What better way to return to the Blog than reviewing a Browns win! This matchup had a playoff feeling to it as Cleveland was able to fight off Jacksonville. At 8-5 and with a manageable schedule left, every option is on the table for this Browns team going forward. New starting quarterback Joe Flacco is keeping the hopes alive in Cleveland right now. Let’s take a look at how it all went down.
Joe Flacco and the Receiving Game
Flacco’s performance has been a refreshing change, considering the previous inconsistency at the quarterback position. His veteran experience and skill set have filled a void that P.J. Walker and DTR left on the team. What particularly impresses is how quickly he has developed timing and chemistry with the receivers, despite his brief tenure in Cleveland. His anticipation and accuracy throwing out routes and back shoulder passes have been remarkable. Moreover, his decision-making stood out. Flacco took checkdowns or threw the ball away, avoiding dangerous or forced throws. Although the Browns struggled to establish a consistent running game, utilizing play action passes proved to be effective. This was crucial, particularly since the pass protection from the offensive tackles has been somewhat weak. While he’s not the most athletic quarterback, Flacco demonstrated an ability to evade pressure and even delivered some impressive throws on the run.
Turnovers, unfortunately, remained the achilles heel of this offense. However, these resulted from issues in pass protection, collisions with defenders, and poor ball security rather than bad decisions by the quarterback. Flacco spreading the ball around his receivers significantly contributed, as this took some defensive attention away from Amari Cooper and increased unpredictability. However, these turnovers occurred during drives that could have significantly extended the Browns’ lead. As a result, Cleveland kept Jacksonville in a game that should have been decided much earlier. Despite Flacco’s near-flawless performance for most of the game, he showed some inaccuracies towards the end. Notably, he missed an open Amari Cooper on a crucial third down that could have sealed the game. Additionally, he underthrew passes to David Bell and Elijah Moore in the fourth quarter, missing opportunities for significant gains. Nevertheless, Joe Flacco showed enough to keep the playoff hopes alive in Cleveland.
Offensive Gameplan and Individual Efforts
The Browns offense has been heavily relying on the running game all season long. However, the run blocking hasn’t been great lately with backs being met by walls of defenders at the line of scrimmage regularly. In response, Stefanski and the offense wisely shifted their focus to the more efficient passing game led by Flacco and a emerging group of pass catchers. David Njoku, in particular, had an outstanding performance last Sunday, recording 91 yards and two touchdown receptions. However, for some reason unknown to me, the Browns stopped throwing him the ball in the second half. Additionally, Ford emerged as a more prominent presence in the receiving game, overcoming his recent drop issues. The offensive play design in this game was notably impressive in third- or fourth-and-short situations. The Browns executed deep play action passes from heavy run formations or schemed players open in have-to-have it situations.
The tackle positions on the offense present the most concern for me. In the game against Jacksonville, Geron Christian and James Hudson have been legitimate issues. They accumulated a total of five penalties, negating big plays and placing the team in challenging positions. Most of these penalties were dead ball fouls, likely a consequence of the many rotations due to injuries. Nevertheless, these problems shouldn’t occur this late into the season. Particularly, Christian had a tough time against Josh Allen, and he could have easily been called for additional holding penalties. Considering the Browns are without their top three tackles for the remainder of the year, pursuing a veteran seems like a wise option. If I were part of the Browns’ front office, I would be giving La’el Collins a call right about now. Protecting Joe Flacco should be one of the top priorities to keep the playoff hopes alive.
Bouncing Back and Blitzing
The defense, after recent struggles, returned to its dominant form with a commanding performance. Four game-changing turnovers highlighted this resurgence. Martin Emerson stepped up big time and delivered his best performance yet in a Browns uniform. Emerson intercepted Trevor Lawrence twice, showcasing his ability to track and catch the ball. Emerson’s technique in defending deep passes particularly impressed me. He remained composed, even when receivers gained slight separation, and timed his pass breakups perfectly. Greg Newsome delivered another standout performance at the cornerback position, finishing the game with an interception while narrowly missing a second one. Both Emerson and Newsome once again exhibited their potential as top-tier cornerbacks in the NFL and not only being able to shine in the shadow of Ward. The entire defensive backfield, which had shown lackluster performances without Ward, made a significant comeback, playing a pivotal role in securing the win.
Schwartz effectively mixed man and zone coverages, posing a challenge to Lawrence’s processing. He also strategically sprinkled in all-out blitzes on second and third downs, accelerating Lawrence’s decision-making and leading to inaccurate throws. This pressure notably contributed to Newsome’s interception, as it disrupted Lawrence in establishing a solid base, resulting in an overthrow. However, the defense’s aggressive approach continues to be a double-edged sword, often leading to missed tackles as players opt for big hits instead of wrapping up ball carriers. Despite the defense’s commendable effort in swarming to the ball, Jacksonville’s skill players, particularly Etienne, managed to break free from tackles, gaining extra yardage regularly. Moreover, the defensive linemen missed potential sacks and even a safety opportunity, failing to effectively take Lawrence down in the pocket.
Impact Beyond the Box Score
While Myles Garrett’s sack drought technically continues, his impact on the game extended far beyond just the stat sheet. Garrett’s one “sack” prevented the Jaguars from scoring on a crucial two-point attempt late in the game. Also, his presence on the field induced several false starts by Jacksonville’s backup left tackles, a testament to his exceptional get-off. While he didn’t officially sack Lawrence, Garrett consistently pressured and hit him, accelerating Lawrence’s inner clock.
I additionally want to highlight the contributions of Ronnie Hickman and Anthony Walker. Hickman, stepping in for Thornhill, maintained a high level of play at free safety, showing little drop-off compared to Thornhill. Walker, as the defense’s leader, not only demonstrated his leadership skills but also made notable individual plays, like forcing a fumble and nearly scoring a pick-six towards the end of the game. Overall, the defense’s chemistry was impressive, particularly their ability to seamlessly check in and out of plays and communicate during the game. This will be crucial for the team going forward, especially considering the numerous injuries they have to deal with.
Last Sunday, the defense suffered a setback with significant injuries to three key players: Mo Hurst, Ogbo Okoronkwo, and Grant Delpit. Fortunately, their young depth players have shown some promise. With Okoronkwo out, Alex Wright is poised to step up, having made significant strides in his pass-rushing skills compared to last year. Rookies Siaki Ika and Isaiah McGuire are expected to see more action on the defensive line to cover for the injuries, while D’Anthony Bell will likely step in for Delpit. These injuries will certainly be felt, but this defense has the talent and mindset to continue its historic run, hopefully deep into the post-season. This and Joe Flacco are the biggest factors in keeping the Browns playoff hopes alive.
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