Here are three things we learned from the Cleveland Browns’ 33-18 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night at FirstEnergy Stadium. “I think (Brissett) has proven we can win,” Cooper said, “but I don’t think he’s proven anything we didn’t already know about him.” The idea of “proving himself” hasn’t been on Brissett’s agenda since he became the Browns’ starting quarterback because of Deshaun Watson’s suspension.
The last five days have been very emotional in Cleveland, but the Browns will have a 10-day break after a 27-19 win Thursday against the Steelers.
After losing a close game in Week 2, the Browns came back to win in Week 3. This put them in first place in their division and at 2-1 for the season. The offense looked good, the defense improved, and the team gave their fans some hope going into their bye week.
The offense looked good with Brissett under center. He protected the ball and found ways to deliver it to the top playmakers. This allowed the Browns to generate points in all four quarters. The group looked fast and this is because Brissett looked comfortable and confident.
Brissett completed 21-of-31 pass attempts for 220 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He was supported by a strong offensive line and a good run game that generated 171 rushing yards.
He said that at first they started out slow, but then they got into a good rhythm. He noted that the other team is good and has great coaches and players, but they did a good job of staying focused and making routine plays.
The offense’s routine always included Amari Cooper and David Njoku, and both guys did their best this season.
Njoku had a great game, catching 9 balls for 89 yards. This was Cooper’s second game in a row with over 100 receiving yards, and he also caught his second touchdown of the season.
Both of them were open all night. They accounted for 21 of Brissett’s 31 pass attempts and caught 16 of them, and they combined for 190 of his 220 passing yards.
Brissett became the Browns’ starting quarterback because Deshaun Watson was suspended. He is liked by his teammates and has trust in the locker room. He is confident and this is showing in his performance on the field.
Brissett said that he is only playing football to do his best for his teammates and to enjoy the moment, not to answer any questions from fans or outsiders.
Njoku had a lot of receptions, which showed he was doing well, but there were moments when he was open and easy to catch but didn’t. He caught 3 passes in a row for 6, 19, and 10 yards at one point and got the team 5 first downs on his 9 receptions. His touchdown- where he jumped over a defender to catch a high pass from Brissett- was done perfectly and something the team has always wanted him to do.
Njoku said that the play was good for one-high coverage and that Jacoby threw an amazing ball. They came down with it and scored.
Njoku had low receiving totals in the first two games. Even though he was still helpful as a blocker, the offense needed him to be involved more in the passing game. So, the Browns used plays where he would catch the ball close to the line and then run, and also threw to him when there were extra blockers near him. They did this to see how many defenders it would take to tackle him.
He always tells me he will catch my passes, no matter what.
The stress of Sunday’s game did not go away immediately when the defense started against the Steelers. The quarterback drove the Steelers into Browns territory on three of the first four drives and turned two of the scoring chances into touchdowns and another into a missed field goal.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were only able to score 111 total yards in the second half, and only managed a field goal. The other team stopped the Steelers from getting any points on three drives in a row, and then scored a touchdown on the last play when the Steelers dropped the ball while trying to pass it to someone else.
The Browns were looking for a way to finish the last two weeks and needed it Thursday to win. After a bad first half, the defense did not give up.
I thought we were doing well, flying around to the football and tackling together,” Stefanski said. “It’s never perfect as we know. There are things that I know we will clean up. After wins and losses, we have to clean a lot of things up, but I’m really proud of how those guys responded.”
The Browns huddled up more frequently between plays to ensure the playcall was communicated to everyone.
It worked. The defense only allowed one big play, a 36-yard pass to WR George Pickens. Pickens made an incredible one-handed catch while his body was twisted in mid air. This might be the catch of the year.
The Browns showed big improvements in their coverage and kept the Steelers’ offense under control. It appears they will continue doing this for the rest of the season.
S John Johnson III said that he thinks the team’s communication has to improve and that last week’s communication was better than the previous week.
The defense of Cleveland played without some of its main starters for the second game in a row, but it did well against the Packers offense, which is very good.
Cleveland’s veteran left guard found out a few hours before kickoff that he was going to the Pro Bowl. Then, he played a position he hadn’t played since college.
Leroy Allen is a veteran news reporter who has been in the business for over 20 years. He has worked for some of the biggest news outlets in the country, and has covered some of the biggest stories in recent history.