On A Day Of Positives, These Browns Rose Above the Rest

By Greg Newland on September 11, 2023

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After the long wait following a disappointing year, the Cleveland Browns started the 2023 season with a bang. Not only did they win as the underdog, but they notched a crucial victory against a division rival and AFC North favorite Cincinnati Bengals. It was the team’s first win in a home opener since Jeff Garcia led them over another divisional rival, the Baltimore Ravens, in 2004.

Kevin Stefanski’s group fought through adversity, showed up on defense for the first time in ages, and got an incredible team win. On a day where there weren’t a lot of negatives, let’s focus on where the Cleveland Browns stock is rising the fastest.

The Kicking Game Was Pleasantly Uneventful

Dustin Hopkins didn’t blow anyone out of the water with an early 42-yarder, but after suffering with Cade York over the last season and some change, you could feel the fanbase’s relief as the first-quarter kick split the uprights. The 3/3 field goal and 1/1 extra point performance was a welcome sight to a team that truly believes it has championship potential.

Not only was Hopkins perfect on the day, but I don’t think any of his kicks were anything but directly down the pipe. It’s hard to believe a kicker could make fans so happy, but Hopkins left a smile on every Browns fan’s face.

New Cleveland #Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins good from 42 yards for 3-0 lead in the rain 🌧️
…. C’mon on you Browns pic.twitter.com/NI0oijXkba

— Paul Brown 🇬🇧 Browns fan🏈 London News 🎥Vlogger (@PaulBrown_UK) September 10, 2023

The Secondary Shines

Despite the concern surrounding Denzel Ward‘s exit late in the game (the extent of injury TBD), the secondary played their best game in recent memory.

#Browns Denzel Ward has exited game.

— Scott Petrak ct (@ScottPetrak) September 10, 2023

Not only did they hold a very good Bengals attack to three total points, but they kept Joe Burrow on his heels and under 100 yards.

Ward, Martin Emerson, Greg Newsome, Grant Delpit, and Rodney McLeod all get an A+ today. We saw multiple plays on the ball from Ward, Newsome, and Emerson, while Delpit and McLoed both showed up in run support.

What stood out the most is how well they tackled. Not only did they lock guys up, but I can also only think of one missed tackle, when Ja’Marr Chase slithered away from Ward and turned what should have been a one-yard gain into seven.

If (and this is a big if) this secondary can stay healthy, they have a chance to be one of the best in the league in 2023.

Running Game Seals the Victory

While pass protection continued to be a major struggle for the Browns on Sunday, there was a huge positive in that the team was able to close the game on the ground between Deshaun Watson, Nick Chubb, and Jerome Ford.

As a team, the Browns rushed for over 200 yards, with Chubb leading the way with 106 yards on 18 carries. Chubb had to earn every yard, as he was often met at the line of scrimmage, but the offensive line was able to wear down the Bengals’ front and eventually win the war.

Nick Chubb picking up a head of steam 💪

📺: #CINvsCLE on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/G4uoYVOqQn pic.twitter.com/osoHva8uJC

— NFL (@NFL) September 10, 2023

The one area of concern is at tackle. Not only did Jack Conklin leave the game with what appears to be a serious knee injury that could be season-ending, but Jedrick Wills struggled as well.

Truthfully, the lone bright spot was the rookie, Dawand Jones, who replaced Conklin in the second half and didn’t once have his name called, which is all an offensive lineman is looking for.

While it doesn’t appear likely that Conklin will be back anytime soon, Jones looks like a guy who can fill the void well.  The bigger question now will be if Wills holds on to his job or if James Hudson starts to get some first-team reps.

Watson Shows Up

Watson may not have jumped off the stat sheet with 16/29 for only 154 yards a touchdown, plus a pick, but if you watched the game, you would know that Watson is a big reason that this team won on Sunday.

Yes, Chubb had over 100 yards rushing, and the defense played lights-out, but Watson made a ton of plays even though he was constantly under pressure. The weather conditions were horrific, yet he made the throws when it mattered most.

Perhaps the play of the game came when Watson called his own number.  The Bengals were showing an all-out blitz and everyone in the stadium thought the play was going to be a quick flare pass outside the hash where the Browns had numbers. Instead, it was a quick draw play. Watson walked in from 13 yards out.

DESHAUN WATSON TOUCHDOWN!pic.twitter.com/Tj3nUTEv85

— Browns fan UK (@brownsfanuk) September 10, 2023

Let’s be blunt: If Baker Mayfield was the quarterback on Sunday afternoon, this game likely would have ended very differently. Instead of three sacks, the Bengals would have had six-plus and probably forced more turnovers.

This team has a lot to be proud of and will likely enjoy the extra day of rest before taking on an angry Steelers team next Monday in Pittsburgh.

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