Cleveland Browns, Baker Mayfield make quick work of Bengals: Game grades
By Ric McElroy
Offense
Who are these Cleveland Browns? Four touchdowns on four possessions to start the game. This one was over before the concession stands could empty their first keg.
Baker Mayfield was awesome, completing 19 of 26 passes for 254 yards and four touchdowns. He completed passes to eight different receivers. It’s also worth pointing out that four receivers had at least three catches.
That shows Mayfield was being a true field general, keeping his wideouts engaged by surveying the field in its entirety.
Offensively, the most memorably play came on Mayfield’s second touchdown pass, a throw to David Njoku. “The Chief” caught the ball and tried diving in the end zone around the 2, landing in the arms of a defender.
Just when it looked like Njoku was going to get body slammed, his teammates came to push him across the line.
Rushing the ball, Nick Chubb was solid rushing 28 times for 84 yards (3.0 yards per carry). For the second game in row, the Browns have ran the ball more than they’ve thrown it.
Chubb’s best play though, was an amazing catch on a wheel route with Bengals’ defender Brandon Wilson glued to him.
It wasn’t long into the third quarter that Freddie Kitchens took his foot off the gas. Cleveland had just 23 yards of offense in the second half until the three minute mark in the forth quarter.
The Browns were content to run clock, but an inability to execute made it possible for Cincinnati backup Jeff Driskell to play the Bengals back into the game.
Ultimately, if you score 35 points in an NFL game, you’re supposed to win, and the Browns did just that.
Grade: A