The Cleveland Browns are 2-1 in their last three but the team isn’t playing up to its standard
The Cleveland Browns are 2-1 in their last three since embattled quarterback Deshaun Watson took over the reins of the team but the team as a whole has not been playing up to their usual standard. The team is lacking offensively, averaging just four points per contest on that side of the ball since Watson took over, and has only mustered two touchdowns.
Kevin Stefanski is deferring his usual trope of making bone-ahead fourth-and-go-for-its and is actually kicking the ball, so that’s part of the reason why the offensive output may be lower than usual. Granted, the special teams haven’t been doing their job either, with kicker Cade York still getting acclimated to the windy weather in Cleveland Browns Stadium.
Defensively the team is playing better, though two of their best players in Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward either only show up once in a while during a game or are so wildly inconsistent, you don’t know which version of the player you’re going to get game-to-game.
As a whole, there’s not a lot to be optimistic about. The Browns beat the worst team in football and couldn’t score a touchdown on them, and then lucked into a Ravens team that was 1) missing Lamar Jackson and 2) missing a clue.
How do you not just run the ball if you’re that effective at it? Even the Atlanta Falcons knew to do that… So because of the uneven play, some stocks are up, some are down and we’re going to talk about them.
No noticeable gains or drops:
Deshaun Watson
He’s playing fine. Mediocre in fact. Winnable football is being seen here. The problem is that the Browns didn’t trade three first rounds and paid the man $240 million for that kind of football. If he and Baker Mayfield are putting up similar stat lines, something needs to change.
Daylen Baldwin
PFF gave him a ludicrous 83.3 for two catches in 12 plays. I’m sorry, but that’s just stupid. The man made very little impact in any facet of the game.
Myles Garrett
Myles Garrett took advantage of bad quarterback play, and that may seem like he did his job, but I expect guys like Perrion Winfrey and Tommy Togiai to “take advantage of bad quarterback play”. I expect Myles Garrett to prove he’s the best defensive end in the league and do something other than look at guys running past him. A sack and a half are great. Do you know what’s better? Being good at all aspects of your job, like stopping the run.
Rising Offensive Players
Jack Conklin
Jack Conklin has taken a while to look like his Pro Bowl self since his injury in 2021 but the Ravens game saw him have his best all-around game of the year. While he’s arguably been the team’s best pass-blocker, his run-blocking has started to come back as well. The Browns were very successful in 2020 and 2021 running off his hips, but he hasn’t been the same guy this year and it’s reflected in Nick Chubb’s stats. Hopefully, this is a sign that he’s starting to feel like his former self.
Wyatt Teller
As good as Wyatt Teller is at run blocking, he’s almost equally as bad at pass blocking. After the Carolina game, Teller has only ever been average or bad. Teller didn’t look fantastic against the Ravens on Sunday but considering how good the Ravens are defensively and seeing how well Teller did to keep Deshaun Watson’s back clean, I would say he earned a bump in his standing this week. Most of Watson’s sacks came from holding the ball too long and trying to play hero ball. That’s not on the offensive line.
Donovan Peoples-Jones
We’re still putting Amari Cooper’s face on milk cartons to see if anyone can find him for us, as we all know Watson hasn’t found him during the last three games. Watson has found Donovan Peoples-Jones, however, and while I’m still not sold on him as a starter on a better team, Peoples-Jones is doing good work catching what’s thrown to him. He’s not going to take over a game like some on social media think is about to happen but he’s an excellent compliment to the offense.
Rising Defensive Players
John Johnson III
I still think the best move is to replace John Johnson III after the season but until that day comes, we’ll give him the respect he’s due. Against the Ravens, Johnson did good work. The safety had nine tackles, a pass deflection, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. It was his best game of the year, so it’s not surprising to find out that he’s in the NFL’s concussion protocol. The man can’t catch a break.
Denzel Ward
Denzel Ward is another player that you don’t expect to be on this side of the line too often but Ward did good work on Saturday. Granted, he was playing against, arguably, the worst quarterback in the NFL but Joe Flacco roasted this defense in Week 2, so I’m never going to discount a player playing well, despite the competition.
Grant Delpit
Different verse, same as the first. Three players who are usually on the other end of the conversation all stepped up. It’s a bad Ravens offense, sure, but these guys all failed to step up against equally bad offenses earlier, so credit is due when it’s earned.
Falling Offensive Players
David Njoku
It’s officially time to stop the lie that David Njoku ever “got better” at run-blocking. He posted a 49.8 in that field according to PFF. Not only did he not block well according to analytics (or the eye test), but Njoku also went missing yet again on offense. It’s not that he’s not getting looks either, he led the team with six targets, tying Amari Cooper. Njoku is a supposed big-time playmaker but he has still yet to show that talent. At least consistently.
Amari Cooper
Amari Cooper is tiptoeing his way to 1,000 yards but he’s not taking over games as he should be. He went from averaging 72 yards and .6 touchdowns per game under Jacoby Brissett to averaging just 46 yards and zero touchdowns per game with Watson. The two have worked together since their arrival in the offseason and have had about six weeks of continual work with one another, yet Cooper can’t seem to break out. So what’s the issue?
Michael Woods
Wow, talk about a waste of a draft pick so far. He’s only played in four games, he hardly makes an impact and undrafted guys like Daylen Baldwin are making more plays than Michael Woods. It’s too soon to give up on him, but he’s got to start showing up if he wants to keep that roster spot.
Falling Defensive Players
Jadeveon Clowney
Jadeveon Clowney is in an odd place because he’s still a starting-caliber defensive end but he’s not been the run-stopping impact he was once heralded as. While never a great pass-rusher, despite what some claim, Clowney was a solid addition for his ability to impact the run defense from the end. He no longer can do that. The Browns’ run defense is as bad as ever and Clowney is supposed to help make sure that’s not the case. He’s dropped to being a very average player on this team. He was not paid to be an average player, however.
Perrion Winfrey
Perrion Winfrey continues to be an utter disappointment as a defensive tackle. He got himself a sack against the Ravens, and that’s great. But he played 35 snaps and in 34 of them, he didn’t do a dang thing. The Ravens nearly put up 200 yards rushing and still threw the ball 30 times. Had the Ravens had a clue, guys like Winfrey would’ve been the reason the Browns gave up 400 yards rushing in defeat.
Tony Fields
It’s fair to say that this is Tony Fields at his best. It’s been two seasons and unless he’s getting lucky against bad teams, he’s not doing anything worth talking bout. He had one of the worst outings for the Browns according to PFF (30.0), he has, historically, not been a consistent playmaker. Maybe you bring him back until his rookie deal runs out but I don’t see what he can provide for the team as a starter.