Tag: Cleveland Browns vs. Dallas Cowboys

Browns offense gets major love from PFF grades in Week 4

Several Browns scored very high grades in the Week 4 win, and nearly all played offense

No team outscored the Cleveland Browns and their 49-point outburst in the win over Dallas on Sunday in Week 4. Befitting the dominant performance by the offense, several Browns players scored fantastic grades from Pro Football Focus.

None were higher than right guard Wyatt Teller, who continues his superb season in PFF’s eyes. Teller graded out an astonishing 96.7 overall in regularly snowplowing Cowboys defenders out of the way in the run game. Right tackle Jack Conklin also broke into elite territory with his 92.0 game grade.

Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was next up with an 87.8. His run grade of 91.0 helped boost a grade that also saw him hit 77.8 in the passing game, a very good score for a wideout. Four other Browns offensive players cracked the 80.0 grading mark:

  • D’Ernest Johnson
  • Kareem Hunt
  • Andy Janovich
  • Jarvis Landry

The flip side is the Dallas defense. The top-graded player who saw at least 10 snaps, safety Xavier Woods, earned a paltry 59.4 overall grade. That’s barely above what Browns safety Andrew Sendejo (57.3) earned for the game.

Cleveland’s own defense had some rough scores, though a couple of defenders did stand out. DE Myles Garrett and his two sacks and eight total QB pressures scored a high 84.7 overall mark, while CB Denzel Ward earned a 78.5 weighed down heavily by two missed tackles.

 

Snap count notes and observations from the Browns’ Week 4 win over the Cowboys

The Browns had 8 ironmen playing every available snap

There are some tired bodies in the Cleveland Browns training room after Sunday’s 49-38 win over the Dallas Cowboys. The snap counts and playing times for the Browns in the Week 4 win show a lot of reps for many players on both sides of the ball.

The Browns had 75 snaps on offense and 82 total on defense. That’s the most snaps the offense has played through four weeks and the second-most the defense has played, behind the 92 in the Week 2 win over Cincinnati.

Five Browns played all the offensive snaps, while three went all the way on defense. On offense, it was QB Baker Mayfield and four of the five starting offensive linemen. Right tackle Jack Conklin sat out four plays, replaced by Chris Hubbard.

Defensively, safety Andrew Sendejo and corners Denzel Ward and Terrance Mitchell were on the field for every rep. That’s an impressive showing from Ward, who was questionable for the game with a groin injury.

Olivier Vernon was also questionable and had missed two weeks in a row, but the veteran DE played 65 snaps. That’s more than fellow DE Myles Garrett (60) and Vernon’s replacement during his absence, Porter Gustin (41).

Rookie linebacker Jacob Phillips saw 17 snaps in his return to action, 10 less than Mack Wilson. B.J. Goodson (64 snaps) was the only LB on the field for more than half the game.

On offense, running back D’Ernest Johnson only played 17 reps but saw the ball on 13 of those. He played in place of Nick Chubb, who left the game after just 14 snaps with his knee injury. Kareem Hunt led the RB group with only 26, while Dontrell Hilliard chipped in 15 in a true RB-by-committee game.

Rookie tight end Harrison Bryant continues to grow, as reflected by his 52 snaps. With Austin Hooper playing 63, that’s a lot of two-TE sets. Fellow rookie Donovan Peoples-Jones made his WR debut with 33 reps, behind Odell Beckham Jr. (58) and Jarvis Landry (57).

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Browns offense erupts in historic display in Dallas

The Cleveland Browns offense set several historic marks in the 49-38 win in Week 4 over the Cowboys

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The Cleveland Browns won their third game in a row in spectacular offensive fashion. Kevin Stefanski’s Browns blew the hooves off the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4, running for over 300 yards in a 49-38 win in Dallas.

While Dallas QB Dak Prescott threw for over 500 yards and four TDs as the Cowboys rallied late, it was the Browns own commanding performance on offense that wins the day. Cleveland came out running and never stopped.

The Browns ran for 74 yards on eight carries in the first quarter, while also throwing for 85 more. Jarvis Landry’s TD pass to Odell Beckham Jr. got the Browns on the board with expertly executed trickery.

Watch: Jarvis Landry hits Odell Beckham Jr. with the TD pass

The Browns kept the foot on the gas. Take a gander at the team’s drive chart from midway through the third quarter, at which they lead 38-14:

Even with Nick Chubb sidelined with a knee injury, the Browns continued to gash the soft Cowboys defensive front. D’Ernest Johnson ran for 95 yards in relief duty, while Kareem Hunt hit 71 yards and scored twice in 11 carries. Cleveland had three separate runners top 70 yards on the ground, and Chubb added 43 in the first quarter before he departed.

It made for a historic occasion. No Browns team had ever done that before,

Beckham’s huge day also made history. By scoring two receiving TDs and the 50-yard game-sealing run, “OBJ” became just the fourth player this century to score two by air and one by ground. He joins Mike Williams, Javon Walker and David Patten in pulling off the feat since 2000.

Baker Mayfield was efficient, if not prolific. In throwing for 165 yards, two TDs and no INTs, Mayfield avoided a turnover for the third straight game. Last week marked the first time he’d ever gone two full games without a giveaway.

Cleveland also posted at least 30 points for the third week in a row. It’s the first time since Weeks 10-12 in 1968 they’ve pulled off that feat. That ’68 unit did it six games in a row behind Hall of Famers Paul Warfield, Leroy Kelly and Gene Hickerson.

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Browns inactives for Week 4: Kareem Hunt and Denzel Ward both active

Browns inactives for Week 4: Kareem Hunt and Denzel Ward both active, as are Joel Bitonio and Oliver Vernon

The game-time decisions on a couple of very important Cleveland Browns players are now official. Running back Kareem Hunt and starting CB Denzel Ward are active for Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Defensive end Olivier Vernon, who was also questionable for the game, is also active. The same is true of left guard Joel Bitonio.

The inactive list adds reserve offensive lineman Evan Brown and wide receiver Rashard Higgins to the trio of injured players. Three players were already ruled out due to injury:

  • DE Adrian Clayborn
  • LB Tae Davis
  • CB Greedy Williams

The Browns did not call up any players from the practice squad this week.

Here are the Cowboys’ inactive players:

Browns have chance to set a new course with win over Cowboys

The Browns can improve to 3-1 for the first time since 2000 with a Week 4 win in Dallas

A win on Sunday in Dallas would make the Cleveland Browns 3-1 on the young season. That might not seem like a major accomplishment for most teams, but for the Browns it’s truly something different.

Cleveland has not had a 3-1 record since the 2000 season, the second year of the rebirthed franchise. On October 7, 2000, the Browns beat the San Diego Chargers 20-16 on a fourth-quarter comeback led by Tim Couch. The second-year QB hit Kevin Johnson for the game-winning TD with just over a minute remaining, and Corey Fuller broke up Doug Flutie’s final pass to preserve the win and the 3-1 record.

That marked the third time in four seasons, spread around a three-year pause, that the Browns started 3-1. They did it in 1994 and 1995 as well behind the passing of Vinny Testaverde and the coaching of Bill Belichick.

Since then, the Browns have barely attained the mediocrity that comes with a 2-2 record after four games. They’ve done it just six times — 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007 2011, and 2014.

Sunday in Dallas can change that. The Browns are underdogs against the 1-2 Cowboys, but they should feel confident in their ability to match up with “America’s Team”. It would crack a 20-year barrier to success that hangs heavily over the franchise and the fans.

Fingers crossed…

Behind Enemy Lines with Cowboys Wire breaking down Week 4 at Dallas

Thanks to K.D. Drummond for taking the time and providing good info

The 2-1 Cleveland Browns pack their bags and head southwest to face the 1-2 Cowboys on Sunday.

To catch up with what’s going on with “America’s Team,” I asked Cowboys Wire managing editor K.D. Drummond a few questions about the matchup. Drummond is a font of information and isn’t your typical Cowboys homer, so it’s very nice to get some good tidbits on the NFC East foe.

What is going on with the once-vaunted offensive line?

Time waits for no man, and certainly not for a group of them. The biggest issue is injury. Travis Frederick retired. Tyron Smith’s neck stingers popped up earlier than usual this season. La’el Collins is dealing with a hip injury that will likely require surgery. Losing both tackles and a center is a death sentence for any line.

Connor Williams, the weak link, now has weak links flanking him. Even though 2019 UDFA Brandon Knight has been really good, 2020 UDFA tackle Terence Steele has been really bad. There’s no continuity, no familiarity, and therefore nobody but Zack Martin holding things down. It’s a whole mess.

Dak Prescott might be the most criticized good QB by his own fan base. How is that relationship playing out, and why can’t Jerry Jones shut up about it?

This week’s comments were taken out of context. He worded it poorly but he was saying that Prescott is the same type of QB as [Patrick] Mahomes and [Tony] Romo that can even give their team a chance to make a play under the circumstances at the end of the Seattle loss. As for Prescott’s status among the fanbase, the smart ones know what they have. The dumb ones are always stuck on draft pedigree and finding ways to justify their early beliefs he isn’t the guy.

In addition, it’s America’s Team, so everyone has an opinion on it. Prescott is ridiculously good, but he’s not perfect. So despite setting a franchise record with 291 straight attempts without an interception — old narratives re-emerge as soon as he does throw one.

The Dallas pass rush has not clicked yet, though it is trending up. Is it personnel, scheme or just more of a need to play together?

Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, who doesn’t have the best track record, decided he was going to implement a hybrid 30/40 front with two-gap responsibilities on the interior and edge rushers from a two-point stance. Then COVID-19 happened and wiped out all install sessions and prep work, along with preseason games to work on technique in actual game conditions. Instead of reverting to what the players know, they pressed forward.

If it weren’t for the natural talent of DeMarcus Lawrence drawing attention and Aldon Smith’s supernatural abilities, it’d be a barren wasteland of pressure.

Who are a couple of Cowboys who don’t get enough national attention for their games?

That’s an oxymoron, isn’t it? Cowboys who don’t get enough attention? I mentioned Knight, who will likely have the unfortunate responsibility of stopping Myles Garrett on Sunday. LB Joe Thomas is playing in place of Leighton Vander Esch (though at Will backer) and is outplaying Jaylon Smith each week.

Rookie Trevon Diggs has given up some big plays, but his future stardom is evident in almost every snap. The down-roster WRs, Cedrick Wilson and Noah Brown, have each emerged as serious threats to any defense.

What is one thing about the Browns that scares you for Dallas?

Nick Chubb. That’s a whole problem, man. He’s the real deal.

Who wins and why?

I think the Cowboys, at home in front of fans, have the advantage here. Tyron Smith should be back and help calm the line down a bit, improving both left and right tackle. They’ll keep Dalton Schultz in to help protect against Garrett a lot and allow the wideouts to go to work.

Shout out to Terrance Mitchell for y’all — he was my first player interview back when he was drafted by Dallas. Proud of him, but I don’t know how he holds up against this arsenal of receivers. Cowboys 40, Browns 27

Odds watch: Browns are dogs in Dallas in Week 4

The 55.5 over/under is the highest for any Sunday game in Week 4

Beware of the dogs.

The Cleveland Browns are underdogs headed into Dallas for the Week 4 matchup with the Cowboys. BetMGM lists the Browns as 4.5-point dogs despite the team having a better record and two wins in a row.

The bookmakers also expect a lot of points in the matchup. The 55.5 over/under point total is the highest of any game on the books for Sunday in Week 4. That’s a reflection on both the powerful offenses and the abundant amount of points both defenses have allowed (Dallas 97, Cleveland 88) in the first three weeks.

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