The Cleveland Browns were pleasantly surprised by the performances of quarterback Joe Flacco, kicker Dustin Hopkins, and offensive tackle Dawand Jones this year en route to an 11-win season.
While the season did not end the way the Browns would have dreamt it up, losing to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round, they over-achieved this season given that 26 percent of their starting lineup ended up on Injured Reserve this season. They took a true “next man up” mentality into the season and showed a tremendous amount of resilience to grind out tough wins.
This would not have been possible without players stepping up, players we might not have imagined would step up when their number was called. Rookies had to start, quarterbacks were signed off the couch, and kickers were traded for right at the end of training camp.
Here are four players who stood out the most and exceeded expectations for the Browns this season.