Dawgs By Nature
Jameis Winston, Cedric Tillman and a tough defense lead the way for the Browns
The Baltimore Ravens rolled into town with a mighty offense highlighted by a tough running game. Both QB Lamar Jackson and RB Derrick Henry are being discussed as league MVP and it’s not even at the halfway portion of the schedule. This Ravens rushing attack leads the league in almost every rushing category including most yards.
This Cleveland Browns defense is not the same as last year despite having almost the same cast members. DC Jim Schwartz definitely stayed up late at night attempting to come up with something, anything, to slow down Baltimore’s run game. Good luck with that.
Before this contest, the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers were tied for the AFC North Division lead with identical 5-2-0 records. The Browns were stinking up the joint with a horrible 1-6-0 record aided by a mess of an offense.
With QB Deshaun Watson lost for the season, Jameis Winston got the start with Dorian Thompson-Robinson waiting in the wings. In the end, the Browns pulled off the upset to defeat the Ravens 29-24.
So who played well for the Browns? Who didn’t?
Oh, and Happy Halloween!
Jim Donovan - Thanks for the memories. This one’s for you!
DC Jim Schwartz - Before this game, Baltimore led in almost every rushing category. RB Derrick Henry was Number 1 in every single rushing category but one. He was averaging 124.7 yards rushing per game. Last season, the Browns smoked the Tennessee Titans when Henry was a member of their ballclub and gained just 20 yards on 11 carries under Schwartz. The Browns DC found that gameplan used some Whiteout to cover the word “Titans” and inserted “Ravens” for this week’s defensive strategy of how to deal with the “Alabama Nightmare” to which the defense corralled the league’s best runner to the tune of 73 yards. But get this: 39 were on one play. 34 yards rushing for four quarters is an amazing feat. Thank goodness Coach Schwartz had some Whiteout.
WR Elijah Moore - Who is this guy? Is he new? If not, then why was he thrown the ball a team-high 12 times for 85 yards? Moore made several great plays that became key first downs and was QB Jameis Winston’s fav target for most of the game and it showed early on. He caught a first down pass with 6:19 left in the first quarter that converted a third-and-five. With nine minutes left until the half, Moore snagged a pass that CB Brandon Stephens just missed and gained 19 yards to Baltimore’s 48. This drive got three points. Moore did have a drop that bounced off WR Jerry Jeudy right before the half. Early in the third quarter, Winston found Moore who had beaten LB Roquan Smith on a third-and-four for a 17-yard pickup. The end of this drive was the David Njoku touchdown grab. No catch in the game was probably more...
