The Cleveland Browns are now entering the portion of the schedule that becomes a lot easier. The Browns could end up with eight or nine wins if they get their offense on track and go on a tear.
RELATED:
BROWNS VS. DOLPHINS FINAL SCORE
It all started playing the Miami Dolphins. Both squads entered the game 1-5-0 and both are rumored that their head coach is on the hot seat. Which, for Cleveland, just may be true, having lost 14 games last year.
Cleveland has a terrific defense and is just starting to get their run game going. Could they against Miami?
In the end, the Browns dominated the Dolphins in every aspect of the game, winning 31-6. It was the first time all season that Cleveland scored more than 20 points in a single contest. The defense dominated Miami’s offensive attack, special teams did their job, and the Browns have finally found a running game despite the offensive line losing both tackles.
The Browns had four takeaways in a game for the first time in nearly two seasons. This just in: Cleveland fans have voted that they should play the Dolphins every week.
So who played well for the Browns? Who didn’t?
BROWNIES
RB Quinshon Judkins – Good to see that the offense has finally found its groove running the ball. Good to find a back who can take this group to the promised land. Q is quick to decide his hole, then scoots through it effortlessly. He scored three rushing touchdowns on the day. When has that last happened? With 4:20 left in the first quarter, Q took the handoff and ran between C Ethan Pocic and RG Wyatt Teller, then hit another gear as he completely juked out S Jack Jones, which gained 17 yards to Miami’s 34-yard line. In Quarter 2, he again went through the hole provided by Pocic/Teller and found daylight, which resulted in a 46-yard score.
All he had to beat was S Ifeatu Melifonwu, and he provided a nifty shoulder fake that the safety bit on. Later in the same quarter, on his second play in the Wildcat, he found a hole right beside Pocic and scored standing up as three different defenders hit him before getting into the end zone. 25 carries is a huge workload in today’s NFL, so the Browns are feeding him. Game-high 84 yards with a 3.4 yards per carry average. Smell that? That is the flavor of the NFL Rookie Offensive Player of the Week award brewing; WR Emeka Ebuka might have the yearly award locked down.
CB Tyson Campbell – Glad to see the new guy get acclimated to his new team, and he did so in a huge way. The pick-six was a gift as he didn’t have to move to catch or run hard to score. But it was a thing of beauty, and took all the air out of the visitors so early in the second half. That play was really about S Rayshawn Jenkins’ hit on RB De’Von Achane, and the ball popped straight back to Campbell. But the most impressive play by Campbell came with 2:12 remaining in the first quarter. Achane had broken outside on the left end, turned upfield, and was gone. Campbell came from the other side of the defense and caught the RB at the 23-yard line without scoring. Instead of six, Miami finished this drive with a field goal. Campbell also broke up a pass intended for WR Jaylen Waddle in the left corner of the end zone with 1:15 left before halftime. Exceptional game.
S Rayshawn Jenkins – All game, something was going on with #5. He instantly pounced on the fumbled kickoff in the second quarter instead of trying to be cute and pick it up and run with several Miami players around. On Cleveland’s second kickoff, Jenkins, playing on the kickoff team, made the tackle. With time running out before the half and the Dolphins with a third-and-12, Jenkins hit QB Tua Tagovailoa as he left the pocket way short of the marker. Later in the third quarter, Jenkins had a tackle on a punt return, giving him his second special teams tackle of the game. His pick of Tagovailoa in the fourth quarter was a thing of beauty and basically sealed the win. Had a wrist injury and was questionable to return, but came back in during the second half.
Special Teams – As usual, the punt coverage team was excellent, with coverage by Donovan McMillon, Grant Delpit, Jerome Baker, Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, and Eugene Asante, pulled up from the practice squad. P Corey Bojorquez had a punt downed at the four-yard line. He had six kicks with three inside the 20. K Andre Szmyt had a quiet day but converted every kick, going 1-1 on a 30-yard field goal, plus converted all four PATs. That makes 11 passes from long snapper Rex Sunahara without skipping a single backwards pass.
LB Carson Schwesinger – This kid comes out of nowhere and is seemingly everywhere. On a first down play in the second quarter, he beat OT Patrick Paul and nailed Achane for a three-yard loss just as the RB was handed the ball. On the 28-yard pass completion in the third quarter to TE Tanner Conner, it was Schwesinger who ran him down. Before kickoff, Schwesinger was leading rookie defenders with 49 tackles. Led all Cleveland defenders with seven total tackles, with one tackle for loss.
FROWNIES
Orange seats – Browns fans have been bellyaching about how inept this team has been this year, but with good special teams and a terrific defense. Yet, there were empty seats everywhere in the stadium. Yes, it was a rainy day. Yes, the Browns were 1-5-0, Yes, their opponent was also 1-5-0. But it was a winnable game. And if your team was Cleveland, it was a fun game to watch because everybody played well, everybody made plays, and the Browns dominated. Who doesn’t want to see that? Apparently, a lot of folks.
No Shedeur – The unwritten rule in college football is if a team is killing another, they begin to play their second teamers at the eight-minute mark of the fourth quarter. In the NFL, that unwritten rule is the four-minute mark. The Browns went up 31-6 with 10:56 left in the game after the Jenkins pick placed the ball at the Miami two-yard line, and then Q scored. With 9:58, the Browns began another drive at Miami’s 42. With 6:45, Cleveland started again, at their own 38. And yet, out trotted starting QB Dillon Gabriel every new drive. No Shedeur Sanders. Why? Miami’s rookie QB, Quinn Ewers, replaced Tagovailoa midway through the fourth quarter. No doubt, this will become the lead story on every sports show and podcast this week.
Milk Bones – Reality continues to ruin my life
QB Dillon Gabriel – Had a decent game and found some tight windows. Completed 13 of 18 passes for 116 yards, and managed the game well using the run game and finding the short passing game. No TD passes, but no interceptions either. 89.1 QB rating.
EDGE Myles Garrett – Nothing much in the first two quarters, but came alive in the second half. Had a stunt with DT Mason Graham, looped around, and was all alone with Tagovailoa for the sack. He was good against the run as he nailed Achane for a three-yard loss in the third quarter. Two tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss, two QB hits.
DT Mason Graham – Probably his best game of the season. The Dolphins could not run up the gut. Three tackles and one batted pass, which was a third-and-13 in the second quarter. The Garrett sack was about Graham occupying two offensive linemen.
S Donovan McMillon – He has presence on every punt return. Finally got some defensive snaps, and came through with a sack towards the end of the game. It was McMillon who downed Bojo’s punt at the four. The media talks about how good this Browns draft class is, yet McMillon needs to be included in this list and get more snaps.
