The Cleveland Browns’ offense showed some efficiencies as they logged 322 yards of offense against the Vikings, and their identity was clear with a confident running game and quick passes. They also did
not turn the ball over. Unfortunately, there was still a lot lacking that led to their downfall. They were only 3-of-15 (20%) on third down, and some of their drives only continued because they were 3-of-3 (100%) on fourth down conversions. And, at the end of the day, they still only scored 17 points and failed to close out the game multiple times in the fourth quarter.
Below, we analyze the snap counts and stats on offense for the Cleveland Browns’ Week 5 game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Quarterback
- Dillon Gabriel lived up to what he did in the preseason, especially when you consider that he was leading his first career start against a solid defense, and with an offense that had a lot of deficiencies. One of the benefits he had to work with is that the running game is coming around.
- When I see Gabriel, I think to myself, “He could work with this offense, if our defense is at the top of their game, as an efficient game manager.” I can see him playing his part in guiding the team to victory. But I don’t yet see him as a guy who can make the big throws down the field, which presents a limiting factor for the offense.
- For now, though, he did everything he needed to do in that game. There was only one throw that I felt he “missed” on, which was a playaction rollout to his right, where he overthrew a short pass for Njoku. Those short rollout passes work far better for Gabriel than they did for Joe Flacco, as he’s able to be quicker with them and presents the threat of, “Well, if they glue to the receiver, then the quarterback can run for a few yards.”
- PFF gave Gabriel a grade of 63.0 on the day.
Running Back
- We’ve seen Quinshon Judkins delivering the goods for a few weeks now, and this was his best outing yet. Also wiped off the board was about a 60+ yard touchdown run in which there were two holding penalties; despite the penalties, though, he still showed off his ability and breakaway speed.
- Judkins was the Browns’ second-highest graded player on offense by PFF, receiving a grade of 77.3. His pass blocking in limited snaps was low, with Jerome Ford performing better in those situations.
- There was some criticism about Judkins not getting touches in the second quarter. It’s one of those things where I understand the fan sentiment, but at the end of the day, Judkins still got 23 carries. If you’re going to lean on the running game that much, it does make sense to trust the other guys on your roster, like Jerome Ford.
Wide Receiver
- Darn it, Jerry Jeudy. He had another third down drop that led to a punt; if it’s a catch, that would have put the Browns at midfield with a chance to add a field goal or touchdown in the second quarter. You just can’t have your top stars making those mistakes each week. If we treat that as another drive with points missed, and then compare it to the Vikings’ receivers coming in clutch with their big receptions, it’s one of those difference makers in the outcome.
- Overall, though, none of the receivers were very involved. Jamari Thrash’s lone catch came on the final play, when he wasn’t able to get out of bounds. And one of Isaiah Bond’s catches, for 22 yards, also came right before that.
- Malachi Corley made his debut for the Browns and played 17% of the snaps. He had an end around that went for 11 yards. Gage Larvadain only played one snap.
- None of the Browns’ wide receivers did particularly well, according to PFF, with Jeudy receiving the lowest grade at 53.0, and Bond not far behind him with a 54.5.
Tight End
- The tight ends were the guys involved in the offense for Gabriel, combining for 10 catches and 2 touchdowns. David Njoku was obviously fired up with his utilization being kicked up a notch.
- Njoku was the Browns’ third-highest graded player on offense by PFF, grading out to a 76.9.
Offensive Line
- It was great to see Jack Conklin return and play the entire game.
- On the other side of the line, KT Leveston still got the start over Cam Robinson, although there was a brief stretch where Robinson replaced Leveston. With the position, the Browns were being put in a hole by that position with penalties. A hold by Leveston on the first drive put them in 2nd-and-15, and led to a punt. On 3rd-and-goal at the 8 yard line, a false start by him helped lead to a field goal instead of a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, a hold by Leveston started them out with a 1st-and-20. They actually got a first down out of that one, but still had to punt when they were on the verge of field goal range. In the second quarter, Robinson had a false start and illegal formation penalty called on him on back-to-back snaps.
- Leveston was the Browns’ lowest-graded player on offense, per PFF, grading out to a 35.6. His pass blocking grade was a 23.5. Robinson, in seven snaps, received an overall grade of 45.0, but that was due to his multiple penalties; in terms of blocking, he excelled.
- Joel Bitonio was the Browns’ top-graded player on offense per PFF, grading out to a 79.9. Ethan Pocic also received a respectable grade. Wyatt Teller had a rough day and was the team’s second-lowest graded blocker, grading out to a 44.8 overall. Jack Conklin did well in his return and was the Browns’ fourth-highest graded player on offense, grading out to a 67.5.
