The season isn’t over after two games. Yes, the loss of running back Nick Chubb is devastating and it changed the complexation of the game. Now the team has a short week to forget about the Steelers game and get ready for the Titans. A short week is a good thing. In Cleveland right know, fans are again overacting to a game. But it was the strangest game I ever saw. I’ve never seen part of a first quarter played twice, WTF. Two things I know, the offense is still not there, and the defense has the potential to be very good. I’ll wait till after week six to call this the Browns best defense. You can’t argue, if the defense can play like that every week, they’ll keep this team in games until the offense comes around.
The problem with the offense, QB Deshaun Watson is still not right. It seems the game is still too fast for him. When he got a rhythm going, he was very good, but stupid penalties broke that rhythm. I’ve never seen a quarterback get two facemask penalties in a game. Total loss of composure. Fans can blame LT Jedrick Wills, but you also have to blame RG Wyatt Teller and C Ethan Pocic. Drive killing penalties on both. It’s time to replace WR DPJ as the punt returner. He cost the team around 30 yards by no fielding the punt. Unacceptable. Like I said it was a weird game. The Steelers never got into the redzone. They had nine first downs, were four of fourteen on third down and generated minus seven offensive yards in the fourth quarter. No team can win a game with four turnovers, no team.
PFF grades on defense: DE Myles Garrett, 91.3, S Grant Delpit, 90.0, DT Maurice Hurst, 82.2, DE Ogdo Okoronkwo, 80.8 and DT Shelby Harris, 79.5. PFF grades on Offense: WR Amari Cooper, 81.4, RB Jerome Ford, 78.1, RG Wyatt Teller, 76.3, C Ethan Pocic, 74.1, QB Deshaun Watson, 59.1. RT Dawand Jones had a passing rating of 74.6, the best passing rating on the offensive line.
With the season ending injury to Nick Chubb, the Browns should be in the market for a number two running back. I have confidence that Jerome Ford can handle the load, but a veteran backup is needed. The best available free agent is Leonard Fournette. Running backs available in realistic trades are Cam Akers, Cardarrelle Patterson, Michael Carter and Rashaad Penny. No, the Browns are not going to trade for Jonathan Taylor or resign Kareem Hunt.
As for the rest of the AFC North, Baltimore is 2-0 only because they have a healthy QB Lamar Jackson. Their offense is still not firing on all cylinders, but Jackson is making the difference. Pittsburg is 1-0 and their defense is great, and their offense is terrible. If they don’t change their quarterback and or the offensive coordinator during the season, Mike Tomlin will have his first losing season. In Cincinnati they’re 0-2 and their franchise quarterback has a calf injury to his plant leg, and he just can’t throw the ball accurately.
The Browns had the opportunity to put this game away late in the third quarter after the Steelers got within three with a field goal. All they had to do is run the ball. Even if they had to punt, the Browns defense continually stopped a terrible Steelers offense. The Browns possessed the ball for over ten minutes in the fourth quarter. The way the defense was playing, I honestly thought the final score would be Browns 22, Steelers 19. Like Woody Hayes always said, “three things happen when you throw the ball and two of them are bad.” Stay safe and Go Browns.