Browns: 5 good and 5 bad things from the Week 11 win over the Eagles
By Chad Porto
The Good
Olivier Vernon’s three sacks.
You can’t deny that three sacks are great. Even if you’ve been struggling all year. For Olivier Vernon to come in, and take advantage of the Eagles’ bad offensive line was a nice change of pace. Especially when he secured the team that second-half safety.
Sione Takitaki picking off the Eagles
This was the game where the misfit toys finally got called in to save Christmas. Sione Takitaki hadn’t made a big play in his career until today, and boy, did he deliver when it absolutely mattered. Takitaki picked off Wentz early in the first half and took it to the opposite endzone for a defensive touchdown.
Nick Chubb’s big run
Nick Chubb’s day is deceptive, as he only had a handful of decent plays before his one big run. That one big run, however, was all the Browns really needed from him, as it helped set up the Kareem Hunt touchdown run in the 4th quarter. Chubb blasted off 54 yards on the Eagles, hitting a stiff arm on one of them, before running throw another two tackles. It was the statement-play of the game.
Cody Parkey and Jamie Gillan
Both Cody Parkey and Jamie Gillan stepped up big for the Browns. Parkey hit two hard field goals in terrible conditions, which helped secure the cushion the Browns needed to win. Gillan on the other hand, had several tremendous punts, one that put the Eagles against the endzone, which helped set up Vernon to get the sack and the safety three plays later.
The Weather
The weather played a big hand in helping the Browns assault the Eagles. A number of times the Eagles moved the ball at ease on the ground, only to have their offensive linemen get choppy with their feet and be unable to hold their blocks. If it wasn’t that, it was their players losing their position because their feet slipped right out from under them while running. The weather was a true 12th man.