Five Cleveland Browns whose stocks actually went up in Week 1 vs the Ravens.
Another embarrassing loss in the season opener means there’s plenty of Cleveland Browns who saw their stocks take a dive in that Week 1 stinker against the Ravens.
The majority of Browns fans knew the Ravens were going to be a tough team to beat, but nobody expected to be embarrassed on the road.
Baker Mayfield put up just six point in Week 1, while Lamar Jackson hung 38 on Cleveland’s woeful defense. This isn’t to say the leash is getting shorter on Mayfield, but, if Ohio-bred Joe Burrow outplays Baker on the lakefront, things are going to get bad…fast.
Hopefully, everyone has a better game in Week 1. It’s possible, especially since the Browns were robbed of joint practices and preseason contests.
And while there was plenty to go around last Sunday, it wasn’t at all bad, at least form an individual standpoint.
Here’s five Browns whose stocks actually went up after that Week 1 mess.
1. Wyatt Teller
Looks like the Cleveland Browns might’ve found their right guard.
Wyatt Teller was the incumbent at the position, but no one would’ve been surprised to see the lineman replaced, especially since he was one of John Dorsey’s guys. The ex-GM acquired Teller in a trade last season and the former Buffalo Bill finished out the season as the starter.
Teller ended up being the Browns best lineman on Sunday, turning in a team-high grade of 91. 2, according to PFF.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield only faced pressure on nine of his 39 pass attempts, which bolsters Teller’s profile.
Granted, I think teams have figured out that the best way to contain Mayfield is to let him throw front he pocket, and if that was their strategy, the Ravens executed it to a tee. That said, there’s still players trying to bowl the line over and Teller held his ground.
2. Jedrick Wills
As the second half started, I found myself saying, “Haven’t heard Wills’ name called–that’s a good thing!”
He ended up drawing a holding penalty later in the half, and eventually let the game due to injury. Initial tests show it’s nothing major, so that’s great news moving forward.
As for his performance, he did a decent job in his first NFL game Reports out of training camp suggested that things might get ugly, especial considering the Alabama product had to go up against an always tough Ravens defense.
On 40 pass blocking snaps, Wills allowed only one sack, in addition to two hurries. Long story, short, it could’ve been much worse.
And since the team effort was so poor, “Could’ve been worse” counts for a stock up in Week 1.
3. Jarvis Landry
Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham are old friends, and they couldn’t be more different on the field. While the offense needs an unnecessary need on getting Beckham the ball, Landry just plays within the flow of the game and always seems to come up big.
He was, by far, the Browns best receiver in Week 1 and the only one who looked like an NFL receiver, quite frankly.
While Beckham was targeted 10 times (three catches), Landry caught five of the six balls thrown his way for 61 yards.
Both Landry and Beckham are high priced talents, and it’s hard to see the Browns moving forward with both after the 2020 campaign. My guess is that Landry was here before OBJ, and he’ll be here after, too.
4. The Backs
The running game came as advertised, when the Browns actually ran the ball, as Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt combined for 23 carries and 132 yards.
It’s true, the Browns were down a ton and that means teams go pass heavy, but in reality, Kevin Stefanski probably gave up on the rushing attack a little too soon.
After one game, Stefanski is being cast as the second coming of Freddie Kitchens, which is everything they told us he would not be.
Hunt totaled 17 touches for 81 yards. His longest run went for 24 yards, while Chubb garnered just 11 touches for 66 yards. His longest run went for 29 yards.
Chubb and Hunt are this team’s best weapon and can’t forget them again. I don’t care if the Browns are down 17. Run. The. Ball. It will set up play action passes for Mayfield that even a struggling Baker should be able to hit.
Nick Chubb is the greatest skill player on the team, and the fact that he didn’t get 20 touches falls squarely on the shoulders of the first-year coach.
5. Larry Ogunjobi
The Browns highest graded defensive player was Larry Ogunjobi. In fact, through Sunday’s action, the product of UNC-Charlotte was the league’s top rated defensive player, with a mark of 94.1, according to PFF.
Notably, he was in the backfield on a tackle for a loss early in the game, and then he was the reason the Ravens fumbled in the red zone late in the first quarter.
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobeleski noted how Ogunjobi “working half a man and shooting gaps, instead of reading and trying to shed” blockers.
Credit could be given to the entire interior defensive line, as Sheldon Richardson drew a respectable 76.8 grade (T-10), while Jordan Elliott received a mark of 76.4 (12th).
On the edge, not much was heard from Myles Garrett, who did pick up the fumble forced by Ogunjobi.