The Cleveland Browns are out for blood in 2022 and got their season started with a bang in Week 1. Their triumphant 26-24 win over the Carolina Panthers felt like a statement of absolute dominance, even if the margin of victory was relatively slim.
The victory was made possible by several key players. Rookie kicker Cade York hit a game-winning field goal to put the Browns over the top, but it was the play of veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett that kept Cleveland within striking range of the lead throughout the contest.
In the team’s Wednesday morning press conference, linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. expounded on the feeling that he got when the Browns emerged winners after the hard-fought game. He explained that he had talked to Brissett about the experience and what it meant to him to start the season with a win for the first time in his career.
“I’m just happy that he’s able to, you know, find a way to put one in the win column,” Walker said. “I told him, I think this is my first time, and probably his first time outside of his first year in New England, where we’ve started the season 1-0. That’s huge. I’ve always been 0-1 since I’ve been in the NFL, so to get that first win is pretty crucial, and I think that’s another emotional aspect of it for him, getting that first win of the year, no matter how you do it, just [to] get it done.”
While the season is far from over, Cleveland is certainly in a more advantageous position heading into Week 2 than they have been in previous years at this point. The culture of change within the Browns’ organization is palpable to all observers when compared to years past, and their Week 1 performance will serve as an important milestone in the franchise’s hopes of winning a Lombardi Trophy in the not-so-distant future.
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