Browns Preview 10/13/17: Cleveland Browns @ Houston Texans

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE


The winless Cleveland Browns travel to Houston to take on the (2-3) Texans this week. The Browns will be starting a new quarterback this week. Kevin Hogan gets the start in place of the struggling DeShone Kizer. The Texans could be without four starters on their defense and JJ Watt is out for the season with a broken leg. The Texans will start rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson, who the Texans traded up in the draft (with the Browns) to acquire.


Browns Offense vs Texans Defense

The Browns will be starting their 28th different quarterback since returning in 1999, and Hue Jackson will be on his fifth different starter since week one of last year. Kevin Hogan will be under center for the Browns this week. In three games this season, Hogan has thrown three touchdowns and two interceptions. But more importantly, he has a 68.4% completion percentage vs Kizer's 51%.

This week the Browns must rely on the run this week and it should be headlined by Duke Johnson. Johnson is averaging almost five yards per carry and is the leading receiver for the Browns, with 23 catches. Isaiah Crowell has struggled this year. He seems to have issues when he gets the ball on stretch plays. And even when he has gotten running room it seems like he misses the hole or the run blocking doesn't hold up. It should be interesting to see the snap count for each back at the end of this game. Also the Texans can't forget about Hogan as a runner. Hogan is someone who can run a read-option effectively. Last season Hogan ran for over 100 yards after replacing Cody Kessler against the Bengals.

The receiving situation will be interesting this week. Kenny Britt is expected to be back, along with Sammie Coates. But it does seem like Hogan and rookie tight end David Njoku have a lot of chemistry. Two of Hogan's touchdown passes were to Njoku including one last week in relief of Kizer. Ricardo Lewis was the leading receiver last week with five catches for 71 yards. With Britt on a snap count, Lewis will probably get the majority of the snaps.



Browns Defense vs Texans Offense

Contrary to the 0-5 record, the Browns have a top five defense in the NFL. On the other hand...the Texans have been good in their own right. They don't pass the ball as much, ranked 20th in yards per game, but they hold onto the ball and run the ball with a lot of success, ranked 4th in rushing yards per game.

Rookie Deshaun Watson has thrown 12 touchdowns and only four picks this season. He also has almost 200 rushing yards on the season and two rushing touchdowns. Watson's top target is DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins leads the Texans in catches with 35 and second on the team is Lamar Miller with 12. So the Browns desperately needs to shut down Hopkins this week in order to have success.

Miller is the leading rusher for the Texans with 331 yards and one touchdown. They also use rookie D'Onte Foreman who has 148 yards on the year and is averaging 3.8 yards per carry.

The Browns will have Jamie Collins back after missing the last three weeks with a concussion. The Browns defense will be a full strength for the first time this season. It should be interesting to see how everything plays out for the Browns and Gregg Williams.





Five Guys to Watch


1. Kevin Hogan: Hogan is making his first career start this week. Honestly I don't really know what to expect from Hogan besides him running the ball at times and throwing to Njoku.

2. David Njoku: Speaking of Njoku, he seems like an obvious guy to highlight this week. Hogan is comfortable throwing the ball his way and Njoku has come up big at times for the Browns in his young career.

3. Isaiah Crowell: I think this might be Crowell's last chance before he gets demoted to RB2. The Browns are going to run the ball a ton this week and Crowell is needed for this offense to have any sort of success. If he doesn't, Duke Johnson becomes the starter sooner rather than later.

4. Jamie Collins: Collins is one of the best linebackers in the league. Paired with Kirksey and Schobert the Browns should have more than enough to limit the running game of Houston's.

5. Myles Garrett: Speaking of helping the running game, Garrett playing more snaps this week is going to help too. Also with the Texans offensive line struggles, Garrett will need to capitalize on it in order to limit big plays from DeAndre Hopkins.


Weather Report

Injury Report

Betting Line: Houston -9.5


Prediction: Houston 20 Browns 14

The Browns fall to 0-6 and Hue Jackson record falls to 1-21 as the Browns Head Coach... All in all I think this team plays well but the limitations at quarterback and receiver will show its head this game. Hopefully I'm wrong again and the Browns end up helping themselves out by defeating the Texans.

Browns Preview 9/8/17: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cleveland Browns

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE

Week one is finally here! The Cleveland Browns open up the season hosting the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers. The Browns haven't won a opening day game since 2004 with Jeff Garcia at quarterback. Yes it's been that long...But eventually the drought will end...but not this year.


Browns Offense vs Steelers Defense

The Browns offense is going to be put to the test. Led by rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer, the Browns play calling should be a bit conservative to start out. Isaiah Crowell will get the majority of the carries Sunday. He has yet to have a game where he is given 20 carries in his career, and Sunday would be a great time for him to get it. The Browns can't give up on the running game because it will set up the couple deep shots down field the Browns are obviously going to take.

The Browns still have questions at receiver, even though they acquired three wideouts in the past week. Corey Coleman, Kenny Britt, Ricardo Lewis, and even Duke Johnson will see time lined up at wide receiver. Coleman and Kizer seem to have little bit of chemistry, as we seen in the third preseason game. Kenny Britt needs to step up and be the security blanket for Kizer. Duke Johnson is another weapon Kizer will utilize whether its checking down or in the slot.







Browns Defense vs Steelers Offense

The Browns will be without number one overall pick Myles Garrett for a few weeks. The Browns will need to get pressure on Big Ben and contain Le'Veon Bell. Bell didn't participate in the preseason and just signed his contract earlier this week. Stopping the running game will be a tall task of the Browns defensive line and linebackers Jamie Collins and Christian Kirksey. Jamar Taylor and Jason McCourty will lineup the most against Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant. Brown is the best receiver in the league. Taylor and McCourty will have a handful Sunday especially if the pass rush struggles with Garrett out.




Five Guys to Watch

DeShone Kizer: This one is pretty obvious. The Browns are starting a rookie quarterback week one for the first time since Brandon Weeden in 2012. There is a lot of excitement with Kizer this could be the start to a very successful career for Kizer and Hue Jackson in Cleveland.

Jamie Collins: Collins will play almost every snap Sunday. Collins is a main staple on defense for the Browns. Whether is in base defense or in sub-packages. Collins is one of the few players who can cover Bell and the opposing tight end.

Sammie Coates: Coates probably won't see many snaps but when he's out there watch out for the deep ball down field. Coates is a deep threat and a speed demon. So when Kizer takes his shots deep its most likely going to be in Coates direction

Isaiah Crowell: Crowell should be the headline for the Browns offense. Crowell has been hyped up as a guy who is the "bell cow back" and should end the season with over 1000 yards in his contract year.

Corey Coleman: "Kizer to Coleman" is something that we all can get use to. Coleman is going to be the number one receiver going forward. Coleman and Coates will be matched up with former Browns cornerback Joe Haden, which will be exciting to watch as fans.




Weather Report:
Injury Report:

Betting Line: Pittsburgh -9

Final Prediction: 24-17

I don't think the Browns pull off the miracle. But I do think they cover. Kizer will play well and the overall the young Browns will be in the game all the way to the end. Go Browns!!!

Cleveland Browns 2017 Season Preview: The Running Backs

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE


**PREVIOUS**
The Coaching Staff


The 2017 Cleveland Browns are going to emphasis the running game. Last season they were a run heavy team during the first handful of weeks, until injuries on the offensive line and an inconsistent defense forced them to change their strategy.

Even with the struggles during last season, Starting running back Isaiah Crowell finished with 952 yards on only 198 attempts. That evens out to a 4.8 yards per carry average which was top 10 in the NFL last season. This year, Hue Jackson wants to give Crowell the ball as much as possible since he fell just short of a 1000 yard season.. Its also a free agent year for Crowell. He was looking for a long-term deal with the Browns this off-season but the Browns just tendered him for one year at about 3 Million Dollars this season. So Crowell has a ton to prove to the Browns and the entire league in order for him to get the pay day he strives for. What's interesting about Crowell, in his entire career he's never had a game where he was given 20 or more carries. Hopefully with more opportunities this season, Crowell can make himself a household name.

Duke Johnson will be the backup running back to Crowell this season. But as Browns fans know, Johnson is extremely valuable to this team in both the running game and the passing game. While not getting a high number of carries last season (only 73 attempts) but he still averaged 4.9 yards per carry. Johnson is a change of pace back and has the ability to carry the running game if need be. He is the Miami Hurricanes' leading rushers in their storied history. And potentially, Johnson could be the Browns starter sooner rather than later if the Browns and Crowell don't get a long-term deal done.

Duke Johnson as a runner is underused there is no doubt about it. But, Duke Johnson the pass catcher is where he shows how valuable he is to this team. In his first two seasons, Johnson has 114 catches for over 1000 yards. In 2015, his rookie season, he was second in catches by rookies. The guy who was first? Amari Cooper of the Raiders. Last season, Johnson was second on the team with 53 catches for 514 yards and fans should expect the same type of season this year. Especially since, it was reported that Johnson could see some time as the slot receiver in certain formations in Hue Jackson's offense.

Outside of the two-headed monster of Crowell and Johnson, the Browns have a couple guys battling for third team reps. Rookie Matt Dayes out of North Carolina State was drafted in the seventh round. The Browns really like him during their time at the Senior Bowl. Dayes left NC State as their fourth leading rusher and third in rushing touchdowns during his four year career. If Dayes makes this team it would probably be because of his contribution to special teams. Same thing goes with Terrence Magee and Brandon Wilds. Both are going to have to contribute on special teams and show the coaching staff who they are during the preseason in order to crack the 53-man roster.

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 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 12.30.16: Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE

The (1-15) Cleveland Browns travel to Pittsburgh to take on the (10-5) Steelers. This is going to be a weird game for a few reasons. First off, the Steelers are expected to sit Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell, and Antonio Brown this week since they already clinched the third seed in the AFC playoff standings. On the other hand if the Browns lose this week, they will clinch the 1st overall pick for the first time since 2000.


Browns Offense vs Steelers Defense

It sounds like Robert Griffin III will start this week, since he was cleared to be taken out of Concussion protocol. If Griffin doesn't start, Cody Kessler will start in place of him. Another a few other shifts on the offensive line. Jonathan Cooper was released this week and Alvin Bailey was activated off of the suspension list and will start this week. Cam Erving will shift over to right tackle in place of Austin Pasztor and either Anthony Fabiano or Gabe Ikard will start at center this week.

The game plan this week should be the same as the past few weeks with Griffin at quarterback. Use Griffin's legs to set up the zone-read running game for Isaiah Crowell. The Browns should run the ball a lot to the right to test Cam Erving at right tackle. It will be interesting to see if the Browns active Darius Jackson this week. Jackson was claimed a few weeks ago from Dallas and has yet to be activated for a game.

The passing game should be the same also. Take some shots down field to keep the defense honest, but overall just take what the defense gives Griffin. Corey Coleman should get a lot of targets since Terrelle Pryor is still banged up. Duke Johnson should get his normal touches out of the backfield in the check down game.


Browns Defense vs Steelers Offense

Landry Jones will be starting this week for the Steelers. He has a career record of 1-2. And the one win was against the Browns last year when he got hurt and Big Ben replaced him. DeAngelo Williams will start and get the bulk of the carries with Bell out.

The Steelers should play conservatively. They don't want anyone to get hurt this game, whether its a backup or a starting offensive lineman. So heavy running, winning the time of possession, and limiting turnovers is going to be their game plan for this week,

The Browns will need to force a turnover or two to be able to pull out this game. And to do that they need to get pressure on Jones. Jamar Taylor should get multiple opportunities to make a play this.  On the run defense side, Shelton needs to set the tone at the line of scrimmage since DeAngelo Williams will get the start and many carries.


Five Guys to Watch

Cam Erving: Cam's is getting his first start at right tackle and it sounds like he could be the right tackle in 2017.

Robert Griffin III: This could be his last start in a Browns uniform. The Browns will need to make a decision about him this off-season and depending how things go, Griffin could be out of the NFL.

Isaiah Crowell: It will be interesting to see how the running game will play with a new look offensive line. Crowell is 200 yards away from 1000 for the season. Yes it seems unlikely but hey...its something to watch out for.

Emmanual Ogbah: Ogbah will need to get to the quarterback this week. Hopefully Ogbah can close out this year on a high note. He's played really well since moving to the defensive line.

Danny Shelton: The Steelers are going to run the ball with Williams a lot this week. Shelton is an easy pick this week. He needs to set the line of scrimmage and can't let the Steelers running game get into a rhythm.


Injury Report
Weather
Betting Line: Pittsburgh -6


Prediction: 24-17 Steelers

Don't worry Browns fans, they clinch the number one overall pick and draft talk can begin next week. The only good thing about this week 17 is that no changes should be made on "Black Monday". The Browns didn't go 1-15, aren't firing coaches, and clinched the number one overall pick...I'd say that a fairly successful "try-out" year.

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 Recap 12.12.16: Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE

The Cleveland Browns lost another game, this time to the Cincinnati Bengals 23-10. The Browns now sit three losses away from joining the 2008 Detroit Lions to lose 16 games in a season. This week the Browns just got outplayed. They struggled with the passing offense only having 85 total passing yards. And defensively gave up 360 total yards with 213 of them on the ground.

The overall all offense wasn't good. A combination of terrible starting field position and the rust of Robert Griffin III didn't spell success for this week. RGIII was only 12/28 throwing the ball. He missed throws all day, whether under-throwing the deep ball, throwing into double coverage, or just missing wide-open dink-and-dunk throws. Obviously, Griffin was going to have rust considering he hasn't played since week 1 but even with rust being accounted for Griffin seemed to be overzealous most of the game. Taking deep shots down field when it wasn't there. Hopefully this was a "knock off the dust" type game because the Browns can't afford to have RGIII play like that.

Where the Browns had success was in the running game. Isaiah Crowell had 113 yards on the ground, RGIII ran for 31 yards and a touchdown, and Duke Johnson had 24 yards on four carries. The running game started to work in the second half when most of the running plays were: A. Zone-Read options, or B. used in a high-tempo situation. The Browns had two really good drives in the third quarter, the one that resulted in the touchdown and the one that resulted in the field goal. And both were set up by the running game

Defensively, the Browns struggled stopping the run. Jeremy Hill ran for 111 yards and a touchdown. And overall the Bengals ran for 213 yards on 38 carries, which was the main reason the Bengals won the time of possession battle. The positive side of this game the pass defense wasn't terrible. They only allowed 147 yards through the air and got pressure to Dalton, hitting him five times and sacking him four times.

Overall it wasn't a good game for the Browns. Inconstant defense and an offense who could only manage two positive drives. But hopefully next week, vs the Bills, the Browns can regroup and start putting drives together, force a few turnovers, and maybe just maybe pull out a win next week.

Most Valuable Brown: Jamie Collins is the MVB for this week. He had 15 totals tackles, one sack, and two tackles for losses. Collins has played really well in his short stint with the Browns. It is going to be interesting if the Browns want to/are able to bring him back for next year and beyond.

Browns Recap 11.7.16: Dallas Cowboys @ Cleveland Browns

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE


The Cleveland Browns fall to 0-9 after their 35-10 loss to the Cowboys. The Browns became the first team since 1964 to give up 25+ points in the first nine games of the season. Overall this game was terrible and it started on the first drive. Center Cam Erving got ejected from the game after a personal foul flag for throwing the helmet of Cowboy's defensive tackle David Irving. Irving was also ejected for a personal foul on Erving.


Browns Offense

The Browns offense was terrible on Sunday, only managing 222 yards. 177 yards were through the air. Cody Kessler was 19/27 passing with 203, a touchdown with a quarterback rating of 104.4. Kessler was sacked four times for 26 yards and ended up having x-rays done on his leg after the game. He's still expected to start Thursday against the Ravens.

The Browns leading receiver was running back Isaiah Crowell, who caught four passes for 63 yards. 44 of them were on a catch and run on the first drive of the game, which set up a field goal. Terrelle Pryor caught five passes for 47 yards, one of which was a 12 yard touchdown at the end of the first half. And Corey Coleman caught three passes for 41 yards in his first game back after breaking his hand before week 3.

The running game was horrible and wasn't used because deficit the Browns found themselves in. Duke Johnson had 30 yards on five carries and Crowell had four yards on six carries. Kessler also had 11 yards on the ground on two carries.

The Browns were 1/9 on third down and only had the ball for 20:21. They couldn't keep their own defense off the field. But the offense, at the very least, did protect the ball this week...not committing a turnover.


Browns Defense

Defensively, the Browns gave up 423 yards. 255 of those yards were through the air. Dak Prescott was 21/27 for 247 yards, three touchdowns and had a quarterback rating of 141.8. Prescott didn't turn the ball over. He was given a clean pocket all game, only hit once (which was by Jamie Collins Sr) and wasn't sacked. He also had 20 yards on the ground on four carries. Mark Sanchez threw one pass for eight yards.

Jason Witten had a huge game. Eight catches for 134 yards and a touchdown. This was Witten's first 100 yard game since week 17 in 2013...yes 2013...2.5 seasons ago.  Cole Beasley also had a solid game, catching six passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. Dez Bryant was held in check though. He only had one catch for 19 yards...and was only targeted four times.

On the ground Dallas did whatever they wanted. Ezekiel Elliott had 92 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. Alfred Morris had 56 yards on 17 carries. Dallas as a team averaged four yards per carry and had a 168 yards on the ground.

The combination off all that resulted in Dallas controlling the clock for over 39 mins. They were 8/12 on third down and were also 2/2 on fourth down. The Browns leading tacklers were Demario Davis with 10 tackles, Christian Kirksey had nine tackles and new Brown Jamie Collins Sr had eight tackles.










Most Valuable Brown

Cody Kessler is the MVB of this week. This game was terrible but Kessler had another solid game. Considering how badly the right side of the offensive line played (Alvin Bailey and Austin Pasztor) Kessler really did do the best he could. Kessler is the starter for the rest of the year, so its exciting to see if he can potentially become the quarterback of the future for the Browns.

Browns Recap 10.31.16: New York Jets @ Cleveland Browns

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE


The Browns fall to 0-8 this year after losing 31-28 against the New York Jets. This game was a tale of two halves.The first where the Browns play really well and look to have the game in control somewhat. And the second half, where they play like a third strings in the preseason. But that's the story of the 2016 Cleveland Browns.

First Half

The Browns played an extremely well-rounded first half leading 20-7.

Offensively the Browns were really good in the passing game. Josh McCown was 16/27 for 228 yards and a touchdown. Terrelle Pryor had six catches for 101 yards and Andrew Hawkins had four catches and one of them was a touchdown. The only down side of the passing game in the first half was Ricardo Lewis who dropped two passes. The offensive line was solid, only allowing one sack and four QB hits. Surprisingly the Browns struggled in the run game. Isaiah Crowell has six carries for only nine yards but did run in a touchdown. Duke Johnson has been a real threat in all areas, he has three catches for 38 yards and three rushes for 29 yards while also returning punts.

Defensively they've had a few problems. Tackling was the main one. They allowed Jets running back Bilal Powell to score a 35 yard touchdown on third and long. Powell broke a few tackles to get into the endzone. Fitzpatrick and the passing game was terrible. He was 3/14 for only 30 yards. A combination of deflected passes by Carl Nassib, dropped passes by Jets wide-outs, and Fitzpatrick being Fitzpatrick is the reason for that. Again it wasn't because the Browns secondary was balling out it was because the Jets couldn't capitalize on the Browns' mistakes.


Second Half

The Browns showed why they are 0-7, getting completely out played in the second half.

Offensively the Browns could only mustard up a touchdown with 12 seconds left in the game. McCown was 9/22 for only 113 yards two interceptions and a touchdown.The first int was a deep shot to Terrelle Pryor where is seemed like they a communication problem. The second was a horrible check down to Duke Johnson, who got his bell rung and the ball popped up for an int inside the Jets 20. The Browns again, couldn't get a consistent running game and were forced to throw because of it and because they fell behind with only a quarter left.

The Browns Defense in the second half was straight trash. They gave up three straight touchdown drives, and 4/5 drives scored points. The first drive was a 12 play for 78 yard drive that ended in an 24 yard catch by Quincy Enunwa. The Second, eight plays for 84 yards that was capped off by a four yard run by Matt Forte on 4th and inches. And then then third was a 13 plays for 81 yards which was again capped off by a Matt Forte touchdown run. The Browns couldn't get pressure on Fitzpatrick so he basically sat in the pocket and picked the Browns secondary apart.


Other Stuff

Statistically, the Browns and Jets were almost identical. But the Jets won two key areas of the game...turnovers & time of possession. The Browns had the two picks and only had the ball for 26:19. The Browns also gave up a few first downs on third and 10+...an area where they've had success.

Team Stats

MV(Brown) of the Game: Terrelle Pryor

Its sad that the MVB of the game was a non-factor in the second half. Yes, he did catch the 2-point conversion. But he did ball out in the first half against Revis who is still a top cover corner in the league.