The Cleveland Browns were able to rebound after last week’s disastrous loss and defeat their division rival.
There was a sense of deja vu in the final minutes of this game. Cleveland holding a six point lead and their opponent, Pittsburgh, preparing to attempt an onside kick. Luck this time was on the side of the Browns. The Steelers made two errors on their attempt, George Pickens lined up offside in addition to Chris Boswell kicking it out of bounds. Cleveland was able to drain the clock down and the Steelers were only able to run a hook and ladder with the ball ending up in their own end zone and Denzel Ward recovering for a last second Browns touchdown sealing the win.
This win is not only important for the win-loss column, but the team showed that they are to hold on to a late lead and not give it up, unlike their contests against Carolina and New York. This game was a big mental test and passing is big step forward. While their opponents have not been particularly good, there is something to be said about taking care of business late. Being able to close out games has been a long time issue for Cleveland and Thursday’s win is something to build on.
Let’s talk about defense
It was a Jekyll and Hyde night for the Browns defense, allowing 14 points in the second quarter to a forgettable Steelers offensive unit. There was that feeling that Cleveland could be letting the game get away from them as they gave up touchdowns to Pittsburgh on back-to-back drive just before the half and were poised to control the middle eight. The Browns defense tightened up in the second half forcing punts on the next four drives allowing their offense to regain the lead and build it thanks to two scoring drives.
Overall this unit is still a work in progress. The player’s only meeting appears to have tightened some things up, but some credit belongs to the fact they were facing an unimpressive passing game quarterbacked by Mitch Trubisky. There is a point later in the season when Cleveland will face much better quarterbacks and if their secondary plays like they have the first three weeks it will be a big problem. The good news is that there is an extended week to prepare for Marcus Mariota and the Atlanta Falcons which should allow for some further tightening defensively.
Game Notes
Amari Cooper finished with seven receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown. This is the second consecutive game for Cooper eclipsing the 100-yard barrier, becoming the first Browns receiver to do so since Josh Gordon in 2013. An impressive stat for Cooper and a disappointing one for Cleveland receivers.
Cooper was not the only Browns pass catcher to have a good game. David Njoku finished with a career-high nine receptions for 89 yards (second highest total of his career) and a touchdown. This was a nice bump in production from the usually pedestrian Njoku. Up to this point the former first round pick had just four catches for 39 yards. While there is a very good chance Thursday’s performance is one of his usual outlier performances, perhaps this is finally the breakout that everyone has been talking about for years.
Unfazed by all the talk of his late touchdown against the Jets, Nick Chubb was able to do Nick Chubb things rushing 23 times for 113 yards and a touchdown, continuing to show he is a force to be reckoned with. Chubb was not the only Browns running back to be productive, Kareem Hunt ran 12 times for 47 yards in addition to three receptions for 14 yards. Jacoby Brissett also added 11 yards bringing Cleveland’s rushing total to 171 on the night. The 572 total rushing yards from the Browns is the most through three games since 1958.
Epilogue
This was not necessarily a must win game for the Browns, but a loss would torpedo their chances of being frisky late in the season. Cleveland should be able to hang around in the standings with Brissett as their quarterback until Deshaun Watson makes his official team debut. If they can be around .500 later in the season when Watson is inserted into the lineup this team will have more than a chance to make a run at postseason play.
