The Cleveland Browns did the unthinkable in Week 2 and overcame the odds to defeat the Bucs on the road. They enter their home opener at 1-1, and head coach Todd Monken records his first win as an NFL head coach.
To get there, though, they had to navigate a lot of twists and turns.
The biggest was a nearly two-hour weather delay as the two-minute warning was underway with the Bucs in possession. When they came back, the Bucs nearly pulled off the comeback, but the Browns' defense held strong, and they won 23-19.
With the stage set, time to dive into another piece of postgame analysis: The report card.
Quarterback: A
Deshaun Watson had his best game as a Cleveland Brown in Week 2 against the Bucs. Is that a low bar? Sure, but he played above expectations and then
some. The Bucs brought pressure against him, he stayed calm, made plays with his legs, and looked the part on his way to leading a comeback win.
Running Backs: C-
Quinshon Judkins was a bit disappointing in Week 2, which is why this grade is lower. However, my favorite running back was actually Raheim Sanders when they let him operate in space. In college, he never moved this well in space or was that creative, but Todd Monken has been able to unlock that with certain play types. I would love to see more of him getting those third-down type of touches.
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends: A
Harold Fannin Jr. and Denzel Boston were very impressive in Week 2. Fannin especially was involved much more than he was in Week 1, and that needs to continue. Denzel Boston has scored in two straight weeks on 50+ yard touchdowns in both instances. If they can maintain an above-average play style and KC Concepcion can rise to the occasion, then this offense could be cooking with gas.
Offensive Line: C+
The offensive line did its job, but it needs to be better going forward. Especially in the run game, they need to establish the run better, and they can only do that if they create running lanes for Judkins and company. In the pass game, they are coming along and look better, but they are still working through growing pains.
Defensive Line: A
Mason Graham had himself a game, as did the whole defensive front for the Browns. I am interested to see the final tally on pressures, but watching the game, they just looked much better than they did against the Jaguars. Jared Verse is still coming along, but the attention he gets helps everyone else, so the unit is getting the job done now after a rough opening week.
Linebackers: A+
Carson Schwesinger took over this game in the second half. On the final drive by the Bucs especially, on the final drive by the Bucs, the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year took over. He secured a total of 10 tackles with one critical one for a loss that set the Bucs up for a costly fourth down to end the game.
Secondary: A
The streak continues for the Browns as they held the Bucs to less than 200 passing yards, below the mark we are all watching, which is 300 yards. Baker Mayfield struggled with the Browns' coverage and pressure, and the end result was that the secondary did not allow their deep passing to work and won the turnover battle.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Report Card Grades from the Browns upset win over the Bucs
