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The Cleveland Browns held on to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night in Week 12. While Steelers’ wideout George Pickens blamed the conditions in Cleveland for the team’s loss, the Browns deserve all the credit for a gritty 24-19 victory. Jameis Winston has gone 2-2 since becoming Cleveland’s starting quarterback in Week 8. And the 10-year veteran has relied on Jerry Jeudy as his top receiver.
When asked to assess Jeudy’s recent spike in production, Browns’ coach Kevin Stefanski heaped praise on the fifth-year wideout. “I hope some of it’s by design… We know [Jeudy’s] skill set. He’s done a nice job. I mean, he’s catching short throws, turn them into long gains, he’s catching balls down the field… He also has made a lot of plays in scramble drill since we’ve had him and I think he has an ability to shake open. He’s done a nice job,” Stefanski said per a press conference transcript provided by the Browns’ Media Center.
Jeudy has been sensational since Winston took over at quarterback. He has at least 73 receiving yards and five catches in each of his last four games. He led the Browns in receiving with six catches for 85 yards against the Steelers on Thursday. And he racked up 142 yards and a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints in Week 11. On the season, Jeudy has 45 receptions for 645 yards and two touchdowns. He’s on pace to set career-highs in catches and yards this season.
The Browns landed Jeudy in a trade with the Denver Broncos during the offseason. After making the deal with Denver, Cleveland signed the wideout to a three-year, $58 million contract. However, the team struggled under quarterback Deshaun Watson, who went 1-6 in his seven starts this year. But the Browns lost Watson to a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 7.
Despite dropping Winston to third-string QB, Cleveland was soon relying on the former first overall pick. In his first start with the franchise in Week 8, Winston snapped a five-game losing streak with a victory over the division rival Baltimore Ravens. On Thursday night, Cleveland got the second win of the Winston era as the team improved to 3-8.
The Browns are still in last place in the AFC North. They’ve essentially been out of playoff contention for weeks. And yet the feeling around the team has changed. Winston is playing well and enjoying himself and the Browns are suddenly a tough out, especially against their division.
The quarterback change has also done wonders for Jeudy’s career, which appeared stalled after four mediocre seasons in Denver. Cleveland trading Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills helped as well.
While Jeudy is probably grateful for the change of scenery that’s led to this breakout, he’ll have an opportunity for revenge if he feels the need to punish the Broncos. The Browns travel to Denver for a Monday Night Football matchup in Week...
