Dawgs By Nature
The Cleveland Browns begin the 2025 season with high hopes that last year’s disaster will not repeat itself. There are quite a few new bodies on this year’s roster to help with this cause.
Playing a division opponent such as the Cincinnati Bengals right out of the gate is a challenge. The Bengals are expected to compete for the AFC North title this year, and should be a pretty good ballclub.
In the end, the Bengals won by a sliver as they defeated the Browns 17-16.
So who played well for the Browns? Who didn’t?
DE Myles Garrett – The Browns pay him a lot of money so that he can do what Myles Garrett does: Get to the quarterback. Had just five total tackles, but four of those were for losses. In the second quarter, he beat LT Orlando Brown with a dramatic lean on the offensive tackle and ended up on top of QB Joe Burrow for just a two-yard gain on a third-and-eight. Close to halftime, he beat Brown again and almost had a sack that forced a hurried throw. In the fourth quarter, Garrett was hit by Brown and then LG Dylan Fairchild and still was able to get to Burrow for his first sack. After a Cincy timeout, it was Garrett on back-to-back plays for yet another sack that forced a punt. Garrett also had three QB hits.
QB Joe Flacco – Yes, there were two interceptions that destroyed drives in Cincinnati’s portion of the field. Yes, both were in the hands of the receiver who tipped the ball up for the pick. So, there’s that. At all times with Flacco under center, the Browns had a chance to drive the field. The Browns punted just twice all game. Some good plays include the third-and-eight conversion in Quarter 3 with 11:36 left as Flacco hit WR Ced Tillman for 13 yards after big gains by passes to TE David Njoku (11 yards) and TE Harold Fannin (18 yards). On the first and goal call, Flacco then hit Tillman in a crowded end zone, who had barely beaten CB Cam Taylor-Britt for the touchdown. The second-to-last drive of the game was all-Flacco, which began at the Bengals 42-yard line. First, a 13-yard zinger and a nine-yard strike to WR Jerry Jeudy on a third-and-six conversion for another first down that placed Cleveland in field goal range. All game, Flacco knew when to toss the ball out of bounds to live another play. Tossed 45 passes in this game, with 31 completions for 290 yards, one TD, two picks, with a 75.2 QB rating.
LB Carson Schwesinger – This dude was everywhere. One thing to notice is how he old-school tackles by hitting his man in the chest and drives through them. In the first quarter, on a short pass to RB Chase Brown in the flats, Schwesinger was on the other side of the field and caught Brown from behind as he attempted...
