Browns: 5 players who impressed in the win over the Broncos

Browns were able to eke out a win over the Broncos thanks to these names.

The Browns had a rough outing with the Broncos and due to a litany of mistakes and poor play, the team stalled out over half their drives. Cleveland though saw some players step up and make some big plays.

With the team dealing with a lot of health issues at the moment, Cleveland is going to need a lot of guys to step up until the starters are back. Thankfully this team seems to have depth and that will allow them to survive in the interim while the rest of the team gets healthy.

Honorable Mention: Blake Hance

With his move to right tackle and not matching up with the best pass rushers anymore, he was much more comfortable. His run blocking was excellent and he looked like a viable starter once again. That and Stefanski actually used tight ends and fullbacks to block this week too, so that helped everyone out.

Five players who stepped up in the Broncos win

John Johnson III

John Johnson has had a rough start to his Browns tenure, posting a 55 on PFF through seven games. He’s given up a lot of deep passes over his head throughout the year but on Thursday he finally got one back, picking off Teddy Bridgewater. A welcomed sight, as the Browns have had a bad habbit of not getting turnovers this year, ranking among the worst in the league.

Johnny Stanton

Everyone’s patting Johnny Stanton on the back for his first career touchdown. For a guy who had six yards and six points, you’d think his play was all about his ball carrying acumin. Yet, he does deserve praise but not for his touchdown reception but his for blocking. Stanton was able to make an impact during the first few series when he was utilized the most. He helped spring D’Ernest Johnson and then in the second half he all but disappeared offensively, with Stefanski abandoning the fullback yet again in favor of the seemingly H-Back, Harrison Bryant. (Bryant didn’t block well from that position either, getting blown back quite a bit).

Myles Garrett

He had a sack, he got hold a lot, rinse, lather, repeat.

Mack Wilson

People have slept on Mack Wilson and maybe for good reason. Yet, in year three, thing seem to be coming around. He spent way too long getting lost in the coverage and making no impact but playing largely special teams has given him a bit more confidence. He’s now back to playing more defensive reps and showing everyone that while he may not be the greatest cover guy, he may be the best tackler the team has.

D’Ernest Johnson

What can you say? The man averaged 6.6 yards per-carry. A lot of that has to do with how well the run blocking schemes are with the Browns, and how deep that offensive line is. It also shows you that when Kevin Stefanski stops trying to be cute, the team does quite well.