Unfortunately, the Browns’ winning streak came to an end in another nail-biter against the Seahawks. One of my “keys to the game” was for the Browns to win the turnover battle, which wasn’t the case and contributed in a big way to the loss. Here are my thoughts on the game and what this team should improve going forward.
Offensive Play Calling
While many fault Stefanski for choosing to pass the ball on a short third down with the game on the line, I believe he called a very good game overall. Hindsight may question his call, yet it was bad luck, not poor strategy, that led to the untimely interception. With P.J. Walker, this offense has been relying heavily on screens in the passing game which wasn’t any different in this game. However, I thought Stefanski had some incredible designs on said screen passes. This was evident on the Browns’ first touchdown drive, which included 3 screens for 71 yards and the touchdown. All three of the Browns’ running backs and tight end David Njoku are legitimate threats with the ball in their hands and blockers up front. If Watson sits out against Arizona, expect a continued emphasis on screens passes.
Seeing the Field
Cooper stands out as the Browns’ star offensive weapon, so it was encouraging to see P.J. Walker trusting him and getting him involved from the get-go. Their connection has led to a few key conversions on third downs and big plays for the offense. Yet, Walker seemed to have tunnel vision for Cooper at times, often turning down wide open receivers in favor of riskier passes to Amari, regardless of coverage. While Cooper’s involvement is key, Walker must improve at incorporating other players beyond just the screen game.
A key weakness in P.J. Walker’s game is his ability to read the field. He checks a lot of boxes in terms of physical tools with his athleticism, decent arm strength and the capability to deliver very accurate passes. His ability to stand tall in the pocket impressed me as he was able to deliver accurate passes with pressure in his face. However, he was too determined about where he will throw the ball before it’s even snapped, leading to him staring down receivers and trying to force passes into tight coverage. Additionally, he lacked anticipation, often turning down receivers before they even had a chance to get open. These habits led to missed opportunities and potential turnovers, both of which troubled his three starts in Cleveland.
Missed Opportunities
The offense is currently out of sync, evident in the frequent miscommunications throughout the game. The Browns’ errors in pass protection calls resulted in free rushers and even a turnover on a forced fumble. Additionally, Walker wasn’t on the same page with his receivers on numerous plays. Twice, Moore ran a curl route at the sideline when Walker expected him to keep running down the field. On the game-sealing interception drive, Walker missed the chance for a touchdown when he misjudged Cooper’s double move, leading him out of bounds instead of straight ahead. It’s always tough to tell who’s in the wrong from film alone, but these plays add to the missed opportunities and have to get cleaned up.
To end the offensive breakdown on a high note, the Browns’ running game pleasantly surprised me. Regardless of which running back was on the field, they consistently picked up gains of 3+ yards, crucial for supporting a backup quarterback. While the run blocking isn’t quite at the level Browns fans are used to, this was a respectable performance, especially with Hudson stepping in for the injured Dawand Jones for a good portion of the game. Nevertheless, the offensive inconsistencies and missed opportunities overshadowed this success, as the Browns’ winning streak unfortunately came to an end in Seattle.
Hunting for Takeaways
The Browns’ cornerbacks embraced physical coverage this game once again, leading to numerous impressive pass breakups by various players, showcasing the depth of talent in this group. Emerson’s aggressiveness stood out during his interception, where he undercut Metcalf’s route, preventing a field goal shortly before halftime. Also noteworthy was Cam Mitchell, stepping in for the injured Greg Newsome, who almost secured a potential game-sealing pick-six. Creating takeaways hasn’t been the strength of this secondary but plays like these show that the potential is there and turnovers will eventually come along.
Stopping the Run
Anthony Walker addressed in his press conference that Cleveland’s defense has been relatively weak against the run, a byproduct of their aggressive nature, in my opinion. Second-level defenders sometimes over pursued, giving running backs the opportunity to get to open field quickly and create big plays. Furthermore, the edge rushers in Schwartz’s scheme get upfield quickly, creating voids between them and the defensive tackles. In the Seahawks game, these large gains were pivotal on Seattle’s scoring drives. I wouldn’t be shocked to see more 5-man fronts on early downs, particularly when facing run-heavy teams, going forward.
As dominant as it can be, this defense has struggled in crucial “bend but don’t break” moments late in the game. Giving Seattle possession at their own 43 with 1:57 left was far from ideal, but this Browns’ defense had to make it tougher for the Seahawks to score. The defense is at it’s best when they can be aggressive on every defensive level. Yet, in “prevent” scenarios, the aim is to deploy softer coverage, keep play in front of you and ideally in bounds to run the clock and prevent large gains. Cleveland had a few coverage breakdowns and missed tackles in those situations, which led to Seattle’s game-winning touchdown.
Individual Efforts
Every week, different players make standout efforts on this defense, showcasing the unit’s overall talent depth. JOK was one of the player’s standing out last Sunday, as he consistently disrupted the Seahawks’ backfield. This is the other side of the coin of the over-pursuit issues I’ve noted. When linebackers read plays correctly, they frequently make significant tackles for loss. Mo Hurst also shined, delivering impact plays despite a lighter workload. His interception against the Seahawks showcased great athleticism, as he dropped into coverage, tipped the ball and caught it himself. He also did a great job of getting skinny and penetrating into the backfield, affecting multiple plays. However, this time Cleveland’s defense was unable to balance out the struggles on offense and the Browns’ winning streak ultimately came to an end.
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