Category: Game Breakdown

What the Browns are getting in Deshaun Watson

As he has with all the Browns additions this offseason, @joshkeatley16 gives you a quick look at what the Browns are getting with Watson:

Unless you live under a rock, you know that the Cleveland Browns have recently given up the farm for Deshaun Watson. This trade may very well go down as the biggest in franchise history and the entire front office has their jobs on the line now moving forward.

Cleveland is giving up six draft selections including their first-round selections in the 2022, 2023, and 2024 NFL drafts, a third-round selection in 2023, and the fourth-round selections in 2022 and 2024. In exchange, they receive Watson and a sixth-round selection in 2024.

So to summarize, the Browns gave up three premium draft selections for a quarterback who didn’t play last season and may miss time next season, not due to injury, but due to serious legal issues. On top of that, the Browns gave him the largest guaranteed contract in NFL history. This feels like a bold move and one that I wouldn’t have taken, but that doesn’t matter now. Let’s dive into what he can do.

What the Browns are getting in Jacoby Brissett

Our @joshkeatley16 gives us a quick breakdown of what the Browns are getting with Jacoby Brissett:

The Cleveland Browns have found their new backup quarterback in Jacoby Brissett who they signed for a one-year contract worth $4.65 million and that includes $4.5 million in guarantees. Typically the signing of a reserve quarterback isn’t marked as Earth-shattering news but with Deshaun Watson dealing with the likelihood of a suspension, Brissett needs to be ready to play.

Brissett was originally drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft after dominating at N.C. State. I was expecting a bit more for a backup, but Brissett is solid and at 29-years old should have plenty of gas left in his tank.

Let’s dive into what he can do!

What the Browns are getting in Chase Winovich

What the Browns are getting in Chase Winovich from @joshkeatley16:

The Cleveland Browns performed an extremely interesting trade that saw former inside linebacker Mack Wilson go to the New England Patriots for defensive end, Chase Winovich. The former Michigan edge rusher was drafted by New England in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft and is only 26 years old.

I was a bigger fan of Wilson compared to most, even believing that he had first-round ability when Cleveland drafted him in the fifth round of 2019 and although he was a very solid player, he was prone to missing too many tackles and getting a return of a youthful and talented end is a big win in my eyes.

There is a ton to love about Winovich and his game and I honestly believe he makes a much larger impact in Cleveland than most people will expect. The following are the positives and negatives to look for in the former Michigan man’s game.

What the Browns are getting in Taven Bryan

Our @joshkeatley16 looks at what the Browns are getting in Taven Bryan:

The free agency period has started and the Clevland Browns are making moves. Although the first signing was not an All-Pro caliber break the bank type of addition, Andrew Berry and the front office put a smile on my face by adding former Jacksonville Jaguar, Taven Bryan.

Bryan was selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft by Jacksonville after dominating the SEC at Florida and the Browns are hoping he can realize his potential in Cleveland on a one-year prove-it deal worth up to $5 million. This kind of signing has been a familiar one as it is similar to the one they made with Karl Joseph and Takk McKinley, who were other former first-round selections.

Let’s dive into the new Cleveland Brown!

Browns sweep Bengals: Everything we know after Week 18 win

All we know after the Browns end their season with a victory in Week 18 including draft position, 2022 schedule, building blocks and more:

The Cleveland Browns finished the 2021 NFL season on a, relative, high note defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18. While the Bengals played mostly backups, the Browns played as many healthy starters as they had throughout the game.

The 21-16 victory will have ripple effects going into next season as well as possible impact on Cincinnati’s playoff seeding. The Bengals did not play their starters much except for WR Ja’Marr Chase to help him set the team’s receiving record in the first quarter.

For Cleveland, going out with a win is not much consolation for a season that started with Super Bowl aspirations. Instead of playing for the playoffs, many fans were rooting for a loss to help the team’s draft position. The team now awaits the completion of Miami and New Orleans’ games to lock up their official draft spot.

The 2021 season ends with the Cleveland Browns at 8-9 for the season and looking at a long offseason. The most important part starts with Baker Mayfield’s scheduled surgery.

Here is what else we know after the Week 18 win:

Browns highlight: Keenum to Landry touchdown pass

After a sluggish start on offense, for both teams, Cleveland scores the first touchdown of the game. See that highlight here:

The Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals squared off in Week 18 in a game that neither team is playing the full complement of players. The Bengals left QB Joe Burrow and DT D.J. Reader at home while the Browns placed some players on injured reserve this week including QB Baker Mayfield who played last week.

The start of the game was a struggle for both offenses with just over 50 yards combined through more than half of the first quarter. Late in the quarter, Cleveland’s offense got moving starting with a long reception by Donovan Peoples-Jones and some good runs by Nick Chubb.

That drive ended with the first score of the game with Case Keenum hitting Jarvis Landry on a crossing route. The Cincinnati defender fell down and Landry waltzed into the endzone:

The drive included 79 yards for the Browns offense after both teams struggled to gain that amount combined.

Cleveland took the 7-0 lead with just under a minute left in the first quarter.

Breaking down the Browns’ Week 17 grades from Pro Football Focus

Almost all the top grades came from the defense, notably the young secondary

The Pro Football Focus grades from the Cleveland Browns’ Week 17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers nicely illustrate the sharp divide between Cleveland’s offense and defense. Nearly all the top grades were earned by players from Joe Woods’ defense, while the offense lagged considerably behind.

Right guard Wyatt Teller was the only Browns offensive player to top a score of 70, earning a 74.4 in his 71 snaps. The rest of the top-10 Browns grades from the game belonged to defensive players.

Cornerback A.J. Green tops the list with a fantastic 91.7 overall grade. He didn’t allow a single completion in 27 coverage snaps. Green’s score would have been even higher if not for a missed tackle.

The rest of the top 10 (min. 12 snaps):

  • S Richard LeCounte – 82.2
  • S M.J. Stewart – 81.3
  • LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah – 80.5
  • DE Myles Garrett – 78.8
  • LB Anthony Walker – 74.4
  • Teller – 74.4
  • CB Greg Newsome – 73.6
  • LB Sione Takitaki – 70.8
  • DT Malik McDowell – 67.7

It wasn’t all roses for the defense, however. Several thorny grades pockmarked the unit, notably along the line. Four linemen brought up the rear on the defense with grades below 50: Tommy Togiai, Malik Jackson, Jordan Elliott and Porter Gustin.

On offense, TE Austin Hooper earned the lowest grade and that was with PFF being charitable in only assessing one dropped pass on his ledger. Three Baker Mayfield passes hit both of his hands only to not result in a completion, with the last being an interception.

Right tackle James Hudson earned an overall grade of 50.9, a higher mark than expected. PFF liked his run blocking enough to counter the three sacks and five QB pressures he allowed in the game. Punter Dustin Colquitt also had the lowest-graded game of his 17-year career.

4 takeaways from the Browns’ Week 17 loss to the Steelers

Here are four things about the Browns’ Monday night performance that stuck on Tuesday morning after trying to sleep away the disappointment

Cleveland’s final appearance on the national stage for the 2021 NFL season did not go well, to say the least. The Browns lost 26-14 to the rival Steelers in Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football in Week 17 in a game that featured some truly bad offensive performances from both teams.

The loss dropped Kevin Stefanski’s Browns to a disappointing 7-9, and came in the same stadium where exactly one year to the day earlier the Browns wrapped up a postseason berth. It was an ugly change of fate, one that represents one of the lowest points for the franchise in a disappointing year.

Here are four things about the Browns’ Monday night performance that stuck with me on Tuesday morning after trying to sleep away the disappointment.

Browns vs. Steelers: Everything we know from Week 17

Breaking down the final score, stats, keys to the game, top players and more from the Browns Week 17 loss to the Steelers

The Cleveland Browns were officially eliminated from postseason contention on Sunday, rendering Monday night’s trip to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers on national television all about pride. Alas, there was little for head coach Kevin Stefanski to be proud of in the sloppy, mistake-filled loss to the rival Steelers.

Browns vs Steelers: Looking back at the Week 8 Cleveland Loss

Taking a look back at the Browns Week 8 loss to the Steelers: What happened? What can be learned? Has much changed?

The Cleveland Browns laid an egg in Week 8 of the NFL season facing off with the Pittsburgh Steelers at home on Halloween. A game in which fans were excited about getting another chance to take supremacy over their divisional rival, after a win and a playoff victory in 2020, turned into a slog of a loss.

The loss dropped Cleveland down to 4-4 for the season and presented significant concerns for the team moving forward. Those concerns have mostly been validated over the team’s next seven games, leaving the Browns at 7-8 going into the Week 17 rematch with the Steelers.

Taking a look back at the game, what are some things we thought then and how can they apply to Monday Night Football this week?