3 good things from the Browns win against the Bengals

Working within the talent’s capabilities

The Browns sat Nick Chubb for most of the game and were once again without Kareem Hunt, as well as Baker Mayfield. While you can say what you will about Mayfield, Case Keenum isn’t going to throw deep nearly as often as Mayfield does. So adapting to within the capability of the team around you is key and that’s exactly what Kevin Stefanski did.

Now, this doesn’t erase all of the issues that Stefanski had throughout the year but it’s good to see that he’s capable of playing within the limitations of the talent around him. Keenum threw a lot of three-yard passes to guys who then extended the play.

Jarvis Landry had a nice game, making the most of the opportunities around him but Donovan Peoples-Jones and Anthony Schwartz both continued to show how overwhelmed they are playing at this level. Peoples-Jones had a drop and then lost a fumble because he didn’t secure the ball properly, while Schwartz made no impact, and had a costly drop as well. Keenum also lost a fumble and threw an interception, really hurting the Browns’ ability to move the ball through the air.

Regardless of who’s under center, however, no one can deny how desperate this team is for better pass-catching talent. If it wasn’t for the running game prowess of Johnson and at times in the first half, Nick Chubb, it’s very likely the Browns would’ve lost.