I know that with all that is currently going on with your Cleveland Browns it is hard to remember they won a game a few days ago. Tonight I want to focus on the film of the Browns/Ravens game and what I saw from the Browns on Sunday. The Browns won 24-22 against their bitter rival Ravens and in doing so moved to 2nd place in the AFC North. I have re-watched the Browns game three times including the All-22 and here are my observations and thoughts from that film review.
Offensive Thoughts
(Photo Credit: dawgsbynature.com)
This game was a tale of two halves so let’s start our focus on what happened in the first when the offense looked as good as it has in over a month. The thing that I enjoyed the most was we started to see the return of creativity in this offense. The Browns ran several different motions including some in the shotgun that they had not shown on tape before. One of mine, and others, biggest complaints this year has been the lack of creativity and addition to the offense. You could tell that during the bye week Stefanski and his staff knew they had to show things they hadn’t before.
Baker Mayfield looked as good as we have seen him look since the injury during the first half before it seemed the offense took their foot off the gas. I saw throws from Baker that I hadn’t seen him make, seemed like he was able to plant and drive on the ball. There were still a few throws where he missed opportunities for big plays. The underthrow to Jarvis, which ended with a pass interference call, was a horribly underthrown ball that the flag bailed him out on. I also believe the big play to Donovan Peoples-Jones could have been a touchdown with a better throw. Overall I grade Baker out as a C plus from this game which is better than we have seen as of late.
Final Offensive Thoughts
My biggest issue was the lack of aggression in the second half, I felt after half they tried to move the ball but then stopped. It seemed that after a few drives that the team was content on just trying to sit on the clock and walk out with a victory. Now that being said they did call 12 pass plays and Baker only completed 6, had they had more success maybe things would have been different. All in all, I give the offense a C for this game. They are still struggling to really establish the run game and the inconsistencies in the passing game amplify that. If the offense can’t get either going for a full 4 quarters this season will end quicker than we hope it will.
Defensive Thoughts
(Photo Credit dawgsbynature.com)
The Browns defense continued a run of being the best unit on the team this weekend, including stepping up to end the game. Rewatching this film was fun, the Browns were aggressive and swarming to the ball. It was hard to find a play where only one or two players were near the ball carrier when he was tackled. The defensive line really set the tone in this game, according to PFF the Browns had 24 total QB pressures on 57 passing plays.
This game was the perfect case of why you need to find a pass-rushing duo if you want to really bother quarterbacks. Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney (along with Takk McKinely) were around the quarterback making his life miserable all day. Myles Garrett’s awareness of his forced fumble to find the ball and score was one of my favorite plays of the year. Joe Woods was as aggressive as I have ever seen him when calling pressure. Fans called for more blitzes and it felt like Woods was sending them once or twice every series. By far in my opinion despite the late points one of Woods’s best coaching jobs as a Browns coach.
Final Defensive Thoughts
This game was a prime example of why the young Browns players on defense should make fans so excited about the future. JOK and Jacob Phillips (still seemed limited from injury return) were flying around the field, their speed at the position jumps off the tape. Denzel Ward needs to be paid yesterday, his instincts and reaction timing are truly elite. Grant Delpit continues to look like a guy who is learning and getting healthier. I had an issue with them going into prevent defense a little early but when asked to turn it back on and end the game they did just that. Overall I give the defense a B plus and can’t wait to see them continue to grow. Overall these All-22 observations have me confident in the overall future of this team.
-Jacob Roach (@roachizm13 on Twitter)
Featured Image Credit espn.com
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