That’s five, so far. Keep them coming Browns. I’ve said and written that the way the Browns are winning isn’t sustainable. Well, I’m wrong. After watching the end of the game, I’m now convinced the Browns could win this way many more times. After the play to Harold Fannin to put the team into field goal range for the win, the camera show Watson and another player doing their practiced handshake as the clock ran down. First of all, I knew there be fans who hated this gesture. I loved it. It showed confidence for the win. It showed me the offense knows that they could do this at the end of games. They weren’t wasting precious time off the clock, because they knew they didn’t need to run another play. And prior to the field goal, the Titans helped the field position and the clock by jumping offsides. I’ll take confidence over ignorance any day of the week. I’m changing the word sustainable for resilient. That showed me resiliency. By the way Titan fans, yes, the right tackle moved before the snap, but your team got away with a delay of game AND a false start on the fourth down before Tennessee’s last touchdown. You’re going to complain about bad officiating costing your team a win? Get in line, we were here first.
As everyone noticed the offense was better this past Sunday. The running game was working, and the pass rush pressure was less. Did the running game working better because the play calling was better? Or did the offense line do a better job? Both. Deshaun Watson took 21 snaps under center. On those 21 snaps, 16 were designed run plays the averaged eight yards per play and had a 62.5% success rate. The other five were pass plays and only averaged 3.5 yards per play. Even though the defense knew the Browns were running the ball, Cleveland still averaged eight yards per play. Need to get better at the pass plays. The offensive line played much better as a whole and Spencer Fano had his best game of the year.
The slow starts have to stop if this team is to be considered a contender. Like I said earlier, love the confidence, but come on, start faster. The Browns have been outscored 58-13 in the first quarter this year, the worst point differential in the league. They’ve given up opening drive touchdowns in four straight games and five of the seven games they’ve played.
Right now, the Browns are 5-2. Since the league went to a seventeen-game schedule in 2021, 24 of 30 teams who started 5-2 made the playoffs, that’s 80%. But six haven’t, the 2025 Vikings & Lions, the 2022 Titans & Jets and the 2021 Ravens & Saints. To avoid being number seven, the Browns have to fix their first quarter woes. I remember the 2014 Browns who started 5-3 then later moved to 7-4 until the GM insisted at that point in the season they team had to start “Johnny Football.” They finished 7-9. Right now, the late game heroics are covering up the teams’ deficiencies. Watson played better Sunday, because of the playcalling and lack of pressure by the Titans. He kept his eyes down field and was able to go through his progressions. The major factor for better play was the weapons he had available. He had all of them for the first time this season and the offensive line is starting to gel. With an average offense this team is dangerous, but with a good offense this team is a contender. Stay safe and Go Browns