Browns Closing In On Extra Football.

For the people who complain about the play calling of Browns’ head coach Kevin Stefanski, last Sunday’s win over Jacksonville should dampen the criticism in this area.

On the opening drive, the Browns went with the big package on a 3rd and 1 from the Jaguars’ 34, and the latest Cleveland QB, veteran Joe Flacco, went play action and hit a wide-open David Njoku for a touchdown.

Then, in the fourth quarter on a 4th and 3, Stefanski went for it and called a short pass to David Bell on an all out blitz. Bell was wide open and basically trotted the 41 yards to the end zone to give the Browns a 28-14 lead.

So, when fans complain about a bad play call by the head coach, please remember he called those plays too.

Seriously though, this was a big win for the Browns, who go to 8-5 on the season. First, they ended a two-game losing streak. Second, this weekend also saw the other teams that came into the week at 7-5 lose, as Indianapolis, Houston, and Pittsburgh all dropped to 7-6, so Cleveland is now the fifth seed in the AFC.

The Browns’ defense got back to stopping the run, allowing just 58 yards rushing, the first time they held their opponent under 100 yards since the Arizona game (41). They also forced a season high four turnovers (tied with the Colts’ game), winning the turnover battle for just the third time this year, all resulting in victories.

While it is weird that the Cleveland defense seems dominant at home, and kind of pedestrian on the road, it is that unit that is the driving force of the team, particularly with all of the injuries at quarterback this season. And it was great to see them swarming to the ball on Sunday, even with injuries of their own.

The Browns also had four sacks, and surprisingly none by Myles Garrett, and they put pressure on Trevor Lawrence all game long.

Don’t minimize the special teams either. Corey Bojorquez had some booming punts, including a 72-yard effort from his own end zone which flipped the field for the defense. And we were a little anxious about trying a 55-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, but Dustin Hopkins, who has made a league leading 31 kicks, banged it through to give the Browns a 10-point advantage.

The Cleveland running game hasn’t been as productive recently, with only one effort of more than 100 yards in the last four contests. On the other hand, the Browns did gain their most yards offensively since the win over Baltimore in week 10.

It was also their second-best effort in terms of yardage this year, with only the 408 yards gained in the week two loss to Pittsburgh having more. Really, although people want the Browns to run it, we really don’t care about the method of moving the football as long as it gets moved.

It would be nice to cut down on the turnovers though. Cleveland leads the league in losing the football with 27 and have had only one game without giving it up. They have had five games with at least three turnovers, and not surprisingly, they are 1-4 in those games.

So, when they turn it over two times or fewer, they are a robust 7-1. We know the coaching staff isn’t emphasizing giving the ball away, and for the most part, they aren’t coming on risky plays.

However, this has to change in making a run to the playoffs.

The next opponent, Chicago, is coming in after a big home win against the Lions. The Browns have to continue to take care of business at home. If they do, their season will not end in Cincinnati on the first Sunday of the new year.

One Big Turnover Spoils Browns LA Trip

The Joe Flacco experience looked good for the Browns for about three and a half quarters. He directed a touchdown drive on the first possession, and overall played well, completing 23 of 44 throws for 254 yards and two touchdowns.

Unfortunately, in the fourth quarter, he threw a critical interception on the first play of a drive where Cleveland could have taken the lead.

The Browns lost to the Los Angeles Rams 36-19 in a game that was very much in doubt midway through the fourth quarter and dropped to 7-5 on the season.

It might have been the most disappointing defensive effort of the season by Cleveland, allowing the second most total yards of the season as the Rams put up 399 yards (Indianapolis had 456), but unlike the Colts games, the defense had no sacks and no turnovers.

The defense simply had no answer for Puka Nacua and his speed. He accounted for 105 of the Rams’ 279 passing yards, 70 coming on a first quarter strike to put LA on top 10-7, and he also ran two jet sweeps to make up 34 of the Rams’ 120 yards on the ground.

He was the problem the defense had no answer for. Having the Browns’ fastest defensive back, Denzel Ward, on the field would have made a difference we think.

If Myles Garrett is the defensive unit’s best player, then Ward is a close second and having him out, and Garrett obviously limited due to his shoulder issue, it shouldn’t have been a surprise the defensive had perhaps its worst game of the year.

Cleveland also had trouble running the ball for the second straight week, although it wasn’t as notable as last week because Flacco was moving the football through the air. Kareem Hunt and Pierre Strong started to get it going in the second half, but overall, they had just 87 yards rushing.

Now, we need to point out they only tried 23 running plays. We feel Kevin Stefanski has done a great job navigating yardage with four different quarterbacks, but perhaps the Browns need to lean on their ground attack more often.

Because Sunday’s contest will be one of the last games Cleveland will play in nice weather (Houston is on the road), perhaps the offensive staff will go back to establishing the running attack.

Back to Flacco. We have advocated playing Dorian Thompson-Robinson over P.J. Walker in recent weeks, but we would stay with the veteran going forward. Why? Because he gives you professional play at the position. We understand he’s not mobile, but he can still deliver the ball on time and with accuracy.

If Stefanski and the coaching staff want to have a functional offense for the rest of the year, and you can’t continue to depend on the defense, then he needs to play Joe Flacco.

And hopefully, Garrett will be healthier next week, and Ward can return to the field. That would help the defense greatly. We were bothered that no one else stepped up to make a big play though. We thought there was more depth added.

We still aren’t concerned about the season. Cleveland simply needs to win the game they should win (Bears, Jets, Bengals) and they should return to the playoffs.

However, they need the defense to get healthy. And it would help if it were cold and windy for Jacksonville this coming Sunday.

Just A Bad Day In Denver For Browns

Even though the NFL has become a passing league over the last 20 years, one thing remains constant, it is still difficult to win when you can’t run the ball and you can’t stop the run.

Last Sunday, the Browns couldn’t stop the run, allowing 169 yards on the ground, and they decided not to run that much, gaining just 107 on only 24 tries. The result was a 29-12 loss to Denver, dropping Cleveland’s record to 7-4.

It wasn’t coach Kevin Stefanski’s best play calling performance, as Denver came into the game with the league’s worst defense against the run, but Cleveland threw the football 42 times, although to be fair, after P.J. Walker replaced an injured Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the third quarter, he threw 13 times as the Browns were behind.

To be fair, at the time DTR left the game, the Browns were very much in it, trailing 17-12 late in the third quarter, and coming off a 13 play, 79 yard drive that ate up 6:24 off the clock. Right after he left came the play everyone is talking about.

Cleveland tried a reverse with the ball handed to Elijah Moore who was to pitch it to Pierre Strong running around the right side. It looked like Strong had a lot of room, but the pitch was mishandled, and Denver recovered on the Browns’ 20-yard line.

We point this out because fans love trick plays, except when they don’t work. How many times have you heard a team’s offense is vanilla, with no imagination. Our point is it looked like a good play call; the execution was just terrible.

As we said previously, it was not a banner day for the Cleveland defense. Denver gashed the run defense, as the Browns allowed the second most yards rushing in a game this season. It was the second straight week they allowed around 170 yards on the ground, and this time, there was no 74-yard run to skew the stats.

There were numerous runs of 10 yards or more, something for defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to fix this week.

They did hold the Broncos to just 134 yards in the air, but mostly because they didn’t force Denver into many obvious passing situations. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah recorded the only sack on the day.

Let’s go back to the quarterback spot though. If Thompson-Robinson can’t go against the Rams this week, it very much looks like Joe Flacco will get the start. We would also go a step further and say Andrew Berry should be on the lookout for another QB to replace Walker, who is unplayable.

He fumbled twice in limited time against Denver, raising his total to four on the season. He simply isn’t consistent enough. He did make a beautiful throw to Moore for 28 yards but plays like that are few and far between.

The way Cleveland has gone through quarterbacks this year, we think you have to find someone else. Walker can’t play another down for a playoff contending team.

Besides the QB situation, the Myles Garrett medical report is key. If Garrett has to miss some time, it will force Schwartz to make some adjustments. We have full confidence he can, but missing a player like Garrett is never a good thing.

Browns Stack Another Win With Another Gritty Performance

Before the Browns started this rugged pair of games, media people and fans were saying they were hoping for a split of the contests with the Ravens and Steelers. At the time, we felt that was the difference between the fan bases between Cleveland and Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

Those folks would not accept a split, they would want to take both games.

Fortunately, the players and coaching staff don’t think like the fans because they expected two victories and they got them, winning Sunday on the last second field goal by Dustin Hopkins to beat the Steelers, 13-10, and raise the Browns’ record to 7-3.

The Browns believe they can win every game they play, mostly because of their incredible defense, which outside of Jaylen Warren’s 74 yard run (we know, Butch Davis math), held Pittsburgh to 175 yards, 3 of 14 on third down conversions, and sacked Kenny Pickett three times.

And after a rough second half where Cleveland couldn’t move the football, rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson came alive with 1:18 remaining in the game, completing four of five throws to get the Browns into field goal range.

Overall, the rook went 24 of 43 for 165 yards, and he threw that much only because Cleveland’s vaunted running game was stymied after halftime. The Browns were held under 100 yards on the ground for only the third time this season, getting just 96 on 29 attempts.

Once again, the defense was dominant, forcing nine punts, and getting the ball back for DTR after Cleveland had to punt it away themselves with under two minutes to go.

They should have recorded safeties on Pittsburgh’s first two offensive plays, but because of the league officials’ reticence in calling the two point defensive score, neither were called. It was also the fourth game this season, Cleveland allowed less than 100 net yards passing.

In today’s NFL, that’s incredible.

It was the Browns’ fourth win by three points or less this season, but those wins are against San Francisco (7-3), Baltimore (7-3), Pittsburgh (6-4) and Indianapolis (5-5). They also have three victories by more than 20 points this season, the same as the Ravens and 49ers.

As a comparison, Kansas City has one, Miami has two, and Philadelphia, with the league’s best record, has none. So, it is not as though Cleveland is doing it with smoke and mirrors.

Apparently, the Browns will be signing veteran Joe Flacco as insurance for the rest of the season, but unless Thompson-Robinson starts to turn the ball over, our guess is he’s the starter going forward. Flacco is just there to provide professional quarterback play should something happen to DTR.

Kevin Stefanski wanted his rookie to take care of the football and for the most part, he did just that, and he put together a drive at the end to get the team in position for a game-winning field goal.

Why wouldn’t you keep him in there?

We have been a fan of the Browns for a long time, but this team has renewed our love for the team. This team plays with heart, they are physical, and they don’t make excuses. They treat each game as its own entity and views it as an opportunity to go 1-0 as their coach says.

After watching the opening win against Cincinnati and the way the defense played, we felt this team would be in every game.

It’s right there for the 2023 Cleveland Browns. They will look to go 1-0 next week at Denver.

No Watson, But Browns Will Need To Find A Way

Well. it didn’t take long for the euphoria of a road win over Baltimore to be drowned out. Yesterday, the Browns announced that Deshaun Watson has a fracture in his shoulder and will miss the rest of the regular season.

Suddenly the Browns, sitting with the third best record in the AFC at 6-3 are unstable at the most important position on the field. Watson was coming off an excellent second half against the Ravens, completing all 14 of his passes and leading the team back from a 31-17 deficit in the fourth quarter.

It’s a tough blow for the Browns, but it will be interesting to see how the organization will go from here.

We understand that fans will be downhearted and thinking “woe is us”, but GM Andrew Berry and coach Kevin Stefanski will not be doing that. They will be figuring out how to win without their starting quarterback going forward.

We didn’t think Stefanski was thrilled with P.J. Walker’s play after the Seattle game because of all the turnovers, so apparently rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson will get the nod vs. Pittsburgh.

We are sure the offense will also play it close to the vest in an effort to limit turnover opportunities and that’s fine. We saw in exhibition games that the rookie’s legs can be a weapon.

However, you would think Berry will be looking over what QBs are available now that the trading deadline has passed. The best candidates seem to be Joe Flacco, Colt McCoy or Nick Foles.

If you sign a veteran, it will take him some time to ramp up and learn the offense, so it would seem it’s DTR for the next few games, unless he plays good enough to win games.

Among the veteran free agents, Flacco is 38-years-old and played in five games with the Jets last season, famously guiding New York to a comeback win over Cleveland. He completed 57.6% of his passes with five touchdowns and three interceptions. He also brings the mobility of a flagpole.

McCoy is 37 and played in four games with Arizona last year, completing 68.2% of his throws with a TD and three picks. It would seem he could handle a short passing offense right now.

Foles is the youngest at 34, and he played in just three games with the Colts last season, completing 59.5% of his throws with no touchdowns and four throws to the opposition. Since leaving Philadelphia after the 2018 season, he’s been pretty mediocre.

Before the season started, we had the opinion the success of the Browns hinged on the play of Watson. If he was back to his Houston form, the Browns would be a very good football team in 2023. And if not, Cleveland made a big mistake.

Because the defense has played this well in ’23, we have changed our opinion. This team can still get to the playoffs without Watson this season. If Stefanski can coax decent quarterback play out of whoever starts, we still believe the post-season is in play.

The players and coaching staff are not going to give up on the season. Both groups understand how talented this football team is. We said earlier in the week that the Browns were a power running team and that hasn’t changed with Watson’s injury.

The timing of this, coming off a big win, does suck though. No disputing that.

Make No Mistake, The Browns Are One Tough Football Team

The Cleveland Browns showed unbelievable toughness and patience in a huge road win at Baltimore Sunday, defeating the Ravens 33-31 to move to 6-3 on the season.

The toughness was evident in running for 178 yards against the league’s second-best defense. Led by Jerome Ford’s 107 yards on 17 carries, the running backs and offensive line set a tone in the trenches, and it was a huge factor in the game.

The patience is from the coaching staff. Cleveland trailed 14-0, 17-3, 24-9, and 31-17 in this game, and Kevin Stefanski stuck with the game plan, continuing to mix the run and the pass, and it paid off with a win.

We think Stefanski in the past would have gone pass happy being down two touchdowns, even in the first half, but perhaps with his experience, he has learned it is a long game. Maybe that sort of thing happens when you keep a head coach for more than two years.

For many years, we have been envious of Pittsburgh and Baltimore and the winning culture developed by both teams over time. Well, it looks like the Browns are starting to develop a culture, a style of play.

Many fans and media rhapsodized about Deshaun Watson directing a wide-open offense, with five receivers spread out, and the team throwing the ball all over the field. But that’s not what this team is about.

The 2023 Browns are a physical power running team even without Nick Chubb. Cleveland has run for 150 or more yards in six of the nine games this season, while only one opponent (Indianapolis) has been over that mark.

It’s an old football adage that you can’t win in the NFL unless you can run the ball and stop the run. Right now, the Browns are doing both pretty well.

In the passing game, Cleveland is getting the ball to their playmakers. Amari Cooper had another fine game with six catches for 98 yards, and TE David Njoku shook off an early drop to grab six passes for 58 yards, including a play on the final drive where he carried a Baltimore defender for at least 10 yards.

Defensively, it was another solid performance by the #1 unit in the league statistically. The scoreboard shows Cleveland allowed 31 points, but seven came off the pick six on the game’s second play, and another touchdown came after James Proche fumbled a punt on the Browns’ 11 yard line.

And in that latter situation, the Ravens were stopped twice only to see a couple of “ticky tack” calls give them more opportunities. It was like an 11 play drive to get those 11 yards.

Both teams had a defensive score, as Greg Newsome took his first NFL interception to the house, and Jim Schwartz’ unit held the Ravens to 306 yards and sacked the elusive Lamar Jackson three times.

And of course, they had a key stop in the fourth quarter to get the ball back for the game winning drive.

It’s the second time this season the Browns have defeated “the best team in the league”, having defeated the 49ers earlier, and the Ravens were getting that label before this week.

Next Sunday is another opportunity to avenge a defeat with Pittsburgh coming to town. A look at the conference standings shows only Kansas City with less losses than the Browns.

This is tough football team, northeast Ohio, just like you always wanted. And there is no reason to think the Browns won’t be in the thick of the playoff chase as the calendar turns to December.

Workmanlike Win, Big Week Ahead For Browns

Workmanlike. Professional. Those are the words we are using to describe the Browns domination of the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Cleveland won 27-0 and moved to 5-3 on the season.

The Cardinals came into the game with a 1-7 record and were starting a rookie, Clayton Tune at quarterback. So, the Browns did what should have been expected by every fan going into the contest. They totally controlled the game.

Still, Arizona is in the NFL but the Cleveland defense held them to 58 yards of total offense and sacked Tune seven times. We didn’t get excited about the performance, but it was still satisfying, if that makes sense.

We wanted Deshaun Watson to play in this game in order to get the rust off before a couple of big divisional games against Baltimore and Pittsburgh, and he did just that, completing 19 of 30 throws for 219 yards and a couple of touchdowns.

He also ran three times for 22 yards, but there were a couple of plays early when he could have run and instead dumped short passes to Jerome Ford. We thought that was good thinking on his part and something the coaches reminded him of before the game.

However, even with Watson, Kevin Stefanski ran the ball a lot, 40 times to be exact, although that includes the three carries by Watson. Certainly, having Watson available is much better than playing P.J. Walker, but we couldn’t help thinking the Browns are a power run team, even though Nick Chubb isn’t playing.

Cleveland has run for 150 yards or more in five of their eight games and has only been below 100 yards twice, the first two games after Chubb was injured.

Stefanski is still using a lot of not only two or three tight end sets, but he is using offensive lineman Nick Harris at fullback to add another blocker to help the running game. Right now, that’s the Browns’ offensive identity.

Also, this was the first game all year where the brown and orange did not turn the ball over. It was only the second time they won the turnover battle (the Colts’ game was the other) and they are 2-0 in those contests.

That trend will need to continue in the next two games against the Ravens and Steelers. Baltimore allows just 262.5 yards per game defensively, second to Cleveland’s 234.8. It shapes up as a rugged defensive battle.

Remember the Browns started Dorian Thompson-Robinson the first time these two teams met, and Cleveland turned it over three times, gaining just 166 yards for the game. And the 131 yards rushing Baltimore gained was exceeded only by Indianapolis’ 168 in the 39-38 win on the road.

Jim Schwartz knows Baltimore will want to establish the run, as the Ravens are the #1 running team in the NFL and making the job more complicated is having to keep Lamar Jackson in the pocket.

And it would also be nice if TE Mark Andrews was kept in check, he has killed the Cleveland defense so many times in his career, it borders on ridiculousness.

There are now only three teams in the AFC and five overall with less losses than the Browns are we are now into November. The next two weeks should serve as a measuring stick as to where this team, and both its offense and defense are as the holiday season commences.

We are still confident this is a playoff team. Here’s hoping next Sunday doesn’t shake that feeling.

Key Turnovers Cost Browns (Again!)

We agree with the premise that play calling is overrated in the NFL. What this means is the execution is more important than the play call.

We are in the minority on this though, and that’s why we are sure that Browns’ coach Kevin Stefanski will be hammered throughout the week about the third down play with two minutes to go and the Browns holding a 20-17 lead in Seattle.

We know no one will want to do this, but why doesn’t the coach get credit for an offense that gained 385 yards, the second highest total all year (week 2 vs. Pittsburgh) without their starting QB and without Nick Chubb.

The Browns also controlled the clock, chewing up almost 37 minutes in time of possession.

The pass that would up being intercepted (off the helmet of a Seattle player) was a safe throw, but not executed properly. We asked someone who played QB in college and NFL Europe if it was a bad play call and was told no, the passer has to know where pressure is coming from and go somewhere else with the ball.

And there were two other receivers open.

The people saying the Browns should have run the ball in that situation are using the same logic the head coach used. Stefanski called a safe play and if Walker completes it, the Browns run out the clock and win the game.

The “should’ve called a run play” folks are assuming if the Browns do, they make the first down. There is no guarantee of that either.

And we are sure Seattle was playing run first.

While that pass was kind of flukey, having it deflect off a helmet, having P.J. Walker playing quarterback continues to be a problem because of turnovers. He was responsible for three more yesterday, giving him seven in the three games he’s appeared in this season.

FYI, that’s way too many.

Really, it’s amazing Cleveland is 4-3 on the season considering they have lost the turnover battles in six games in 2023! They are -9 on the season, and that simply isn’t a recipe for winning games in the NFL.

If Andrew Berry doesn’t trade for a veteran QB by today’s deadline, why not take another look at rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson against Arizona this Sunday? We know the rook struggled in his first start vs. Baltimore, but he didn’t get all the practice reps that week because the organization thought Deshaun Watson was going to be able to go.

Maybe, DTR can hold on to the ball better, and yes we know what he did against the Ravens.

And if you want to second guess Stefanski for something in Sunday’s game, we are curious as to why Kareem Hunt wasn’t in the game in the fourth quarter.

Hunt was Cleveland’s leading rusher on the day, and as usual, ran hard, getting 55 tough yards on 14 carries. This isn’t to denigrate Jerome Ford, who gained four yards per carry playing most of the final quarter, but Hunt is a dependable back for sure.

All in all, a victory next Sunday at home puts Cleveland at 5-3, and only the division leaders in the AFC have less losses and they all have two. Without Watson and Chubb, that’s not bad.

And we will say the same thing as we said after the week two loss to Pittsburgh. Eliminate the mistakes and things will be okay.

Browns Have To Improve Passing Game…By Trade?

The NFL trading deadline is on Halloween and there are rumors the Cleveland Browns will be active. However, if they are active, what will they focus on.

With Deshaun Watson’s shoulder issues, they should be on the hunt for a serviceable backup quarterback.

The Browns are built to win this year. They have a tremendous defense and GM Andrew Berry spent a lot of salary cap space on that side of the football, bringing in several defensive linemen to help out new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.

Simply put, the Browns do not have a functional pass offense. Even with Watson playing the first three games, Cleveland ranks second last in the NFL in passing yards, ahead of only the New York Jets.

They won the last two games with yeoman efforts from the defense, not allowing San Francisco to move the ball after an opening drive and creating turnovers against the Colts which led to at least 17 points.

Logic says that is not likely to continue.

P.J. Walker inspires no confidence even though he was at the helm in the last two games. He’s completed just 50% of his passes, hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass, but he has thrown three interceptions.

And it’s not like Walker is a running threat either. He’s run the ball just six times for four yards.

When Watson returns to the field again is anyone’s guess, and that’s not an insinuation that he doesn’t want to play, which we agree is total nonsense. It just seems like this is an injury where he could return next week against the Cardinals or he could be out another month.

No one seems to want to set a firm timetable, and we get that.

Because of that, Berry has to go out and get another quarterback. There is too much at stake for this season.

This may sound contradictory, but we also don’t want to pay an exorbitant price in a deal either. This is because we don’t want to replace Watson, we simply want to find someone better than Walker.

Here is what we mean about having a professional passing attack. The Browns’ opponent today, the Seattle Seahawks have five receivers with 10 or more catches and averaging over 10 yards per reception.

Cleveland has one, Amari Cooper who has caught 24 balls for 389 yards. Donovan Peoples-Jones is averaging 12.1 yards per catch but has just nine receptions on the season.

The Falcons rank middle of the pack in the league in passing yards and they have four receivers who fit this profile.

Elijah Moore and David Njoku rank first and third in terms of receptions for the Browns and both average just nine yards per catch.

Since Watson has been out, Cleveland QBs have not thrown a TD pass and has six picks. That’s just not acceptable, let alone for a team poised to make a playoff run.

Berry has to find someone who can complete simple 10-15 yard passes on a regular basis, something that shouldn’t be difficult to do.

We know coach Kevin Stefanski said he is happy with the quarterback room right now, but really what is supposed to say?

We don’t want to hear about trading Josh Dobbs, because no one was outraged about it at the time, and although Dobbs hasn’t played poorly, Arizona has only reached 20 points once in the last four games.

The Browns and Berry simply can’t take any chances. They have too much at stake to not have a decent passing attack.

Garrett Wills The Browns To A Road Win

If you read this web site on a regular basis or follow us on social media, you know we are very critical of the NFL officiating. We believe it is the worst in all of professional sports.

Someone on X (Twitter) made a comment that they saw Browns’ running back Duke Johnson holding the football at the bottom of a pile and an official award the ball to the opponent.

So yes, the Cleveland Browns were probably the beneficiaries of some poor calls by the officials. But they happen all around the league every week, so there is no need to feel remorse about a win on Sunday if you are a fan.

As Bill Parcells famously said, you are what your record says you are, and the Browns are 4-2 after a 39-38 win over Indianapolis on Sunday.

Even though they gave up 38 points, the story of the game was still the Cleveland defense. Over the first five games, opponents couldn’t move the football with much success, but Sunday, the Colts did move the ball, getting a handful of big plays to help them amass 456 yards.

They flipped the script because they created turnovers, four of them in fact, scored a defensive touchdown, blocked a field goal, and had the best player on the field in Myles Garrett.

Garrett’s first half was unbelievable, Lawrence Taylor-like if you will. Immediately after the pair calling the game said they hadn’t called Garrett’s name; he recorded a strip sack which led to the Browns’ second touchdown, tying the game at 14.

Next, he leaped over the offensive line to block a field goal, which Denzel Ward picked up and moved into Colts’ territory, setting up a Cleveland field goal.

Then right before halftime, he did it again, this time in the end zone and Tony Fields recovered the ball for a defensive touchdown, putting Cleveland up 24-21.

So, while the defense had its worst game of the season in terms of giving up points and yardage, it scored a touchdown directly, and set up at least 10 more points. We say at least because after the Fields score, the defense forced a three and out, setting up another Dustin Hopkins’ field goal.

Can speaking of Hopkins, how big was the trade for him before the season started? Andrew Berry knew he couldn’t go into the season with Cade York’s lack of consistency, so he acquired the veteran from San Diego.

His statistics showed he was good inside the 50 (almost 90% for his career), but so-so beyond that distance at 15 for 30.

However, he’s become a tremendous weapon for Kevin Stefanski, making 16 of 18 field goals, including 7 for 7 from 50 yards or more. He made four kicks Sunday, three from past midfield, including a career long 58 yarder.

The Browns have won two straight games without much of a passing attack, and everyone know that cannot continue. Hopefully, Deshaun Watson continues to get better and can play going forward, but he may have to change his style.

If he can’t put as much zip on the ball because of his shoulder, then he needs to make an adjustment. Plenty of quarterbacks have been successful later in their career despite losing MPH on their throws. Peyton Manning and Joe Montana come to mind.

But the offense needs to be better in the passing game for sure. We were happy to see David Njoku used more because we continue to believe he is only behind Amari Cooper in being a big play threat.

As Stefanski said last week, the Browns need to continue to stack wins, and they have another opportunity to do just that in Seattle next Sunday. It won’t be easy because the Seahawks are 4-2 and they have one of the game’s best coaches in Pete Carroll.

On the other hand, their last three wins are against Carolina, the Giants, and Cardinals.

We will bet the Cleveland defense will be much better next week.