The Cleveland Browns will be attempting to overcome a blown game to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 of the 2025 season, but not all is lost for the franchise as a whole. The rookie class looked good on the field and there are reasons for optimism overall. The Browns are still big underdogs heading into Week 2 despite the positives.

A look at the snap counts on offense and defense shows how much Cleveland used the rookies in Week 1, with TE Harold Fannin Jr. surprising many with his usage and production. A complete player, Fannin brought playmaking and...

The Cleveland Browns’ defense out-gained the Bengals in yards 327 to 141. In the first half, Cleveland allowed 134 yards of offense. That means in the second half, the Bengals had just 7 offensive yards, and managed to win. The Browns were a bit shaky early on, allowing Cincinnati to put together some methodical drives. They did a better job at not allowing the big play, though, and in the second half, they allowed nothing. They continuously gave the offense a chance to re-take the lead, but they didn’t capitalize.

Below, we analyze the snap counts and stats on defense...

The Cleveland Browns did a nice job with time of possession against the Cincinnati Bengals, having an advantage of 36 minutes to 24 minutes. Being 9-of-16 (56%) on third down was key in sustaining drive, and for not having a dynamic running game, QB Joe Flacco kept finding the open receiver. And yet, the offense was held to 16 points when it could have easily been two scores more. Drops by receivers at the wrong time, and missed kicks, did them in.

Below, we analyze the snap counts and stats on offense for the Cleveland Browns’ Week 1 game against...

The Cleveland Browns opened as 11.5-point road underdogs against the Baltimore Ravens ahead of their Week 2 match-up, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The over/under on the game is currently 45.5.

The Browns are coming off of a frustrating 17-16 loss in Week 1 to the Bengals. Cleveland dominated in total yards and time of possession, and especially allowed nothing to Cincinnati in the second half. Joe Flacco played one of his sharpest games in a Browns uniform, and the two interceptions credited against him were really a disservice. Drops by receivers at key moments, coupled with some missed kicks by...

Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco brings a lot of positives to the team.

Now in his 18th season in the NFL, Flacco has seen it all, which provides a calming voice to an offense filled with untested players at the skill positions, and a much-needed perspective for a team that continually finds ways to lose.

Sunday was another example as the Browns dropped their season opener in frustrating fashion. Dropped passes at key moments. A pair of interceptions that bounced off receivers directly to Cincinnati defenders. Missed kicks from a rookie kicker.

Add it all up, and it resulted in...

The Cleveland Browns heartbreakingly lost to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday by a score of 17-16 after their rookie kicker missed two crucial kicks throughout the game. Aside from passes being dropped on offense, the Browns’ biggest area of weakness was their interior offensive line in week 1.

The Browns weren’t able to get any form of push or displacement in the run game when it came to zone blocking on the interior, and it was a major problem throughout the entirety of the matchup. Kevin Stefanski was effectively forced to rely on the passing game in situations where he...

Process or outcome? A silly dichotomous question, especially in sports, where the real question should be about which you value more and why, and not the “either-or” way that it is normally asked. Most sports fans tend only toward outcome orientation. Did you win or did you lose? If that is you, the Cleveland Browns lost to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

The process is where the nuance lives, why sports media has exploded over the last two decades and where future understanding can develop. This isn’t about moral victories but about seeing the whole picture, not just the scoreboard...

The latest Cleveland Browns coverage from Dawgs By Nature:

• Browns’ receivers and new kicker cost Cleveland, allowing Cincinnati to escape with 17-16 victory (Chris Pokorny) Cleveland finds another way to lose, despite solid efforts from the offense and defense.
• Brownies and Frownies from Browns loss to the Bengals in Week 1 (Barry Shuck) Battle of Ohio begins with several gifts to the Bengals from the Browns
• Browns kicker issue: Free agency, practice squad kickers available (Jared Mueller) NFL free agency has a few veteran kickers if the Browns want to replace Andre Szymt
• [Browns roster: OLine...

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?

BROWNIES

**DE Myles...

Quite simply, the Cleveland Browns needed just one of three things not to happen in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals and Victory Monday could be at hand. Blame can be shared with Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman’s drops that became interceptions (Joe Flacco’s pass to both were not perfect and luck played a bit of a role as well), but Andre Szymt’s missed extra point and missed field goal are clearly on him.

While other rookies looked good, Szymt’s misses bring back up the decision the team made to cut Dustin Hopkins in favor of the rookie. Understandably, Browns...

The Cleveland Browns found another new way (not actually sure that is true) to lose a game in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season against the Cincinnati Bengals. Missed kicks and tipped passes turned into interceptions ruined the Browns defense’s stellar play and exciting debuts by a few rookies.

Of the “five premium positions” in the NFL (QB, DE, CB, WR, OT), Cleveland’s roster has the best defensive end in football (Myles Garrett) and a top cornerback (Denzel Ward). Jerry Jeudy is a very good receiver and Cedric Tillman has had flashes of his upside, but neither has entered...

The Cleveland Browns opened the 2025 regular season on Sunday with 13 rookies on the roster.

That is a result of equal parts normal roster turnover and the fact that many of the rookies are better than the players they replaced from last season’s 3-14 debacle.

The rookie group includes the team’s seven selections from the 2025 NFL Draft, four of whom made their NFL debuts at Huntington Bank Field against the Cincinnati Bengals.

And even though the final result was another afternoon of frustration, for one week, the drafted rookies all looked like they belonged. (We’re ignoring the undrafted...