The Cleveland Browns were at a crossroads leading up to kickoff against the New Orleans Saints. They had built a record of 5-2-0, then were beaten badly last weekend and now stand at 5-3-0. A loss to the Saints would mean they would sink to a 5-4-0 record and would find themselves going in reverse.
RELATED: SHEDEUR COMES CLOSE, CAN’T GET FINAL PLAY IN OT
The New Orleans contest was the first start for backup QB Shedeur Sanders. The good part is that this was decided early in the week, so Sanders had
plenty of time to get first-team reps during practices. The offensive line and receivers got a chance to re-familiarize themselves with the young signal-caller.
Against the Saints, Cleveland refused to take four points in the contest and lost by one. You do the math. Now, it’s a 5-4-0 record and a two-game losing skid. The Saints are not a good team. Neither were the New York Jets. Good teams take care of business against the teams they should defeat.
So, who played well for the Browns? Who didn’t?
BROWNIES (DBN’s winners)
LB Carson Schwesinger – One thing is certain: Cleveland’s defense will get everything out of Schwesinger every game. Injured or solid, he just balls out. A great punch on the ball on the one-yard line avoided a New Orleans scoring opportunity. Had seven total tackles in the first half alone, plus a sack of Saints’ QB Tyler Shough on their first drive of the game. He was able to tackle Shough on a third-and-six in the third quarter when the QB tried to leave the pocket and was short of the first down. Finished with 15 tackles, two sacks, two QB hits, and two tackles for loss.
K Andre Szmyt – Converted a 41-yarder in the second quarter, a 31- yard field goal in the third stanza, and then the game-tying FG from 51 yards with eight ticks left in regulation. Was also 1-for-1 on PATs and scored 10 of Cleveland’s 22 points. He does what he is asked to do.
WR Denzel Boston – The rookie had a very quiet first half, but made up for it. With 11:15 left in the third quarter, he had a 60-yard gain to the Saints’ three-yard line as he beat CB Kool-Aid McKinstry. Then in the overtime period, he converted a second-and-14 for a 15-yard gain, followed by an eight-yard gain that got the Browns to midfield. Led all receivers with 98 yards on six catches with seven targets.
Second-half QB Shedeur Sanders – Apparently, the cobwebs got dusted off at the intermission, because Sanders played well in the final three periods. He stopped leaving the pocket prematurely and found receivers open. The strike to Boston in the third quarter: Sanders faced a good rush and remained calm as the play went for 60 yards. His run on a third-and-four with 2:53 left in the game kept the drive going. Again, he was hit as he let the ball fly but found the waiting hands of TE Harold Fannin, who took it to the house. Earlier in the fourth quarter, the pass to WR KC Concepcion ended up as a 64-yard catch-and-run on former Browns CB M.J. Emerson. Sanders finished 19 of 31 for 297 yards, two TD passes, zero picks, and was sacked five times, with a QB rating of 114.6.
CB Myles Harden – It was Harden guarding WR Chris Olave in the second quarter with that 36-yard completion, but the drive ended with a punt. Harden recovered from that play. He blitzed in the third quarter for a sack that destroyed the New Orleans drive. Then he had another sack with 6:58 left in the game. Good coverage of Olave in the third quarter, as Harden was able to stay with the quick receiver for an incomplete pass. Five total tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss, one batted pass, and two QB hits.
P Corey Bojorquez – The talented punter had a banner game. Kicked five punts for 267 yards, with a long of 59 yards, and finished the contest with a 53.4 average. Had punts of 48, 46, 57, 57, and 59. Incredible numbers.
WR KC Concepcion – Okay, four catches for 85 yards might not be considered exceptional, but that catch-and-run touchdown against former Browns cornerback M.J. Emerson was phenomenal. The mere fact that the rookie took it across the field was like a seasoned veteran.
FROWNIES (DBN’s losers)
Penalties, penalties, penalties – If players received game bonuses for every penalty they committed, it might make sense to explain why the Browns have so many in every game. Six were called in the first quarter alone for 33 yards. The holding call on LG Zion Johnson in the fourth quarter negated a good 15-yard run by RB Quinshon Judkins. S Tytus Campbell’s illegal contact penalty in the fourth quarter was a failed Saints third-down conversion. 10 penalties for 58, with two not accepted. Coming into this game, Cleveland was the most penalized offense and the most penalized offensive line group.
Lack of offense: First half – In the first half, the Browns had a grand total of 81 yards on offense with just 38 through the air. The special teams unit got a fumble recovery at the Saints’ 19-yard line, yet it took 7 plays to go 18 yards, and then it got zero points. This offensive line is not moving the chains, and a backup QB isn’t helping matters. Certainly, penalties hurt, but these offensive weapons just aren’t being utilized.
Refusing points – At the end of regulation, the Browns had to drive the field and get into field goal range down three points. But that kick would have been the game-winner (assuming nothing else changed). In the second quarter, Cleveland had a first-and-goal on the nine. Three plays later, they still hadn’t scored. Instead of accepting failure, head coach Todd Monken did not send out K Andre Szmyt.
What happened was the Browns were stuffed on the one-yard line and got zero points out of that drive. At the end of the game, they would have been tied and could have driven into field goal range for the winning kick (again, assuming nothing else changed).
After the Browns scored the touchdown in overtime, instead of kicking for one and taking the lead, Monken once again refused points, as the two-point conversion had no chance, and the pass rush was once again in Sanders’ face, which collapsed the play. Having a tie right after the Saints had scored a touchdown, and then so did the Browns, would have been close to a Cleveland victory. It would have made the late Fannin TD catch heroic and continued the Browns’ late-game lore this season. Now, it’s a 5-4-0 record and a two-game losing skid.
Red Zone – 0 for 2 (see refusing points).
Missed tackles – Every week, this becomes an epidemic: Ronnie Hickman (3), Tyson Campbell (2), Mike Hall (2), Derek Barnett, and Winston Reid. Barnett missed badly in the third quarter when Saints QB Tyler Shough attempted to escape the pocket on a third-and-seven, and Barnett completely whiffed as Shough ran for 12 yards and kept the drive going and ended with a New Orleans field goal.
Run defense – Again, poor execution. A player the Browns let go this week gashed them for 72, all up the gut. The Saints ended with 160 rushing yards. A good portion of that was Shough taking off, but there wasn’t any containment on either side of the Cleveland defensive line.
Milk Bones – If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?
First-half QB Shedeur Sanders – The megastar on the bench didn’t translate into production on the field. 81 total yards in the first half. Sanders was sacked twice and threw for 38 first-half yards. 3-for-8 on third downs. No long plays, and no explosiveness. One run for 12 yards was the highlight.
Two targets to the rookie receivers each, and none to TE Harold Fannin. This offense has more weapons than last year for Sanders, yet why wasn’t he using them? He stumbled on the one-foot line, which disrupted the play that could have been six points. Sanders had a first-and-goal at the nine, and after four plays, zero points. Left the pocket way too often, which accounted for hurried throws and unnecessary sacks. It didn’t help Sanders that the Browns were facing some sort of third-and-long in the first two quarters.
S Donovan McMillan – Is a demon on special teams, and fought to get the fumble recovery in the second quarter. Had a good ST tackle early in the third quarter and another on a punt as this quarter was winding down.
Mike Hall sighting – Hall was able to play quite a bit in the absence of DT Maliek Collins, and had some good plays and some whiffs. He had a sack as the first quarter was about to end, and stopped RB Audric Estime for a short gain early in Quarter 4. He did not fare well against RG Cesar Ruiz, who was able to move Hall out of position frequently.
WR Malachi Corley – Corley made two special teams tackles. His second saved a touchdown. The Browns punted after a failed seven-play drive midway through the fourth quarter. Bojorquez booted it 59 yards, which outkicked the coverage. Saints KR Barion Brown ran 20 yards and was cutting it upfield when Corley nailed him. Bojo would have been the last player remaining.
TE Harold Fannin – It was almost like Fannin didn’t show up for the game until the fourth quarter for whatever reason. Then he busted out for his only two catches for 42 yards, including the almost game-tying 39-yard TD late in the overtime period.
WR Jerry Jeudy – The receiver ended all talks about his impending trade before Tuesday’s trade deadline. There won’t be any, it doesn’t seem. Third game that his late catches altered the outcome of the game. Cleveland needs him to be invisible for three quarters and then show up with a great catch or two in the final quarter.
Who were your winners and losers from Browns vs. Saints in Week 9?
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