Category: 4 Downs

Browns P Corey Bojorquez ranks highly in new NFL Next Gen Stat

Cleveland Browns punter Corey Bojorquez is near the top of the leaderboard in Field Position over Expected in the 2023 NFL season.

It’s a great thing that the Cleveland Browns re-signed punter Corey Bojorquez.

In the latest NFL Next Gen Stats metric, Browns punter Bojorquez is at the top of the leaderboard. Bojorquez ranked fourth in the NFL in Field Position Over Expected (FPOE) with a rating of 161.

FPOE attempts to isolate the value a punter creates per punt by comparing them to an average punt. NFL Next Gen Stats uses in-game tracking data to create valuable statistics that capture on-field production. 

Bojorquez ranks near the top of the league in most punting metrics. Last season, Bojorquez punted the ball 87 times for 4,294 yards, with 31 punts landing within the 20-yard line and nine punts falling in the endzone.

Bojorquez’s powerful leg makes him a field-flipping weapon for the team. Bojorquez can become an elite punter if he continues improving his control and accuracy. 

The Browns rewarded Bojorquez with a two-year extension this offseason. The seventh-year veteran is entering his third season with the Browns. Bojorquez is a great punter with the stats to prove it.

4 Downs: Texans have antidote for Flacco Fever, end Browns’ season

The Browns’ season has come to an end.

The Houston Texans have ended the season of the Cleveland Browns. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz could not keep up with C.J. Stroud, quarterback Joe Flacco came back to earth, and the Browns are heading home.

By a miserable score of 45-14, the Browns could not overcome a poor defensive showing in the first half, combined with two back-breaking turnovers to start the second half. The magic ran out on what was a season that included an 11-win run despite injury after injury. The Browns were relentless and resilient.

But in the end that was not enough as Stroud and the Texans did not have to sweat much in this Wild Card win. There are always elements of the game to isolate and point out, however, and that is just what we do here.

For the last time this season, here is your 4 Downs for this loss to the Texans as the Browns’ fun, improbable season has come to an end.

4 Downs: Who cares? A meaningless game with little to take away vs. Bengals

You won’t find a more meaningless game than this one.

The Cleveland Browns have ended their 2023 regular season with a record of 11-6. Despite solid performances by wide receiver David Bell and defensive end Alex Wright, the Browns’ backups fell to the Cincinnati Bengals by a score of 14-31 as they now prepare for the Houston Texans next week.

The Bengals did not rest their starters as running back Joe Mixon had his best game in two years against this reserve unit. Jake Browning was also able to find success through the air, ending the game with 156 yards and three touchdowns passing.

Overall, the game is about what you would expect for a team resting all of their starters with their spot in the playoffs already locked down. The real test lies ahead as the Browns get set to travel to Houston to take on the Texans in the first round of the playoffs.

And for the last time this regular season, here is your 4 Downs from this meaningless Week 18 loss to the Bengals.

4 Downs: The Browns are heading to the playoffs after win vs. Jets

Next stop: Playoffs.

After defeating the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football, the Cleveland Browns are headed to the playoffs. Quarterback Joe Flacco continues his hot streak, rookie safety Ronnie Hickman Jr. continues to be a revelation off the bench, and the Browns have now won four games in a row.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski, who entered the week with the best odds to win NFL Coach of the Year, may have just solidified himself at the top of the running for the award he has already won once before. Still holding firmly onto the fifth seed in the AFC, the Browns still have a shot to win the AFC North with some help from the Miami Dolphins this weekend.

The Browns now have 10 days until they close their regular season against the Cincinnati Bengals.

In a playoff-clinching 4 Downs, here are the biggest takeaways from this 20-37 win over the Jets to advance to 11-5 on the season.

You deserve this, Cleveland.

4 Downs: Browns have themselves a very Merry Christmas vs. Texans

The Browns pick up their tenth win of the season against the Texans, led by a Christmas gift from Joe Flacco and Amari Cooper

Believe it or not, the Cleveland Browns have now won their tenth game of the season with a rout of the Houston Texans. Minus a couple of garbage-time touchdowns that pulled the score closer to 36-22, the Browns, led by quarterback Joe Flacco and wide receiver Amari Cooper, had themselves a very Merry Christmas Eve on the road.

With the win, the Browns sit at 10-5 and have a firm grip on the fifth seed and top wildcard spot in the AFC. While they cannot officially clinch their playoff berth this week, they will have the opportunity to do so in front of their home crowd at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Thursday night against the New York Jets.

We are not looking ahead to that matchup just yet, however, as there is plenty to celebrate and discuss from this Week 16 beatdown of Case Keenum and the Texans. In this joyous 4 Downs filled with holiday spirit, here is what stood out the most from this dominant Cleveland win over Houston.

4 Downs: Browns escape trap game thanks to David Njoku, Amari Cooper heroics vs. Bears

The Browns nearly dropped a trap game against the Bears, but a strong outing from David Njoku and Amari Cooper saved the day.

Despite all of the injuries and against all odds, the Cleveland Browns somehow sit with a record of 9-5 with just three games remaining in the season. Now after a win against the Chicago Bears, thanks to monster performances from both wide receiver Amari Cooper and tight end David Njoku, the Browns have a stranglehold on the fifth seed in the AFC.

According to Sumer Sports, the Browns now sit with a 92 percent chance to make the playoffs after this Week 15 win. It was not pretty. It was downright hideous for the first 45 minutes of the game. But as it has been for most of the season, the motto of this Cleveland team continues to be their ability to play a full 60 minutes and find ways to grind out wins down to the wire.

Now stringing together their second win in a row, I get to write a second victory 4 Downs. What stood out from this win against the Bears, and what is there to pull from this game to look forward to the rest of the season?

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4 Downs: Short-handed Browns once again find a way to win vs. Jaguars

The Browns rode Joe Flacco and David Njoku to another short-handed win, picking up their eighth win against the Jaguars.

The Cleveland Browns returned home and did not disappoint as they knocked off the Jacksonville Jaguars in a much-needed bounce-back win. Led by quarterback Joe Flacco and tight end David Njoku, who linked up for two touchdowns, the Browns dropped 31 points on the Jaguars. They outlasted the top AFC South team by a score of 31-27 to rack up their eighth win of the season.

The defense came up huge, creating four turnovers (including three interceptions of Trevor Lawrence). The offense found the endzone a season-high four times in this one, and kicker Dustin Hopkins once again delivered a kick of death to the Jaguars from 55 yards out to seal the win. It is an all-around great day to be a Browns fan.

What stood out from this impressive win over the now 8-5 Jaguars? Here is a much more positive 4 Downs than the two that came before it as the Browns now have a firm hold of the fifth seed in the AFC after this massive win at home.

4 Downs: Browns drop second-in-a-row despite promising Joe Flacco debut

The Browns have now dropped two in a row…

After winning five of their last six prior, the Cleveland Browns have now dropped their second game in a row. Losing to the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 36-19 on the road, the Browns were outclassed, especially on the defensive side of the ball as defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has had his unit throttled two weeks in a row by veteran quarterbacks. Despite some early heroics from veteran Joe Flacco in his first start as a Brown, the repeated scoring drives by the Rams proved to be too much to overcome.

This now makes three-in-a-row for the Rams as well, as they advance to 6-6 on the season with an outside chance to fight their way into the playoffs. After starting 7-3, the Browns now fall to 7-5 with five games to go in their season.

In a less-than-stellar reason to write a post-game analysis, here is your Week 13 4 Downs as the Browns now need to right the ship. And do it fast.

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4 Downs: Browns drop to 7-4 after sloppy loss to Broncos

The Browns had some momentum built up with Dorian Thompson-Robinson, but could not get out of their own way against the Broncos.

All good things must come to an end. After winning their last three and four of their last five, the Cleveland Browns finally found themselves back in the loss column. After losing rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson to a concussion at the end of the third quarter against the Denver Broncos, the game quickly slipped out of reach.

Before exiting, the rookie quarterback had found a stride. He was connecting with his targets over the middle and down the field, picking up chunk plays for the Cleveland offense. However, once P.J. Walker took the field, the Browns found no success on the offensive side of the ball as Russell Wilson and the Broncos have now made it five in a row.

While it is not a joyous 4 Downs as it has been in weeks prior, here is this week’s edition of the postgame instant analysis column. Let’s hope for a better outcome next week.

4 Downs: Dorian Thompson-Robinson leads Browns in tight win over Steelers

Here’s how the Cleveland Browns won in Week 11.

Another week, another close win for the Cleveland Browns.

This time, though, it was a defensive showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers that came down to a last-second Dustin Hopkins field goal. The two sides were separated by just 10 total offensive yards with only one turnover in the game: a Dorian Thompson-Robinson interception.

Other than that interception, though, the fifth-round rookie played well enough to keep the Browns alive throughout the contest. The Browns took over sole possession of second place in the AFC North with the victory and sit just one game behind the Baltimore Ravens for first place.

Here are our four downs from the huge Week 11 win.