Although Week 1 ended in as frustrating a loss as you can imagine, the Browns’ opening performance was still very encouraging of what lies ahead in 2025. Especially this year’s rookie class is already shaping up to be a special one, with several players doing some heavy lifting in their debuts. If not for a handful of unfortunate but critical mistakes on offense and special teams, Cleveland could have easily come away with a win. There’s plenty to clean up in Week 2 and beyond, but I’m far more optimistic about this Browns team than I expected to be just a couple of months ago.
Offensive Breakdown
The Good
A huge takeaway from last Sunday is that this offense finally looks functional again. After a couple of years experimenting with different schemes to revitalize Deshaun Watson, the Browns finally seem to have returned to Stefanski’s roots. A lot of his play-calling characteristics were evident in creative screen designs, multiple run looks, as well as a heavy usage of 12 personnel. After using 12-personnel on just 16.55% of the snaps in 2024, the Browns tripled that rate in Week 1, jumping to 50.70%. A significant reason for that increase is rookie Harold Fannin, who already looks like a pivotal piece of this offense. Fannin was moving all over the formation, lining up inline, outside, in the slot, in the backfield and even at quarterback for one snap. His 7 receptions on a team-high 9 targets tied an NFL record for most catches by a rookie tight end, a mark set by Tyler Warren on the very same day. Fannin’s unique skill set demands creative usage, and this coaching staff clearly recognizes that. As Andrew Berry said after drafting him in April, he’s the ‘Queen on the Chessboard’ for Cleveland, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up as one of Flacco’s most-targeted weapons.
Although Jerry Jeudy and David Njoku are the proven options in this offense, Week 1 showed that targets will be spread around. Harold Fannin (9 targets), Cedric Tillman (8), Jerry Jeudy (8), Dylan Sampson (8) and David Njoku (6) were making an impact in the passing game, with no one standing out as a true ‘number one option’. Granted, it was only Week 1, but against a Bengals defense lacking top-tier coverage players at any level, the Browns could have easily forced their preferred matchups if they wanted to. Another rookie who stood out was Dylan Sampson, who made a strong case to be the featured receiving back this season. Despite an average depth of target (ADOT) of -3.1 yards, he turned those looks into an impressive 8 yards per reception and led the team with 93 total scrimmage yards. Sampson looks poised to remain part of the RB rotation moving forward, even with Quinshon Judkins in the mix. Although they didn’t see many targets, both Jamari Thrash and Isaiah Bond looked snappy in their routes, and I’d love to see them getting more opportunities as the season goes on.
Another key factor in the improved execution was the performance of Joe Flacco. He looked in control of the offense, playing decisive and taking what the defense gave him. The significant increase in pre-snap motion (70.5% compared to just 37.9% in 2024) made it much easier for the veteran to dissect coverages. The Bengals leaned heavily on 2-high concepts, which limited opportunities to push the ball downfield. Still, despite posting the league’s 7th-lowest ADOT of 6.31 yards, Flacco delivered a few strong throws in the intermediate to deep range. Most notably, he showed great anticipation on a throw to Jeudy during the field-goal drive right before halftime and again on the touchdown pass to Tillman. Although reps in training camp were highly contested, Flacco and his receivers already seem to have built solid chemistry. While several members of the receiving core already were here with Flacco in 2023, that season wasn’t without it’s share of miscommunications. Seeing him now in sync with Tillman, something that wasn’t always the case before, and already connecting with rookies on scramble drills was very encouraging.
What Needs to Improve?
Although the two turnovers on offense played a crucial part in this loss, there wasn’t much to criticise from an execution standpoint. Both interceptions were slightly off-target but still very much catchable throws from Flacco. Beyond those turnovers (drops from Jeudy and Tillman), there was also a costly sequence on an important first drive of the second half with back-to-back drops by Fannin on third down and Jeudy on fourth. Especially Jeudy struggled with drops throughout his career, and all we can hope is that some extra reps on the jugs machine leads to improvement from these pass catchers. What absolutely must improve, however, is the pass protection, particularly at the tackle spots. Both Dawand Jones and Cornelius Lucas, who filled in for about three quarters of the snaps after Jack Conklin’s injury, were glaring weaknesses on that line. Jones, in particular, struggled badly despite auditioning to be the long-term starter at left tackle. His athletic limitations were evident against the Bengals’ pass rush, as it looked like he was running through mud at times. What once made him so promising early in his NFL career (strong hand placement and the ability to use his length to control defenders) was really missing in this game. His hands were inconsistent all game, leading to two holding calls as part of his 4(!) total penalties. Fortunately for Flacco, the Browns interior trio held up well in pass protection, giving him space to step into when pressure from the edge arrived. Nevertheless, it was clear at some point that Flacco didn’t fully trust his protection. His internal clock sped up, and he began settling for checkdowns earlier than he needed to. With a gauntlet of elite pass-rushing teams ahead (including the Packers, Lions and Vikings) the Browns will need much better play from their tackles, especially Dawand Jones, to keep the offense afloat.
Having your rushing offense averaging a league-low 2.0 yards per carry doesn’t ease the pressure on the passing game. While the offensive line wasn’t creating big holes, it was frustrating to see what the RBs, especially Jerome Ford, were able to do with the opportunities they got. Cleveland’s running backs averaged just 0.6 yards after contact per attempt (yac/a), with Ford and Sanders posting a team-low 0.3 yac/a. While Ford has some intriguing physical tools, his vision has always been a concern. With three rookies added to the backfield, his role will likely diminish even further over the course of the season. Although it likely will be limited, second-round pick Quinshon Judkins is set to make his debut against the Ravens, and there are high expectations for the young back to improve this rushing attack. From a scheme perspective, some of the running plays last Sunday had questionable designs. Most runs went to the right side, but Stefanski called for tough reach blocks from Dawand Jones and even Cedric Tillman on the backside, which often resulted in losses and plays being blown up.
Defensive Breakdown
The Good
While it might have taken a couple drives to find their rhythm, this defense looks very similar to the dominant unit the Browns had in 2023. Joe Burrow’s 113 passing yards were the second-lowest of his career in a full game, only trailing the 2023 season opener, which was also against Cleveland. The Browns allowed just seven offensive yards in the second half, five of which came from an encroachment penalty. One of the biggest improvements compared to last season, has been in the defensive backfield. There weren’t any major coverage busts, aside from a play-action goal-line concept that left Noah Fant wide open in the end zone. Coverage on the outside was especially strong, with Newsome back in a full-time outside role. While this left somewhat of a hole in the slot, the Browns addressed that in multiple ways. Myles Harden served as the primary slot corner, while Schwartz deployed a lot of 3-safety and 3-linebacker personnel, rotating slot defenders in and out. Outside of Harden, Grant Delpit also played a significant amount of snaps in the slot and showed notable versatility in his alignments. Although the Martin Emerson injury was a tough loss, it’s exciting to see Newsome starting to bounce back during a contract year.
Similar to the offensive side of the ball, the rookie draft picks on defense balled out as well. It’s rare to see rookie linebackers playing well in their first year(s), but Carson Schwesinger passed his first test with flying colors. Schwesinger was one of 3 players to play every snap on defense while he was also wearing the green dot, ensuring everyone else knew their responsibilities. However, that didn’t slow him down as he was seemingly flying around the field. The Browns also weren’t shy to showcase his athleticism, tasking him with anything from looping on pass rushes to covering deep zones in Tampa 2. Watching him, I had to constantly remind myself that this was only one game, but I truly believe this guy will be a special player in Cleveland for years to come. Although Mason Graham may have been somewhat overshadowed by Schwesinger, he also had a strong debut. Graham was certainly a part of the Bengals’ offensive game plan, facing numerous double teams on a line loaded with weapons. While that limited his opportunities for highlight plays, he held up very well against those double teams, helping the linebackers to get cleaner looks and contributing to the defense’s success.
Overall, it felt like the Browns placed a strong emphasis on the pass rush in the offseason, and it really showed. Maliek Collins had some nice wins in 1-on-1 situations, and Isaiah McGuire’s progress was particularly impressive. His bullrush from a wide alignment gave the Bengals’ tackles a lot to think about, and if he can add some consistent secondary moves, the Browns may have found their Robin to Myles Garrett’s Batman. The defensive line also featured some very wide alignments, including looks with walked-up linebackers in the A-gaps. While these alignments initially seemed to leave the team susceptible to inside runs, the defense tightened up as the game progressed. Additionally, these double A-gap blitz looks allow for some creative play-calling, as the Browns linebackers are athletic enough to either blitz or drop into coverage effectively from that position.
What Needs to Improve?
In what was truly a dominant defensive performance against one of the league’s premier passing attacks, there wasn’t much to criticize. That said, tackling remains an area that occasionally plagues this unit. While there weren’t any egregiously bad tackle attempts, there definitely were a few missed opportunities for impact plays. Another potential concern, based on what we saw in Week 1, is the run defense. The already mentioned wide alignments and the lack of a true people-moving presence along the interior will put a lot of responsibility on the linebackers. Although the run defense settled in against Cincinnati as the game progressed, the Bengals aren’t really known for their ability to run the football. Facing the Ravens, who are likely the best rushing attack in the NFL, will be a true test for this unit and should answer many questions. Nevertheless, if the Bengals game is an indication of what’s to come, the Browns’ defense will certainly be in the conversation for (one of) the best units in the league once again.
Conclusion
While it was only one game, Cleveland’s youth movement appears to be trending in the right direction. Seeing so many rookies already playing significant roles makes me excited about the potential these young group still holds. With the defense starting to reclaim its identity from 2023 and the offense looking functional for the first time since Flacco’s last run with the Browns two years ago, Cleveland might be just a kicker away from actually winning some games this year. With the Ravens next up on the schedule, this matchup should reveal a lot about what’s possible for the 2025 Cleveland Browns.
Image Licensing: “Cincinnati Bengal” by “Nathan Rupert” originally licensed under “CC BY-NC-ND 2.0”
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