Browns Preview 11/10/17: Cleveland Browns @ Detroit Lions

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE


The winless Cleveland Browns travel to Detroit to take on the (4-4) Lions this week. The Browns are coming off of their bye week and what an eventful bye week it was. A botched trade which would have sent AJ McCarron to Cleveland and the reinstatement of Josh Gordon (who isn't eligible to play until week 13). The Lions on the other hand beat the Aaron Rodgers-less Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football 30-17.


Browns Offense vs Lions Defense

It should be interesting to see how Kizer reacts going forward. The potential trade for McCarron only proves that the Browns aren't sold on Kizer being the future for this team. It doesn't mean he can't improve but he has a lot to prove in the next eight weeks.

The game plan should be simple. Run the ball and throw quick passes. Just like the Browns last game vs the Vikings the game plan was to get the ball out of Kizer's hands as fast as possible. Whether it was on a screen pass or quick drag routes to the receivers it seemed to have worked. Kizer didn't have a turnover that game...baby steps.

The running game on the other hand had its ups and downs. Crowell had a solid game for the first time this year but had a costly fumble to start the second half. The game plan of giving Crowell the ball more than Duke Johnson probably won't change unfortunately. What we can hope for is Crowell to have some type of game like he did last week. That's the only way the Browns can have success against the Lions, and keep this game relatively close. 




Browns Defense vs Lions Offense

The Lions are lead by one of the best quarterbacks in the league, Matt Stafford. The Lions offensive revolves around the passing game. Golden Tate is their leading receiver with 50 catches, Marvin Jones is second with 33 and Theo Reddick is third on the team with 29 catches. Reddick is predominantly their third down back and isn't a huge threat to run the ball with only 27 attempts on the season. The Lions passing offense ranks 7th and they are 8th when it comes to points per game.

The Browns defense on the other hand has had issues when it comes to pass defense this year. But which Myles Garrett coming back this week, along with Jabrill Peppers and potentially Jason McCourty the Browns defense might be able to limit the powerful passing game of the Lions.

The running game for Detroit is non-existent. They rank 29th in the league with Ameer Abdullah as their leading rusher with just over 400 yards on the season. The Browns rank in the top five when it comes to rush defense so their is going to be a lot of passes thrown in this game.




Five Guys To Watch

1. DeShone Kizer: I'm curious to see how he plays going forward. Kizer is playing for his opportunity to start in 2018.

2. Myles Garrett: Garrett is exciting to watch...when he plays. He should be as close to 100% missing the London game with a concussion. Expect Garrett to play majority of the snaps this week.

3. David Njoku: Another young rookie who has played well this year. The Browns need to use him as a third down/red zone threat. He's a big target for Kizer and has pretty good hands.

4. Christian Kirksey: Kirksey will be in charge of covering Reddick out of the backfield. It is extremely important for the Browns to keep the Lions passing game in check this week. They can't afford to let backs break free while checking down to the receivers.

5. Spencer Drango: Drango is taking over for the injured Joe Thomas at left tackle. This week he is going up against Ziggy Ansah, who is without a doubt one of the better pass rushers in the league. Drango had a solid game against the Viking and their elite pass rush. Hopefully he can continue to build on the solid outing.


Weather: Dome

Injury Report:

Betting Line (as of 11/9/17)
Detroit -10

Prediction: Lions 28 Browns 13

This game could be close for the majority of the game. But in the forth quarter is when the Lions pull away. The Browns offense will continue to struggle with the lack of playmakers and fans will be patiently waiting for Corey Coleman to get back (next week vs JAX) and the return of Josh Gordon. 

Cleveland Browns 2017 Season Preview: The Linebackers

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE

**PREVIOUS**
The Coaching Staff
The Running Backs
The Offensive & Defensive Line
The Quarterbacks
The Wide Receivers & Tight Ends


With the switch to the 4-3 defense, the Browns don't have to carry as many linebackers as they did years before. The Linebacker group is pretty solid going into the 2017 season, headlined by Jamie Collins and Christian Kirksey. Both of whom signed long-term deals with the Browns in the off-season. Collins and Kirko will see the majority of the snaps on defense. Whether its in a base defense or in nickel and sub-packages because both excel in pass coverage.

Collins was brought over last season in a mid-season trade with New England. In eight games with the Browns last season, Collins recorded 69 tackles (nice), two sacks, and a forced fumble. Collins as a rare linebacker in the league that can play every single down, and can cover the best running backs and tight ends in the league. There is no question Collins is an integral part of the Browns defense going forward.

Kirksey is entering his fourth NFL season. Last year was Kirksey's breakout season, recording 148 tackles, two and a half sacks, and 10 stuffs. He is just like Collins, Kirko can play the pass extremely well and is basically an every down linebacker. The only difference with Kirksey and Collins this year is that they will be playing the "outside linebacker" position in the 4-3 defense.

At the start of camp the middle linebacker spot was up for grabs. The battle was between veteran Tank Carder and last year's fourth round pick Joe Schobert. Unfortunately, Carder suffered a season ending knee injury against the Giants, so Schobert is now the starter for 2017. Schobert came into camp around 20 pounds lighter in order to play middle linebacker and boy has it payed off (so far). Schobert has been flying around the field so far in the preseason. It gives the Browns some versatility in their base defense because of Schobert's natural ability to rush the passer, which we've seen at time during the preseason.

The backup linebacker position(s) are unknown right now. The Browns have a few guys who have shown flashes during camp and the preseason. Guys like Dominique Alexander, James Burgess, and Kenneth Olugode have played themselves into consideration to make the 53-man roster. It wouldn't be surprising though if the Browns added a linebacker after the cut down day, so keep an eye out for that.

Linebacker Overview: As long as the Browns stay healthy, the linebackers/ front 7 should be vastly improved this season. Collins and Kirksey are the key(s) to success for the Browns defense, and quite frankly that a pretty good duo to hang hopes on.

Krunch Time With Katelin: Five Stories and Thoughts from the 2016 Cleveland Browns

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE

2016 was tough year for the Browns. A number of different quarterbacks, a ton of injuries, and the lack of wins resulting in the number one overall pick in the upcoming draft. We knew this past season was going to be rough and the start of a tear-down rebuild, but not many expected the Browns to end up 1-15 at seasons end. With 1-15 there aren't a lot of stories to tell but here are five stories that will help recap this 2016 season.

5. Let's start with the number of quarterbacks this past season. Not counting Terrelle Pryor and Duke Johnson who threw passes this season, the Browns had five different quarterbacks lineup under center for them. Cody Kessler, Josh McCown, and Robert Griffin III started this past season with Kevin Hogan and Charlie Whitehurst taking snaps in relief of Cody Kessler. The quarterback problems started week one when RGIII broke a bone in his shoulder. Then, in week two, McCown ended up breaking his collar bone which sidelined him for a month and a half. Cody Kessler didn't play terrible for a rookie quarterback but he didn't do enough to keep the job for the entire season. RGIII ended up started the last four weeks and didn't help solidify anything for the 2017 season.

4. Jamie Collins, one of the best linebackers in the NFL, got traded from the New England Patriots to Cleveland. The Browns gave up a third round pick for his services. After the Browns traded for Collins it was weird to see on the field. Everyone could tell how good he was and at some points he seemed frustrated with the lack of talent around him. It was also weird to hear the speculation of why Collins was traded out of New England. Whether it was locker room stuff or him being a free agent in 2017...it will hopefully help the Browns going forward.

3. Even though the year was tough a number of players stepped up and made a giant leap. Guys like Christian Kirksey, Jamar Taylor, Danny Shelton and Isaiah Crowell improved immensely because of the opportunity given. Danny Shelton played like a top tier nose tackle. He was constantly disrupting the flow of the opposing offensive line even if statistically the Browns defense didn't play well. Christian Kirksey ranked 6th in total tackles with 143. The past two years he was spelling Karlos Dansby but this year he was all over and was a three down player. He improved on his run defense and has always been a solid in pass coverage. Jamar Taylor was traded to Cleveland from Miami for a handful of spots...in the seventh round of the 2016 draft.

Taylor was a former second round pick who seemed to be a bust for Miami. For his growth this past season the Browns ended up rewarding him with a 3yr/$15 million extension. And finally Isaiah Crowell...who ended up 48 rushing yards short of 1000 for the season. The First few weeks of the season Crowell was lighting it up and was in the top 5 in rushing yards. Because of injuries at offensive line Crowell's 1000 yard season dream came up short, but it was positive in the sense of how the Browns found their starting running back going forward.

2. Terrelle Pryor's transition from quarterback to wide receiver was amazing to see...even if former and opposing players criticized him for being emotional on the field. Its not that people didn't think he could do it, he's a freak athlete, but if he was going to become selfish and become a "diva" on and off the field. While off the field some took their shots at him on the field he played extremely well. 77 catches 1007 yards and four touchdowns in his first full season at receiver is pretty dang good. Hell fans wanted the Browns to sign Pryor to an extension after his crazy game in Miami where he caught eight passes for 144 yards, ran for 21 yards and a touchdown...and threw the ball for 35 yards on 3/5 passing. It will be interesting to see if Pryor has a future in the Browns and Orange but even if he doesn't he was one of (if not the main reason) people still tuned in on Sundays to watch the Browns.

1. The Browns only winning one game this season has to be the number one story. Whether it was speculation Hue Jackson and company were going to get fired at the end of the season...which turned out to be kinda true. Or the number of odd ways the Browns found themselves on the short end of the win column. Like when The Browns stormed to a 20-2 lead against the Ravens and ended up losing 25-20 because of a blocked PAT that was returned for a touchdown and a missed field goal. (and lets not forget about the stupid flag on Terrelle Pryor when he went to give the official the ball) Or when Cody Parkey missed three field goals in one game including a potential game winner, And the Duke Johnson fumble that he obviously recovered but the lady official completely messed up calling a Redskins recovery when Johnson had the ball five yards behind her. And that all happened in consecutive weeks...And the 0-16 parade which divided Browns fans on many social media platforms. Heck, it ended up having one of Cleveland's top radio personalities threatening to run over people who were participating in the parade.(I guess anything for ratings). But All in all the Browns won a game and ten's of thousands of dollars were donated to the Cleveland Food Bank because of the fan funded 0-16 parade and the contributions from the Cleveland Browns and others.

This season was a trip. Remembering all these stories and seeing how social media was during this headache of a season was something to remember...if people didn't pay that close of attention because of the Indians playoff success or the Ohio State University during their thing on Saturday's. But the "try-out year" as I coined in my season preview was a success. I think the Browns have a good idea of were their weaknesses are and now have the tools to fix this team the correct way. And that starts with making smart signing during free agency with the large amount of cap room they have and the number one overall pick in April's draft.  

Browns Talk 1/10/17: The Browns Defense Going Forward With Gregg Williams

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE

The Cleveland Browns will have a new defensive coordinator for the 2017 season. Gregg Williams was officially named as DC Saturday and is expected to bring 3-4 coaches with him from the Rams. This change isn't just a coaching change though, its a schematic also. For the first time since 2012, the Browns will use the 4-3 defense. Gregg Williams primarily uses the 4-3 base defense and has for most of his career...and frankly it fits this roster better going forward.

The Browns defense going into this off-season still has major holes but the simple switch to the 4-3 helps patch up some of them. For example, Emmanual Ogbah will be a defensive end in the 4-3 defense. He can just focus on run stopping and pass rushing instead of including pass coverage when he was an outside linebacker in the 3-4. Ogbah started to play well when he was switched to the defensive line in the last month and a half of the season.  Same thing does with Desmond Bryant who might end up moving to defensive tackle next to Danny Shelton in a 4-3.

Now of course there are some players who won't have to change positions but it will help with depth at individual positions...like at middle linebacker. Christian Kirksey should continue to be the middle linebacker in the 4-3. He has a nose for the ball and speed to play the run and pass in the 4-3. Kirksey by the way lead the team in tackles with 148. With that Demario Davis will become the main backup for Kirksey and that's going to make the entire defense stronger. Having a former starter, who was the second on the team in tackles, as a backup should help this team on the field and the front office off the field during free agency and the draft.

The Browns obviously have the number one overall pick and the 12th overall pick in the NFL Draft. They have been linked to a handful of players at number one but Myles Garrett seems to be consensus best player in this draft and has been mocked to the Browns at one by almost every "draft expert". Myles Garrett has been compared to Jevon Kearse by NFL.com draft Analyst Lance Zierlein. Garrett on the opposite side of Ogbah would help the development of both player. Williams' defense will use both of their strengths and try and get to the quarterback as much as they can. Garrett wouldn't have to worry about covering a running back or tight end at all like Ogbah did for the first 2/3rd of his NFL career.

With the 12th overall pick the Browns have been linked to many players on both sides of the ball. A ton of fans hope one of the top rated safeties end up dropping to the Browns. Malik Hooker and Jamal Adams are the top rated "free" and "strong" safety. They've been compared to elite players in recent history. Hooker could be the next Ed Reed and Jamal Adams was recently compared to Sean Taylor by Matt Miller of Bleacher Report. I know those are crazy comparisons but if one of these guys are there at 12, it would be crazy for the Browns to pass up one of those guys. Especially Adams who was compared to Sean Taylor and Gregg Williams was his defensive coordinator in Washington during his career.

Free Agency is going to be interesting for the Browns. They have a ton of money in their pocket to spend and a few holes to fill on defense. The Browns I'm sure want Jamie Collins for the long-term. Collins is one of the best outside linebackers in the NFL and the change of defensive schemes shouldn't affect his position status with the team. But there are a couple free agents who would help this defense day one.

Duron Harmon is a safety from the New England Patriots. He's going to be a unrestricted free agent this off-season and is set to get a pay day from a new team. He's currently the backup for Devin McCourty. Harmon is only 26 years old so it would fit the Browns' rebuilding plan. He's coming from the New England and that doesn't hurt and is a perfect fit to help change the culture.

Trumaine Johnson is another guy who would fit this Browns team. He's been part Gregg Williams defense the past few years and had his best years under Williams (164 tackles and 11 interceptions since 2014).  He's another unrestricted free agent who is only 27 years old. Johnson and Haden patrolling the secondary with Gregg Williams attacking defense with hopefully one of the rookie safeties and Myles Garrett...that's starting to become "on paper" a top tier defense in the NFL.

Browns Recap 1/2/17: Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE

The Browns fell to the Steelers 27-24 and finished the 2016 season going 1-15 and locking up the number one overall pick in the 2017 draft. Also Hue Jackson and company are safe and will be back next year. So another win coming from today. But lets talk about this very odd game.

The Browns offense was statistically pretty good.  437 Total yards with about 200 yards through the air and on the ground. But where the Browns lost this game was in the turnover battle. The Browns had four turnovers (three fumbles and two red zone turnovers) and also missed a 49 yard field goal. So its not like the Browns didn't have opportunities to win this game. Robert Griffin threw for 232 yards on 29/40 passing, two touchdowns and one interception. The leading receiver for this game was Terrelle Pryor who caught seven passes for 94 yards. He also surpassed 1000 receiving yards for the year with his 94 yard game. Gary Barnidge had five catches for 40 yards and a touchdown. Seth DeValve had the other touchdown catch, which was his only catch of the day for 12 yards.

Other notable receivers: Corey Coleman had five catches for 40 yards and Andrew Hawkins had five catches for nine yards.

The Running game had success today. Isaiah Crowell 152 yards on 19 carries including 67 yard run that set up a George Atkinson III touchdown run. Atkinson III had a solid day, seven carries for 34 yards, being the backup to Crowell with Duke Johnson suffering an ankle injury. Crowell unfortunately had a key fumble inside the five yard-line with less than one minute to go in the fourth. RGIII had 32 rushing yards on five carries.

The Browns defense was solid against the second string Steelers offense. They only gave up 69 yards on the ground. The Steelers leading rusher was DeAngelo Williams who had 67 yards on 23 carries. But the Browns struggled getting timely stops. They gave up the winning touchdown drive in overtime after the offense kicked a field goal forcing Steelers to score. The Defense also gave up a touchdown drive to end the first half and after the Browns intercepted Landry Jones but fumbled the return causing a touchback.

Jones had a pretty good game, throwing for 277 yards and three touchdowns. Eli Rodgers was the leading receiver with six catches 61 yards. Cobi Hamilton had three catches for 54 yards including the game clinching 26 yard touchdown catch. Other notable receivers: Demarcus Ayers had five catches for 44 yards and one touchdown.

The leading tackler for the Browns was Christian Kirksey who had 12 total tackles, three tackles for a loss and one sack. Jamie Collins was second with 10 total tackles. And Demario Davis had seven total tackles, two for losses and one sack.


Most Valuable Brown: Isaiah Crowell is the MVB for this game. If it wasn't for his 67 yard run the Browns wouldn't have had the opportunity to tie the game in the fourth quarter. Plus his day kind of personified this 2016 season. Play really well at times but mistakes come back to cost games.

Browns Preview 12.16.16: Cleveland Browns @ Buffalo Bills

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE

The 0-13 Cleveland Browns travel to Buffalo to take on the 6-7 Bills. Both teams lost last week to AFC North opponents. The Browns lost 23-10 against the Bengals, which was Robert Griffin III first game back since week one of the season. And the Bills lost 27-20 against the Steelers, where Le'Veon Bell ran for 236 yards and three touchdowns.

Browns Offense vs Bills Defense

The Browns should run the ball a ton this week and should limit the deep shots down field. Isaiah Crowell ran for 113 yards last week on only 10 carries. The Browns should give Crowell more carries and continue to run the read option with Griffin. Using the read-option opened up the inside run game for Crowell and it also kept the defense honest while trying to get into the backfield. The Browns should run more this week because of the weather for this game. The temps will be cold, but per weather.com Buffalo will be expecting 20mph winds Sunday.

Griffin passing the ball is going to be interesting. He needs to take what the defense gives him. So not throwing the ball into double coverage down field just to take shots, but to use Gary Barnidge and the running backs to keep the offense from being in third and long. This doesn't mean Griffin shouldn't target Corey Coleman or Terrelle Pyror, but he should pick his spots then to target them.

Lastly, Griffin needs to use his legs this game, whether in the read-option (like stated above) or scrambling when plays break down. Its important for the Browns to limit the third and long situations and that falls on the hands of Griffin. i.e. 2nd and 8 and Griffin scrambles for four yards, setting up 3rd and 4.


Browns Defense vs Bills Offense

The Bills are the number one rushing team in the league and the Browns are 31st in stopping the run so it could set up a long day for the Browns defense. The only good thing about it is that the Bills are 31st in passing offense so it makes them one-dimensional. The Bills running game is headlined by LeSean McCoy who is 24 yards away from 1000 for the season. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor is also a threat in the running game. Taylor has 471 rushing yards and is averaging 6.2 yards/carry.  So the Browns will need to assign someone to be a "spy" for Taylor.

The Bills have some weapons in the passing game, including running back LeSean McCoy who is second on the team in catches. Receiver Robert Woods and tight end Charles Clay are the other weapons Taylor likes to use at times. Also former first round pick Sammy Watkins is finally healthy so his production should increase.


Five Guys to Watch

Robert Griffin III: RGIII in his second game back is probably the number one guy to watch this week. Hopefully he learns from his mistakes and just takes what the Bills give him. And lets hope he can get into some type of rhythm and not force deep shots down field constantly.

Isaiah Crowell: Since the weather is going to be terrible for this game Crowell should get more than 10 carries this week. The Browns will need to rely on a run heavy game plan which should feature Crowell.

Jonathan Cooper: Cooper started his first game for the Browns, which was also his first start since November of last year. He played really well and helped set up holes for Crowell last week. If Cooper continues to play well the Browns might have found a starting right guard going forward.

Christian Kirksey: Kirksey will be important in both the run game and the passing game. At times he should be assigned to "spy" on quarterback Tyrod Taylor, and he will be in the middle of a lot of plays considering the amount of times the Bills run the ball.

Danny Shelton: Shelton will set the tone for the run defense this week. If he can't do his job well then its going to be a long game for the Browns this week.

Injury Report
Weather Report
Betting Line:  Buffalo -10


Prediction:  27-20 Bills

I don't think the Browns will play terrible this week but the young team will fall short once again. This seems like one of those games where RGIII tries again to do too much and ends up costing the Browns. But this game should set up something positive for the Christmas Eve game against the Chargers which the Browns have a really good chance of pulling out a victory.

Browns Preview 12.9.16: Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE

The 4-7-1 Cincinnati Bengals travel to Cleveland to take on the 0-12 Browns, who are coming off of a bye week. The Browns announced that Robert Griffin III will be the starter Sunday with rookie Cody Kessler has his backup. Griffin started week one against the Eagles and went 12/26 for 190 yards and one interception before suffering a fractured bone in his non-throwing shoulder which sidelined him until now. The Bengals are coming off of a 32-14 win against the Eagles were they picked off rookie Carson Wentz three times.


Browns Offense vs Bengals Defense

Its unknown what the Browns are going to feature offensively. Griffin will have some rust to start off, so the Browns will have to run the ball, even though its not usually their game plan. It doesn't matter whether its Isaiah Crowell or Duke Johnson getting the bulk of the carries, the Browns need to protect Griffin this week and the next three weeks if they want a realistic shot of winning a game this year. Duke Johnson should get the most touches this game considering he has the better yards per carry between the two and his a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield.

The passing game should be interesting to watch. Terrelle Pryor and Corey Coleman will be the main targets for Griffin which is expected, but considering the time off for Griffin his chemistry/timing could be off with his wideouts. Griffin needs to protect the ball and himself this game, so checking down, sliding when scrambling, and throwing the ball away will be extremely important.


Browns Defense vs Bengals Offense

Its unknown if AJ Green will play this week for the Bengals but whether or not he plays, the Browns main focus should be stopping the running game. Earlier this year, the Bengals ran for 271 yards on 30 attempts against the Browns and Jeremy Hill had 168 of those 271 yards. If the Browns don't stop the run game they have no chance this week.

Andy Dalton is prone to throw interceptions at times, hopefully the Browns can force him into a mistake and then capitalize on it. If AJ Green doesn't play, rookie Tyler Boyd and Brandon LaFell will start at receiver. Both have 40+ catches on the year and are solid targets for Dalton.


Five Guys to Watch

Robert Griffin III: Griffin is going to be someone to watch the next four games. There is still a small chance Griffin can win over the front office and coaching staff and become the quarterback for the future. If the Browns win one of these four games its going to be because of Griffin.

Christian Kirksey: Kirksey is one of the leaders on defense and has really grown this year. He's going to need to play extremely well in the run game for the Browns to stop the two headed monster (Jeremy Hill and Gio Bernard). Kirksey will also be matched up against Tyler Eifert.

Johnathan Cooper: Cooper is a former first round pick who will be starting for the first time for the Browns. Cooper has a lot to prove but with Greco down for the year, he has an opportunity to prove he isn't a bust.

Corey Coleman: It will be interesting to see how he looks after a week off. Coleman seems to be growing and his play is improving. Also Hue Jackson said Coleman might be used as a punt returner too.

Joe Haden: Whether or not AJ Green plays, Haden will need to lock down who ever he's covering. Haden should have a really good game this week and maybe even an interception because the Browns need their defensive play makers to make some plays for them to get a win this week.

Injury Report
Weather
Betting Line: Cincinnati -5.5


Prediction: 28-17 Bengals

The Browns should play well this week but unfortunately fall to 0-13. Griffin should start out rusty but end the game playing fairly well. The Browns are going to win a game this season, but its not going to be this week.

Browns Recap 11.28.16: New York Giants @ Cleveland Browns

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE


The Cleveland Browns are now 0-12 after losing to the Giants 27-13. This game was an odd game. The defense played well for most of the game but seemed to have run out of gas at the end.  But the offense struggled all game only managing 13 points, turning the ball over three times and allowing Josh McCown to be sacked seven times.


Browns Offense

The Browns out-gained the Giants 343 yards to 296 and won the time of possession by almost eight minutes, but the three turnovers really hurt the Browns. Two of the three turnovers resulted in touchdowns for the Giants including a fumble that was returned for a touchdown by Jason Pierre-Paul.

Josh McCown played like he usually does. Keeps the team in the game but makes a mistake at an important moment. McCown was 25/43 for 322 yards, a touchdown, and two fumbles (including the one that was returned for a score.) That fumble was a rally killer considering a few plays before that McCown found Terrelle Pryor deep for 54 yards.

The running game was held to 58 yards on 21 carries. Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson couldn't get anything going, both only averaged 2.8 yards per carry. But both did play well in the passing game. Crowell had six catches for 47 yards and Johnson had three catches for 26 yards. *Crowell had a fumble which resulted in the other score. That was Crowell's first fumble since 2014.

The passing game was average. It seemed like the Browns wideouts couldn't get separation for the Giants DBs. Terrelle Pryor was the Browns leading receiver with six catches for 131 yards. *Pryor's third 100+ yards game this year. Also first Browns player to have five + catches in five straight games since Kevin Johnson.  Outside of Pryor the passing game was headlined by rookies. Corey Coleman and Seth DeValve had three catches each. And one of Coleman's receptions was a 21-yard catch for a touchdown. Rashard "Hollywood" Higgins caught two passes for 34 yards.

The offense struggled but it was nice to see the rookies play well and show some growth. Terrelle Pryor was the offensive MVP for the Browns today. The guy show a will to win and does as much as he can to keep this team in games offensively.


Defense

The defense didn't play bad but they couldn't force any turnovers. (The one turnover by the Giants was on special teams) Eli Manning only threw for 194 yards on 15/27 passing, but he did throw three touchdowns. Two of them were to Odell Beckham Jr. who had six catches for 96 yards. Outside of Beckham the Giants leading receiver was Victor Cruz who had a catch for 37 yards. Three guys had two catches each which was is tied for the team lead.  The Giants running game was solid totaling 104 yards on 27 carries. Rashad Jennings was the leading rusher with 55 yards on 15 rushes.

Today the young guys showed up for the Browns, not just on offense but defensively too. Christian Kirksey was all over the field racking up 11 tackles including one tackle for a loss. Briean Boddy-Calhoun played extremely well too. Matching up against Victor Cruz and Rodger Lewis most of the game. Boddy-Calhoun had four tackles including one for a loss and two pass deflections. Danny Shelton is another young defensive player who played extremely well. He set the line of scrimmage really well, played the run game well, and overall set a great tone for this game.

Special Teams got lucky twice. Beckham Jr. had two punt returns returned for big yardage, including one that was returned for a touchdown, but they were cancelled out by flags on the play. Other than that the coverage team didn't play that well. Yes, they recovered a fumble but it was because of the returner Bobby Rainey.


Overall Thoughts

The Browns played well enough to win this game but they came up just short, once again. It will be interesting to see how they play when Robert Griffin III gets back under center. But the rookies and young guys played really well and it should be something they can build upon going into the bye-week and the stretch run.

Most Valuable Brown: Two players get the MVB this week. Terrelle Pryor and Christian Kirksey. Both have shown immense growth from the beginning of the year and this game showed off their growth. Kirksey with 11 tackles and Pryor with his third 100+ yard game of the year. Both are making an argument to be named pro-bowlers at their respected positions.

Browns Preview 11.25.16: New York Giants @ Cleveland Browns

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE

The (7-3) New York Giants travel to Cleveland to take on the (0-11) Browns. Last week the Browns lost to the Steelers 24-9 in a game where they suffered another injury at quarterback. Rookie Cody Kessler suffered a concussion and will be out this week. Josh McCown will start in his place. The Giants on the other-hand defeated the Bears at home 22-16 and are now second in the NFC East behind the Cowboys.


Browns Offense vs Giants Defense

The Browns are going to struggle in all facets of the game. The Giants have a great front four headlined by Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon. Both are top tier pass rushers and are solid in run defense. But where the Giants really excel is in pass defense. Yes, they only rank 13th in that category but they've only given up nine passing touchdowns all year which is tied with the Broncos. Their cornerbacks Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Landon Collins have played extremely well this year. And Collins is now the Giants starting cornerback (due to injuries) after starting the season at safety. Terrelle Pryor and Cory Coleman will have their hands full trying to get open this week.

The Browns can't give up on the run this week. Whether its Isaiah Crowell or Duke Johnson carrying the rock the Browns need to control the tempo of this game. It won't be easy considering the Giants also have the eighth best run defense in the NFL, but an honest running game should open up some passing windows for McCown.

The main key for this game is to not turn the ball over. Josh McCown needs to take care of the football better. He has eight turnovers in four games (six interceptions and two fumbles). If McCown can limit the turnovers and just take what the defense gives him the Browns should keep this game within 10 points going into the fourth. #MoralVictory


Browns Defense vs Giants Offense

This should be an interesting matchup. Joe Haden going up against Odell Beckham Jr. Haden has played well this year while battling through nagging injuries Haden and the Browns defense will need to keep Odell out of the end zone this week if they want a fighters chance to win because in wins this year Odell has five out of his six touchdowns. To win its fairly simple. Limit Odell and make him frustrated, so he mentally checks out of the game.

Eli Manning is prone to throw interceptions and has 10 this year. The Browns will need to capitalize on his aggressiveness. Whether is preventing points on a long drive or setting up the offense with a short field, all the breaks will need to go the Browns ways.

The Giants rarely run the ball but with Rashard Jennings back to 100%, they should attempt the run a bit more. In that area the Browns and the Giants are both ranked 31st in the league so something has to give.


Five Guys To Watch

Joe Haden: Haden will match up with Beckham Jr. most of the game and it should be interesting who comes up on top. Whoever wins this matchup should win this game.

Jamie Collins: Collins is a defensive playmaker. Whether in the run or pass defense Collins needs to come up big this game. He's played really well in his few games with the Browns and has shown he deserves whatever contract he's going to get this off-season.

Christian Kirksey: Kirksey is making a case to be selected to the pro-bowl. Kirksey is second in tackles with 103 and has shown a lot of growth this year. #MoralVictory

Terrelle Pryor: Pryor is the lone-playmaker for the Browns. He's going to get a lot of targets this game. He's shown an ability to play well against top tier corners in the league. Pryor is one of the few bright spots on this team this year.

Duke Johnson: Whether catching the ball or running it Johnson has shown he can do both. With Crowell struggling to run the ball, Johnson should get more carries this week and going forward. Johnson should get 15+ touches between catches and carries.


Injury Report
Weather Report
Betting Line: NYG -7



Prediction: Giants 28 Browns 13

The Browns fall to 0-12 and their #QuestForImperfection is still in place. This game will be a frustrating one where the Browns can't do much on offense and the defense keeps it fairly close for most of this game. Also this should be Josh McCown's last start for the Browns with RGIII scheduled to return week 14. Thank goodness the bye week is next week for this team.

Browns Recap 11.21.16: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cleveland Browns

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE

The Browns fall to 0-11 after their 24-9 loss to the Steelers. This game was personification of the 2016 Cleveland Browns and four plays proved that.  The first was the Browns punting on 4&33 and then two penalties at the end of the first half (which would have ended the half at 6-0) allowing the Steelers to take a 14-0 lead into the locker room. Then in the second half the quarterback Cody Kessler suffered a concussion and Josh McCown had to take over. Each quarterback suffered four sacks and were hit hard multiple times.


The First Half:

Defensively the Browns played a "bend, but don't break defense". The Steelers completely dominated the time of possession having the ball for just over 20 minutes. The Steelers had 217 total yards on 41 plays. 132 of the 217 yards were through the air with Le'Veon Bell as the Steelers leading receiver with seven catches for 50 yards. Bell also carried the ball 16 times for 85 yards and a touchdown (which was the result of the two penalties at the end of the half). The Steelers were also 4/7 on third down and 1/1 on fourth. Roethlisberger was 18/25 for 132 yards.

The Browns were horrible offensively only managing 50 total yards. Kessler was 3/7 for 60 yards and one interception, but what really killed this team was Kessler being sacked three times for a total of 29 yards. The running game didn't do anything. 19 rushing yards on seven carries. Isaiah Crowell had five carries for nine yards and Duke Johnson had two carries for 10. The leading receiver was Terrelle Pryor with one catch for 30 yards. Andrew Hawkins had a catch for 28 yards and rookie Corey Coleman had a catch for four yards, and he also had two dropped catches.


The Second Half:

The defense played well holding the Steelers to 96 total yards in the second half. Bell had 66 of the 96 yards. 61 on the ground and five through the air. Bell ended the game with 146 yards on the ground on 28 carries and a touchdown. And eight catches for 55 yards. Roethlisberger ended his day with 167 yards on 23/36 passing. Antonio Brown tied Bell as the game leader in catches with eight and had the team lead in receiving yards with 76.

The Browns leading tacklers were Christian Kirksey with nine, Jamie Collins with eight, and Demario Davis with seven.

Offensively the Browns were the Browns. They couldn't run the ball at all and their quarterback got hurt. Kessler suffered a concussion and McCown came in. McCown played like he always does. 118 yards on 14/27 passing and throwing the Browns only touchdown of the day. A 14 yard pass to tight end Gary Barnidge. Two plays back-to-back really hurt the Browns. After getting the ball while down 17-9 McCown threw a ball over the middle to Terrelle Pryor. Pryor didn't catch it because it was overthrown but suffered a big hit and was taken off of the field. The next play while scrabbling, McCown fumbled the ball into the end zone and it was recovered by the Steelers for a touchdown. So like stated before..."McCown played like he always does". Terrelle Pryor ended his day with five catches for 97 yards, Duke Johnson had three catches in the second half for 46 yards, and ended his day with 4 catches for 39 yards.

The offensive line was terrible all game. They couldn't get a push in the running game resulting in 33 yards on 13 carries and the Steelers having eight sacks for 70 yards.

Overall Thoughts:

These games are hard to watch, but this team isn't quitting and that says a lot. It says a lot about the coaching of Hue Jackson and his staff. He is trying to get as much as he can with what he has. We all knew this year was going to be tough but no one thought it was going to be this tough. Its hard to win when you play six different players at quarterback, numerous offensive line combinations, and injuries on both sides of the ball.

This game also showed me that Kessler isn't going to be our starting quarterback for the future...and that is okay. Kessler seems to hesitant to get the ball out. Yes its a combination of the lack of play-makers and offensive line but its becoming obvious that the Browns will draft their future quarterback in April. Also expect Robert Griffin III to start either this week against the Giants (if he's cleared) or week 14 vs the Bengals and to play for the reminder of the season.

Most Valuable Brown (MVB): Terrelle Pryor continues to play well with a murky quarterback situation. He is proving he can be a top-level receiver and should get paid handsomely this off-season whether its in Cleveland or not.