put him at sixth in the NFL, and his 13.1 yards per completion would have placed him second behind Brock Purdy.

We would prefer Flacco as well, if only because he was here a year ago and the offense ran very well with him under center. The downside is he is a totally different quarterback than Watson, so the question would be would you need a different offensive system should something happen to the starter.

However, we continue to think while Watson is clearly the more athletic of the two QBs, if he’s open to it, we think he can learn a lot from the veteran, who guided Cleveland into the playoffs a year ago, and has been on a Super Bowl winning team.

Kevin Stefanski’s offense is predicated on running the football and using play action off of it. Flacco operated it to perfection. Watson would prefer to play from the shotgun, so he doesn’t have to turn his back on the defense.

We understand Watson has been in the NFL since 2017 and made three Pro Bowl teams with the Texans. We also are of the belief that you are never too old to learn. We would like to see Watson at least give it a try.

Watson has been vocal on his podcast about not being fully comfortable with Stefanski’s scripted plays to start each game.

In our opinion, if he were playing like he did in Houston, he would have more of a leg to stand on. But when you’ve played 12 games in the last three seasons and have had maybe a couple of games when you resembled a Pro Bowler, you ought to be more open to new ideas.

And maybe he has already discussed this with Stefanski and new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. Having Flacco on the roster could be a valuable resource in helping him.

We also think the Browns will start talking to Watson about running less, putting himself in harm’s way only when he has to. Certainly, the investment in him and his availability over the last two years figures into that.

No doubt the first option for the Browns is to have Watson be the quarterback he was in Houston. But they have to be prepared if that doesn’t happen next season.

Browns Need To Get Pay Off On Investment On Watson

When the Cleveland Browns traded a boatload of draft picks and spent a ton of money on QB Deshaun Watson prior to the 2022 season, we are sure they felt their quarterback issues were taken care of for several years.

However, Watson has not been under center since the move was made more often than he has played due to league suspension and injury. And really, when Watson has played, he has not resembled the player who put up 4823 yards through the air in 2020 with the Texans.

Of the five highest yardage games for the Browns in the 2023 season, Watson was at the helm for one of them, the 26-22 loss to Pittsburgh in week two. The Browns moved well that day, and Watson completed 22 of 40 throws for 235 yards, but had an interception on the game’s first play and two fumbles, one of which resulted in another Pittsburgh touchdown.

The other four games which resulted in the most yardage gained with the quarterback who played:

428 yards vs. the Jets (Joe Flacco)
418 yards vs. the Texans (Flacco)
389 yards vs. the Jaguars (Flacco)
385 yards vs. the Seahawks (P.J. Walker)

To be fair, if we extend this to the top ten games, Watson played in three of those–Baltimore, Cincinnati, and Tennessee.

In Watson’s first year, in which he was suspended for the Browns’ first 12 games, the game he moved the ball in the best was a 23-10 loss to the Bengals in week 14, which ranked 9th for the Browns that year.

Watson was 26 of 42 in that one for 276 yards with a TD throw and an interception.

Of the five lowest yardage games for Cleveland, Watson was at the helm for four of them.

That has to be concerning for the organization.

The Browns changes offensive coordinators this season, bringing in Ken Dorsey, who had success working with Cam Newton in Carolina. This was done to “unlock” Watson, to get him back to the player he was in Houston.

They talk about adding more weapons to the offensive, giving Watson more to work with. However, we keep coming back to these facts: Cleveland scored 30 or more points five times last season. Three of those games came with Flacco behind center, one came with Watson, and the other with Walker.

We think there should be a meeting in the middle with the QB. There is no question so far the offense runs better with other quarterbacks than the one the Browns have made a substantial investment in.

So, bringing in a coach more in tune with Watson’s style of play is fine, anything to make him more comfortable is a good thing. However, Watson should also be making an effort to fit with what worked at the end of 2023.

There is no question the Browns moved the football better and scored more points with Joe Flacco at the position. It’s probably the reason the changes were made to the coaching staff, the front office is concerned about the huge investment that was made.

For the Browns to succeed in 2024, they need more consistent play from Deshaun Watson. They’ve invested a lot of draft capital and money in the former Texan, and so far, it hasn’t paid off.

Hopefully, the new coordinator can help Watson, and he can put his ego aside and go ahead and run the offense like it was in the second half of last season.

Here Is Something To Cause Worry For Browns’ Fans

It was reported late last week that the driving force for the changes in the Cleveland Browns’ coaching staff, particularly offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, came from on top, meaning owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam, and chief strategy office Paul DePodesta.

Of all the things Browns’ fans worry about, and believe us, there are many, this should be the one most concerning.

We realize that NFL owners are very successful people or come from very successful families, but that doesn’t mean they understand football.

Of course, that’s what DePodesta is for, right?

We get there is frustration and nervousness from the top of the organization over the failure of their huge investment, Deshaun Watson to make an impact over his first two years with the Browns.

Our belief is that those two were the driving force behind making the deal. And that’s not assigning blame. We felt Watson was one of the top five quarterbacks in the league in his last season in Houston, and if you can get someone that good at that position, you have to give it a shot.

However, we aren’t sure the problem with Watson was the offensive coaching staff. It’s more about his availability, he’s only played 11 of the 34 games he has been on the roster due to suspension or injury. Van Pelt and coach Kevin Stefanski didn’t create that situation.

On the other hand, in only three of those 11 contests has Watson had a passer rating of over 100. In 2022, it was attributed to rust. Last season? He seemed to turn a corner in week three vs. the Titans but was injured in that game on a designed run.

His next complete games were against Arizona where he had a 107.5 passer rating, followed by the win over the Ravens in which he was tremendous in the second half, but also suffered a season ending injury.

To be fair, teams change coordinators all the time and as we wrote a little over a week ago, a new voice, a different perspective isn’t necessarily bad. Maybe new coordinator Ken Dorsey can bring some new elements to make Watson more like the player he was in Houston.

On the other hand, Watson will be 29 when the 2024 season starts, and perhaps Dorsey should be more judicious in how many designed runs are called for him. After all, Cleveland has a lot invested in him and needs him to be on the field.

The pressure from the top though is certainly concerning. Powerful people own NFL teams and they have large egos. Our theory about no one hiring Bill Belichick for 2024 is that some of these owners would rather have control and lose than give up some of that control and win.

That doesn’t mean Belichick is perfect, but he has proven to be a very good football coach, and if he has talent he will win. We think coaching means more in football than in any other sport. Look at what Jim Schwartz did with the Browns’ defense in 2023.

Maybe Belichick doesn’t deserve control of picking the players anymore, but he should be able to have a comfort level with the person who does.

We have to think the only reason he isn’t coaching is because an owner wants his hands on the operation.

And to that, we come back to the old saying: A wise man knows what he doesn’t know.

Maybe Watson Can Learn From Flacco

The Cleveland Browns had a very successful season in 2023, making the playoffs with an 11-6 record. Still, much like this season, most of the hope for another playoff berth in 2024 depends on QB Deshaun Watson.

You may ask why that is still the case because Watson only played in five games this past year and the Browns still won 11 times? It’s because the model of starting five different quarterbacks and still getting a post-season spot is not sustainable.

GM Andrew Berry talked about a 10-year commitment when the deal for Watson was made, and he has to look at it that way because the first two seasons have seen the former Texan start just 12 of 34 games, and really, he has only shown brief glimpses of the player he was in Houston.

Certainly, good health is needed for the trade to play out in the Browns’ favor, but we would also like to see Watson put his trust in Kevin Stefanski and the way his offense works.

Since Stefanski took over as head coach and installed his offense, he has coaxed solid QB play out of most of the players who have called signals for Cleveland.

In 2020, Baker Mayfield posted a 95.9 passer rating for the Browns, his career high (he was at 94.6 this season in Tampa). He completed 62.8% of his throws with 26 touchdowns and just 8 interceptions.

It’s easy to dismiss that success because of the injury plagued year in 2021, but Mayfield was off to a good start in ’21, with 8 TDs and just three picks in his first eight starts.

The deal for Watson was made after this season, but Jacoby Brissett was the primary starter in 2022 because of Watson’s suspension. Brissett had the highest passer rating of his career (88.9) with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions with the Browns, completing a career high 64% of his passes.

In 2023, Stefanski coaxed solid enough play out of P.J. Walker, rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and revived Joe Flacco’s career. The latter had the third best passer rating of his career in any season he played more than four games. Statistically, it was his best season since 2014.

FYI, Kirk Cousins’ best statistical season? 2019, when his offensive coordinator was Kevin Stefanski.

The point is, Stefanski’s “system” is QB-friendly. It seems the only Cleveland passer who hasn’t taken advantage of it is Deshaun Watson.

Recently, Watson said he didn’t like the scripted plays that Stefanski starts the game with. We found that curious, and a sign about his coachability.

We get it, when you are a gifted athlete, it is easy to become engrained that the way you have always done things is the best way. But great players are open to change, and maybe Watson needs to allow himself to play like Stefanski wants his QBs to play.

That might be the best reason to bring Flacco back.

Stefanski loves play action, and Flacco demonstrated that sometimes it’s okay to turn your back on the defense to sell the fake. Watson prefers to play out of the shotgun. Maybe, there is a happy medium.

Watson has been very successful as a “dual threat” quarterback, but next season he will be 29 years old, and maybe he needs to not play with his legs as much in order to stay on the field. We understand this injury was a little fluky, but maybe it’s time to play a little more conservatively when it comes to running.

It has been shown that Kevin Stefanski can enhance a quarterback’s productivity. The 2024 season would be a good time for Deshaun Watson to embrace that and have his best statistical season.

A second straight playoff berth will probably be the result.

Sometimes Change And/Or Considering It, Is Good In Sports

Earlier this week, the Cleveland Browns made news when coach Kevin Stefanski announced he let go three members of his offensive coaching staff: Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt, running backs coach Stump Mitchell, and TE coach T.C. McCartney.

Browns’ fans, being among the most rational people on earth, had plenty to say, mostly because it is how things have been in Berea for most of the expansion era, they felt it was a sign of disarray in the hierarchy.

And of course, some blamed Paul DePodesta, because since he rarely appears or speaks to the media, he has because something like the Wizard of Oz.

First, we would think if Stefanski and the organization let these coaches go, they probably have a pretty good idea of who they are going after to replace them. We have always said, anyone is replaceable if you go and get someone better.

Second, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing to keep bringing different voices into a group, coaching staff, or a sports organization. Diverse opinions should not only be tolerated but embraced. Of course, within reason.

Like if someone keeps telling you Yu Chang is a potential Hall of Fame baseball player, you might want to check credentials.

All three coaches have been here since Stefanski was named head coach four years ago, and coaches are no different than anyone else, they get stuck in their ways, not completely open to new ideas. We are sure everyone works with people like that.

And the Browns didn’t win the Super Bowl, so there is definitely room for improvement in all aspects of the team. We think Stefanski had to be encouraged to make some changes to his staff last season, when he let go of Joe Woods and Mike Priefer. Perhaps he saw how that worked out and these changes might have the same benefit.

Among the other teams in town, we would love for the Guardians to have some different ideas in their organization. At times, they have weird attachments to players, and maybe having a new manager solves some of that.

We think Terry Francona was a great manager, but often said his weakness was the fine line between patience and stubbornness.

We would love to be in an organizational meeting for the Guards, just to hear if anyone says, “Myles Straw is one of the worst hitters in baseball” or “Yes, Gabriel Arias hits the ball hard, but he rarely hits it”.

For the Cavs, we would like to know the reasoning for ignoring height in a sport where most of the great players in the game had size advantages (think LeBron: if you are as quick, you aren’t as big, and vice-versa), or what everyone sees in Dean Wade.

We think the worst thing that can occur is when everyone is on the same page, and no one thinks outside the box. And again, that doesn’t mean arguing about something everyday. Just being able to see things from a different “perspective”.

That might be exactly what happened in Berea this week. This isn’t the same dysfunctional organization that we came to know from 1999 to when the complete rebuild started about 10 years ago.

It’s just a sign that they want to take the next step in their goal of winning a title.

Stefanski Said It Best: Bad Day To Have A Bad Day

All of the problems the Cleveland Browns had this year showed up again in yesterday’s playoff loss to the Houston Texans.

Yes, the Browns had the NFL’s best defense statistically, but there was a big difference in the way they played at home and away from Cleveland Browns Stadium.

At home, they were simply dominant, but the five worst games the defense had in terms of points allowed came on the road. Indianapolis scored 38, Los Angeles put up 36, Baltimore, Cincinnati, and Denver were next.

The defense didn’t give up all 45 points Saturday, two pick sixes added 14 points, but they allowed 31, and there were big plays aplenty. The Texans ran just 44 plays, as Houston scored on offensive plays of 76 and 37 yards, and got some big chunk plays as well as they rolled up 356 total yards, which is 8.1 per play. That’s a huge number.

And the Browns’ defense didn’t get any turnovers nor any sacks. Bet no one thought that would happen. Houston stayed away from Denzel Ward and controlled Myles Garrett, picking on Greg Newsome, who struggled trying to keep up with Nico Collins.

Another issue that reared its head was not taking care of the football. The Browns amazingly made the playoffs despite leading the NFL in turning the ball over, and two interceptions for touchdowns basically ended the game.

Cleveland was trailing 24-14 at the half, but was driving in the third quarter, when QB Joe Flacco apparently trying to throw the ball away, was picked off by Steven Nelson, who returned it 82 yards for a TD.

Then on the next possession, on a 4th down play, Flacco was intercepted again by Christian Harris, who went 36 yards the other way, and suddenly a game within reach was over for all intends and purposes.

The Browns couldn’t run the ball, something that has been a problem since Nick Chubb got hurt in week two. They gained just 56 yards on 20 attempts and their longest two runs were a 14-yard run by Kareem Hunt in garbage time and an 8-yard scramble by Flacco.

That’s not to say all of the Browns had bad games. On defense, we have to point out Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who was all over the field, with 8 tackles, several behind the line of scrimmage. He has been getting better and better each week.

David Njoku was a standout as usual, catching seven balls for 93 yards and he and Harrison Bryant were big factors in the first half. And David Bell had a strong game too, catching 8 passes, several in traffic.

As coach Kevin Stefanski said after the game, the Browns simply picked a bad day to have a bad day. After an early field goal, the Browns scored to take leads of 7-3 and 14-10, but defensively they just couldn’t stop Houston.

And as usual, the officiating didn’t help the Browns, a very questionable pass interference call on Ronnie Hickman (especially after a no call against Njoku earlier) gave Houston a first down on a third down play and would have forced a punt.

The Texans scored two plays later to make it 24-14. The NFL has an officiating problem that they care to ignore.

No question this will be a different team when training camp starts in July because of salary cap issues, but the core will remain, players like Garrett, Ward, Owusu-Koramoah, and of course, QB Deshaun Watson will be healthy.

Let’s hope the organization continues to build on this season and the attitude they adopted during this year, winning no matter what is thrown at them, continues in 2024.

It was a bitter loss because we thought this team had a chance to go deeper into the post-season. Still, it was a fun ride.

Meaningless Game Done, Meaningful Ones Start Again This Weekend For Browns

The Cleveland Browns concluded the exhibition portion of their schedule Sunday with a 31-14 defeat at the hands of Cincinnati. Technically, the game counted in the standings and the Browns end the 2023 season with an 11-6 mark, but the contest meant nothing to Kevin Stefanski’s crew and it was handled accordingly.

Heck, the Browns started a quarterback who wasn’t even on the roster for the previous game, signing Jeff Driskel from Arizona’s practice squad and putting him under center.

And yes, that should tell you how much Stefanski wants to see P.J. Walker play for the team.

The game itself was pretty much over by halftime as the Bengals led 24-0, but it seemed defensive coordinator lit into his unit during the break and that side of the ball performed much better in the second half, holding Cincy to seven points.

Alex Wright continued his fine play with another sack, and rookie Isaiah McGuire flashed as well with a sack. D’Anthony Bell had an interception on the Bengals’ first drive, continuing his fine play.

The offense sputtered much of the day until Driskel connected with David Bell for a pair of touchdown throws in the fourth quarter. Ironically, the last time the Browns were shutout was by the Bengals in 2014, which was Johnny Manziel’s first career start.

So, Driskel fared better than that.

Keep in mind, the Browns’ bye week was following the fourth game of the season, so they have had a long stretch without time off, and with all of the injuries the squad has suffered this season, there is no question in our mind that resting the veterans who are banged up was the correct call.

As for a loss of “momentum”, we aren’t worried about that. Stefanski’s mantra has been going 1-0 every week, and that won’t change now that the playoffs are starting.

Saturday, the Browns will travel to Houston to take on a team they defeated on Christmas Eve, 36-22, in a game that wasn’t that close. Cleveland had a 36-7 margin in the fourth quarter.

Of course, the Texans didn’t have the likely rookie of the year in QB C.J. Stroud. We did hear a former player turned analyst say over the weekend that the key term in discussing Stroud is “rookie”. He said the playoffs are a different game and it will be difficult for a quarterback, especially a first year one, in his first playoff game.

Stroud was impressive Saturday night in the win that clinched a playoff spot for Houston, but then again, the Colts’ defense is not the Browns’ defense.

The Browns were the stingiest unit in the league in allowing teams to move the football and allowed 44 less first downs than any other team in the NFL. And after a slow start in gaining turnovers, they finished tied for fifth in the league in that stat.

Yes, Stroud is good, and the Texans are a solid football team. The games where the Browns play the Jets or the Cardinals (sorry, Jonathan Gannon) are done. This is the playoffs, only the best teams are remaining.

The Browns are one of those teams. And Saturday, everyone will play. It should be exciting.

A Great Night On The Lakefront. Playoff Spot Clinched.

Before the 2023 NFL season, we speculated this was a make-or-break year for the Cleveland Browns. And that much of their success would depend on QB Deshaun Watson.

We felt if Watson was good, the Browns would win and Kevin Stefanski would be the coach next season, and if he didn’t play well, Cleveland would be 7-10 and likely looking for a new coach for 2024.

We batted .500, we guess.

Although Watson did okay in the six games he started, the best quarterback play Cleveland received this year came from veteran Joe Flacco, who is now the toast of the town.

Flacco, who famously was out of the league six weeks ago, has a 90.2 quarterback rating (Watson’s was 84.3) and has put up 143 points in his five starts, an average of 28.6 per contest. Overall, Cleveland averages 23.9 points per game.

However, there is no longer any conversation about who will be guiding the Browns next season. An 11-5 record, a second playoff spot in four years, and an overall record of 37-29 means Stefanski will likely get a contract extension, and could win the NFL’s coach of the year for a second time.

The Browns locked up their spot in the playoffs Thursday night with an incredible offensive display in the first half and beat the Jets 37-20. New York hadn’t allowed a 300-yard passing performance in 33 games coming into the contest, but Flacco threw for over 290 in the first half alone, connecting on three touchdown passes.

Think about this, it was accomplished without Amari Cooper, who missed the game with a heel issue.

And in the first quarter, David Njoku, who has blossomed into one of the best tight ends in the league, shredded the defense with his running ability after catches, having over 100 yards in the first quarter alone, and finishing with 134 for the game.

The former first round pick’s career high in receptions was 58, but now has 81 for 822 yards. He seems to have tremendous chemistry with Flacco.

And the running game returned for Cleveland too. The last time the Browns ran for over 100 yards was the loss to Denver, but they rushed for 127 with Jerome Ford rushing for 64 on 12 carries. Ford also caught two touchdown passes, including a 50-yarder off a Flacco scramble.

We praise Stefanski for holding things together despite all the injuries, but his partner, GM Andrew Berry should also get his props.

He signed Flacco, of course, and he and the scouting staff also found rookie free agent Ronnie Hickman, who intercepted a pass and took it to the house in the game. With the injuries to Grant Delpit and Juan Thornhill, Hickman and another undrafted free agent, second year player D’Anthony Bell have stepped in and performed very well.

One thing that needs to be cleared up are the turnovers. The Browns had three more Thursday and have committed a league leading 35 on the year. They have had only one game, the win over Arizona, without giving the ball to the other team.

That is not usually the profile of a playoff team, and no doubt, once the playoffs start, holding on to the football will be of utmost importance.

After today’s Ravens-Dolphins game, the Browns will have a good idea of how to approach the season finale. A Baltimore win locks Cleveland into the #5 spot in the conference, so many of the players who are gutting out injuries can sit this one out.

If Miami wins, the Browns are still in play for winning the AFC North, which would mean a home playoff game. So, fans can watch Sunday’s games with a purpose.

It was a great night for Browns’ football Thursday. Let’s hope there a better ones to come.

Browns Impressive In Win #10.

The Cleveland Browns are now 10-5 on the season after Sunday’s 36-22 win over Houston in a game that wasn’t as close as the score would indicate.

The Browns’ defense played like it was a home game shutting out the Texans for the first three quarters, as the only Houston TD was the result of a kickoff return. The home team was held to just 250 yards, most of which came in the fourth quarter, when Cleveland took several starters out on both sides of the football.

Cleveland came out firing on offense, with Joe Flacco hitting Amari Cooper for a 53-yard strike on the first play of the game, a portent of things to come.

Cooper wound up setting a team record for receiving yards with 265 and grabbed two of Flacco’s touchdown throws. The veteran QB’s other favorite target, TE David Njoku, caught the other.

As for Flacco, it was another eye-popping performance, completing 27 of 42 throws for 368 yards, his third straight 300+ yard game. He did throw two interceptions, one on the last play of the first half, when on a different day, Kevin Stefanski would have opted for a field goal, but more on that later.

We continue to be amazed that with all of the injuries to quarterbacks around the league that no one thought to get Joe Flacco. True, he hasn’t been a starter since 2019 with Denver, but he knows how to play. He’s seen pretty much everything in his career.

It is probably the move to multi-dimensional quarterbacks that kept him at home this season, but it looks like Flacco and the Browns are a match made in heaven. And Stefanski is maximizing the talent that the veteran has.

As for the defense, it was the 7th time this year Cleveland has held an opponent to 250 yards or less, and as we said before, 157 of those came in the 4th quarter, which started with the Browns in the lead, 36-7.

Za’Darius Smith was the star with two sacks, but Myles Garrett had two tackles for loss as well, and the unit got interceptions from Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and a newcomer, veteran Duron Harmon.

While there is plenty of hoopla surrounding Flacco, never forget this defense is the motor behind the success of the 2023 Cleveland Browns. We’ve been a fan since 1965 and it’s the best defense the Browns have ever had in that time.

Now, it wouldn’t be a Browns game without injuries, and this time it was the kicking game as both Dustin Hopkins and Corey Bojorquez suffered leg injuries, the former on the kickoff return for a touchdown.

Hopefully, neither will miss any time, but we are sure this week will involve trying out both kickers and punters. And with the years both of them have had, there will likely be a drop off in performance.

The Browns have a short week with a game against the Jets Thursday night, but the anticipation going into the contest because a win put Stefanski’s squad into the playoffs for the second time in four seasons.

They don’t need any other scenarios to happen. Win and in. We are sure it will be a wild night on the lakefront.

The coach also moved into a tie for 5th on the franchise wins list for coaches, tying Bill Belichick, who needed 80 games whereas Stefanski needed 65.

Next up is Marty Schottenheimer with 44.

Through all the injuries, this football team has remained unflappable and resilient. Hopefully, there is more to come.

Resilient Browns Stack Another Win.

When the Cleveland Browns won their opening game against Cincinnati this season with a dominant defensive performance, we had an inkling this year’s squad was different than the “same ‘ol Browns”.

Yes, the defense has had a few hiccups, but for the most part, they have maintained that standard of play all season, and that alone has kept the Browns in every game they have played this year.

Sunday was no exception as Cleveland overcame three turnovers to beat Chicago 20-17 and move their record to 9-5 on the season.

We will discuss the fourth quarter heroics of Joe Flacco and crew later, but the Bears’ two touchdowns were either set up or the result of turnovers. The swarming defense really allowed just three points on the day.

They held Chicago to 236 total yards, the sixth time this season an opponent has been held under 250 yards. The average NFL team in 2023 gains 331 yards in a game. Jim Schwartz’ unit had 11 tackles for losses, and three sacks as well as holding Justin Fields to under a 50% completion percentage.

And while Myles Garrett is unquestionably the defense’s best player, we have to send some kudos to Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who has played at an unbelievable level over the last few weeks. He had two tackles for loss, two passes defended, and a sack this week. He has been the player that was advertised when drafted in the 2nd round out of Notre Dame.

The one criticism of the defense has been its play on the road. The top four games in yardage allowed against Cleveland have been on the road (Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Seattle, Baltimore) and five of the top six have been away from the lakefront.

We will bet that is a point of emphasis for Schwartz all week heading into Houston on Christmas Eve.

As usual, it was hilarious following social media during the game and reading that the game was over when Chicago led 17-7 heading into the fourth quarter.

When the Browns are trailing in a game, we get to a point where we think Cleveland has to get the next score to stay in a game, and we were at that point when it was 17-7. Of course, the Bears never scored again.

Flacco had turnover issues, throwing three interceptions, because, well, that’s what the Browns do. They lead the NFL in turning it over. No sense, making it easy, right?

The veteran hit Marquise Goodwin for a 57-yard pass to set up a field goal and awaken the offense. Then, he threw a perfect pass to Amari Cooper who took it in for a touchdown to tie the game.

Then David Njoku took over. After Nick Chubb was injured in week two, we felt Njoku was the next best weapon the offense had after Cooper, and we are happy to say this has been born out. The tight end caught 10 balls for 104 yards and the first Cleveland touchdown.

He now has a career high of 69 catches for 704 yards, also a career best. And his best skill is running after a catch. The man is tough to bring down.

As we said, next week’s opponent, Houston is now tied atop the AFC South standings and the game is in Houston. The Browns’ defense hasn’t been a dominant on the road this season, so this is a big test.

On the other hand, it’s hard to bet against this football team that has already overcome so much this season. All we can say is it’s December football. It’s not supposed to be easy.