Category: Game Breakdown

Myles Garrett: ‘No sack is complete without getting the ball’

The Browns DE on the art of the strip sack

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For the second straight week, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett recorded a strip-sack to help set up a Cleveland win. According to Garrett, it’s something he deliberately aims to accomplish with every sack.

Last week’s poke out of Joe Burrow’s hand near the Bengals’ goal line was recovered by fellow DE Joe Jackson and quickly cashed in for a touchdown. This week, Garrett did it all himself. He discussed how he set up Football Team left tackle Geron Christian for the huge sack on Dwayne Haskins.

“I had been trying to set (Christian) up with speed to power and some jam moves early on to get his hands and get him to open up a little bit sooner,” Garrett said in his postgame Zoom with reporters. “That last one, they did not have any help for him so I knew I was going to take it all the way up the field and try to get to it the best that I could. He could anticipate me either jabbing or going inside because that is where I was beating him. I was able to get on the backside of the strip.”

Garrett continued,

“I saw that he had not thrown it yet, and no sack is complete without getting the ball.”

The ball bounced off the turf, kicked up off Haskins’ foot and right into Garrett’s hands for the recovery. It was Garrett’s second sack of the afternoon and his 17th sack in his last 16 games.

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Baker Mayfield knows ‘I could have played way better’ in win over Washington

Mayfield’s stat line looks better than his actual play did on Sunday and he knows it

Baker Mayfield played well enough to lead the Cleveland Browns to a 34-20 victory over the visiting Washington Football Team. But Mayfield knows he should have done a lot more to help his team, which needed five takeaways from the defense to prevail on a picture-perfect Sunday afternoon in FirstEnergy Stadium.

Mayfield’s stat line — 16-for-23, 156 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs — looks a lot better on paper than it did in real-time. In his postgame Zoom with reporters, Mayfield admitted as much.

“I could have played way better,” he said. “I could’ve gotten the ball out and saved a couple of those sacks. The protection was great. I could’ve re-ID’d the play where the intentional grounding happened and the first play coming out where I got sacked. Some things that I can be a lot better on.”

It’s a good sense of self-awareness from Mayfield. Odell Beckham Jr. bailed him out with a fantastic defensive play to break up a would-be interception by safety Troy Apke. The intentional grounding penalty was an embarrassing decision, but also the second week in a row he’s made it.

He also missed a wide-open Kareem Hunt on a play that should have been an easy touchdown. Instead, it required a truly spectacular one-handed grab by Hunt.

Mayfield’s recognition that he needs to play better if the Browns are to keep winning is a good sign. Yet it’s also a sign of how good the team around him can be that it doesn’t need Mayfield to be perfect to claim a win.

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Browns milestones from Week 3: Nick Chubb, winning record and more

Lots of positives from the Browns win over Washington

The Cleveland Browns hit some milestones in the team’s 34-20 win over the Washington Football Team.

Nick Chubb topped 100 yards for the second straight week and also scored two TDs. He is the first Browns RB to accomplish that feat since Leroy Kelly in 1967.

With the win, the Browns climbed above .500 for the first time since Week 14 of the 2014 season. Their run of 84 straight weeks without having a winning record was the longest in the NFL by over two full seasons.

Baker Mayfield posted a QB Rating over 100 for the second consecutive game. He had not done that since Weeks 10 and 11 of the 2018 season, his rookie year.

Tight end Harrison Bryant hauled in his first career touchdown reception, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

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Watch: Nick Chubb with the beautiful cutback touchdown run

Chubb got great blocks from Jedrick Wills and Jarvis Landry

It took Nick Chubb a little bit to get cooking in the Cleveland Browns matchup with the Washington Football Team. But in the second quarter, Chubb dished out a fantastic cutback and cooked up the Browns first touchdown of the afternoon.

Chubb showed he can quickly learn and adapt in-game on the touchdown.

On an earlier run from a similar set, Chubb stuck to the right and navigated for a short gain. He did not miss the big cutback lane the next time it was put on his plate. Great blocks from left tackle Jedrick Wills to seal off the backside and wide receiver Jarvis Landry down the field

Cleveland Browns inactives for Week 3 vs. Football Team

Denzel Ward and Adrian Clayborn are active

Kevin Stefanski and the Cleveland Browns have chosen their game day inactive list of players for the Week 3 matchup with the Washington Football Team. And the good news is cornerback Denzel Ward isn’t one of the six inactives.

Ward was questionable for the game with a groin injury suffered Thursday. He is active, as is DE Adrian Clayborn, who was also questionable for the game.

The Browns had ruled out Olivier Vernon, Greedy Williams and rookie LB Jacob Phillips on Friday’s final injury report. They are joined on the inactive list by three offensive players:

  • WR Rashard Higgins
  • WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
  • OL Evan Brown

Undrafted rookie CB A.J. Green was elevated from the practice squad on Saturday to help with the injuries in the secondary.

Kevin Stefanski proud of Browns ‘swamp tackling’ vs. Bengals

Bengals RB Joe Mixon ran 16 times for 46 yards

Kevin Stefanski picked up his first head coaching victory on Thursday night when his Cleveland Browns stymied the visiting Cincinnati Bengals, 35-30. Even though his defense allowed the 30 points, Stefanski took pride in how hard his Browns defense made it.

Cincinnati ran 88 plays but gained just 353 yards. The 4.0 yards per play is a terribly inefficient figure for the Bengals offense, with Joe Burrow attempting 61 passes.

He was especially happy with the run defense. Even with starting DE Olivier Vernon and two key LBs, Mack Wilson and Jacob Phillips, all sidelined, the Browns allowed talented Bengals RB Joe Mixon just 2.8 yards per carry.

“Our front did a nice job,” Stefanski said proudly in his Zoom press conference with reporters the day after the game. “The defensive line was very aggressive. Joe Mixon is a heck of a back, and he is not easy to get on the ground so there had to be some swamp tackling going on. If you can limit the run game like we did, it applies a ton of pressure and allows our front to rush the passer.”

Mixon ran 16 times for 46 yards and did not score. The strong run defense kept Burrow and the Bengals offense in 2nd-and-long frequently.

Monster games from Myles Garrett, Nick Chubb top the Browns’ PFF scores from Week 2

Garrett scored in elite range from his dominance against the Bengals

Thursday night’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals saw great performances from several players on the Cleveland Browns. None were greater than Myles Garrett.

The defensive end had a monster game against the Bengals’ offensive line. As a result, Garrett earned the top Browns game grade from Pro Football Focus.

Garrett graded out with a 90.1 overall grade from PFF. Nearly all of it came from his relentless success as a pass rusher. PFF charted Garrett with nine total hurries on Bengals QB Joe Burrow, including his strip-sack near the Bengals goal line that set up a touchdown.

The rest of the top five Browns in PFF’s defensive grading:

  • DE Adrian Clayborn – 76.5
  • CB Terrance Mitchell – 76.2
  • CB Denzel Ward – 76.0
  • DT Jordan Elliott – 73.3

On offense, running back Nick Chubb led the way with his 82.5 grade. PFF charted Chubb with five avoided tackles and an average of 4.5 yards after contact on his 24 rush attempts.

The rest of the top five is rounded out by those who helped pave the way for Chubb’s 124-yard outing and kept Baker Mayfield from getting touched even once all night.

  • LG Joel Bitonio – 78.8 including an 86.6 pass-blocking score
  • WR KhaDarel Hodge – 78.5
  • FB Andy Janovich – 78.3
  • RG Wyatt Teller – 76.2

Snap counts: Browns defense got a workout in Week 2

Cincinnati ran 92 offensive plays to 58 for the Browns

The defensive players for the Cleveland Browns have earned a Friday off. They were on the field for an incredible amount of snaps on Thursday night in Cleveland’s 35-30 win over the visiting Cincinnati Bengals.

The invaders from the southwest corner of Ohio ran an incredible 92 offensive snaps in the game. Two Browns defenders, safety Andrew Sendejo and LB B.J. Goodson, were on the field for all 92 of them.

Four other Browns defenders played at least 90% of the reps:

  • CB Denzel Ward, 91
  • CB Terrance Mitchell, 91
  • S Karl Joseph, 86
  • DE Myles Garrett, 84

With the depth challenged already at DE with Olivier Vernon inactive, Adrian Clayborn was on the field for just 18 snaps before he left with an injury of his own. Porter Gustin took over and played 63, while newcomer Joe Jackson saw 31 reps, including his goal-line fumble recovery.

Malcolm Smith played 56 snaps compared to Sione Takitaki’s 41 at linebacker around Goodson. Takitaki did not play well early in the game, and it appears Browns DC Joe Woods opted for Smith’s experience. Tae Davis was on the field for just one snap.

On offense, Cleveland efficiently gained over 420 yards on just 58 snaps. The entire starting offensive line, which included Chris Hubbard at right tackle in place of injured Jack Conklin, played all 58 together. Baker Mayfield also took every snap at QB.

Browns stock report: Who rose up and who fell down in Cleveland’s Week 2 win over the Bengals

Austin Hooper was on the field for every rep but one. No other Browns offensive player topped the 39 snaps from WR Odell Beckham. Jarvis Landry and KhaDarel Hodge were almost even, with Landry on the field for 35 and Hodge for 33.

Nick Chubb played 36 reps at RB while Kareem Hunt played 20. FB Andy Janovich played 22 as the lead blocker.

Harrison Bryant played just over half the game, 30 snaps, as the No. 2 TE with David Njoku on IR. No. 3 TE Stephen Carlson played just four, the same amount as backup tackle Kendall Lamm repped as an extra blocker.

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By the numbers: Breaking down the figures leading to the Browns Week 2 win over the Bengals

Breaking down the stats behind the Browns’ 35-30 win over the Bengals

The numbers that matter most are the 35 points for the Cleveland Browns and the 30 for the Cincinnati Bengals. Here’s how the two teams got to that final score in Cleveland on Thursday night … by the numbers.

0 – Number of sacks the Browns allowed despite starting backup Chris Hubbard at right tackle. The initial NFL game book does not show a single QB hit by the Bengals defense.

0 – Field goal attempts by new Browns kicker Cody Parkey

1 – 3-and-out possession between the two teams, the Browns’ third overall drive that was held back by an intentional grounding penalty

1 – Punt by the “Scottish Hammer” Jamie Gillan

3 – Sacks by the Browns defense

4.5 – Yards per attempt by Cincinnati QB Joe Burrow

5 – Third-down conversions for the Browns, on eight attempts

5 – Fourth-down conversions by the Bengals, successful on all their attempts

5 – Number of receivers who caught Baker Mayfield’s first five passes

8 – Penalties enforced against the Browns

9.5 – Yards per attempt by Mayfield

23 – Yards, the longest gain by the Bengals offense on 88 plays

37 – Completions by Burrow, the most for a rookie in NFL history

74 – Receiving yards for Odell Beckham Jr. to lead the Browns

86 – Rushing yards for Kareem Hunt, on 10 carries. Hunt rambled for 76 of those yards in the fourth quarter.

90.6 – Burrow’s QB Rating

110.6 – Mayfield’s QB Rating

124 – Rushing yards for Nick Chubb, on 24 carries

353 – Total Bengals yards, on 88 plays

454 – Total Browns yards, on 58 plays

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Browns offense buries the Week 1 struggles by burying the Bengals defense in Week 2

Kevin Stefanski’s Browns offense thrived as advertised in posting 5 TDs against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2

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Put away the pitchforks and torches. Hang up the angry calls to sports radio demanding radical change right away. The Cleveland Browns offense just needed a week of field-testing.

Kevin Stefanski’s offense thrived as advertised at home in posting five touchdowns against the Cincinnati Bengals. Cleveland ran past the visitors from Cincinnati, 35-30.

The Browns offense, so staid and sloppy in Baltimore in Week 1, was electrifyingly efficient and effective in Week 2. The blocking scheme looked harmonious in front of QB Baker Mayfield and leading the charge for 124 rushing yards from Nick Chubb and another 86 from Kareem Hunt.

Mayfield was composed and in control all night. He made one bad mistake, an interception deep in Bengals territory where he didn’t see the backside corner, William Jackson, sagging into a robber role. Other than that, this was a more emotionally contained version of the record-setting rookie Baker Mayfield of 2018.

Stefanski smartly moved Mayfield around. There was ample play-action, several bootlegs and even a couple of designed rollouts. That is where Mayfield thrived in college and during his rookie campaign. No. 6 was sharp with his accuracy and flashed the tight-window rifle that many questioned if he had any ammo left inside. The smart flow to the offense kept the Bengals unbalanced and uncomfortable all night.

The 434 yards of offense is a great showing one week after little went right. The Browns converted 5-for-8 on third-down conversions. Eight different Browns caught passes, including five separate players hauling in the first five passes Mayfield threw. Odell Beckham was engaged early, catching the team’s first TD, but wasn’t forced the ball. The offensive line was very good in both run blocking and pass protection, finally looking in sync and at ease with the new scheme.

This was the offense the fans were promised when GM Andrew Berry hired Stefanski, a Shanahan-tree disciple, away from Minnesota to lead the team. It took an uncomfortable week against what just might be the best team in the AFC to get untracked, but on Thursday night we saw the bright potential of the Cleveland offense shine majestically on the shores of Lake Erie.

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