Top Takeaways: Cleveland Browns Seal Playoff Fate
Nov 12, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Cleveland Browns offensive tackle James Hudson III (66) celebrates a first down against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports
After two decades of misery, the Cleveland Browns will be heading to the playoffs for the second time since 1999. To top it off, they have won 11 games for the first time in that span. And, in a year fraught with so much adversity, head coach Kevin Stefanski should have locked up Coach Of the Year honors.
The stadium was bursting at the seams all night until the final whistle. The score was much closer than the actual game. The Browns got off to a hot start, and a defensive touchdown from the New York Jets and a few Browns turnovers were the only thing keeping this game watchable for the casual fan.
This victory puts the Browns in the driver’s seat for the first Wild Card spot, which will be crucial to keep from traveling to Miami or Baltimore and would likely bring a much more favorable matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
As we enjoy our Friday morning coffee knowing the Browns have their playoff spot locked up and a full slate of football ahead, let’s dive into all three facets of the game.
Joe Flacco Continues His Tear
Although the production didn’t continue into the second half, Joe Flacco’s three touchdowns and 296 yards in the first half were pretty impressive. As a Browns fan who remembers getting torched by him as a Raven, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him in a better rhythm than the first half of Thursday night.
He certainly had the pick-six blemish, which was the result of a fantastic adjustment by the defender, but to be a true contender in the playoffs the turnovers are going to have to stop. On top of the pick-six, David Njoku and Pierre Strong both lost fumbles that could have been costly.
It was great to see the Browns get a little bit going in the running game. No one jumped off the tape, but a handful of 10-plus-yard runs was better than anything we’ve seen in a few weeks.
The offensive line had struggled mightily of late, but they finally held their own against the Jets. Even though we may not see a ton of starters in next week’s matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals, I’ll be watching closely to see if the O-line can hold up.
Defense Holds Tight
As great a night as it was for Cleveland, Flacco still managed to put them in some danger by giving up another pick-six, which at this point is becoming a bit of a habit. The Browns’ defense once again battened down the hatches and got the job done.
Myles Garrett ended his five-game sackless streak by getting Trevor Simien on the ground, and Ronnie Hickman had a fantastic pick-six that really helped the Browns separate early.
Once again Breece Hall made a lot of explosive plays on the ground that I didn’t like, and it was one of the first game where Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (JOK) stood out on the film in a negative way.
Hall is one of the better backs in the league, but the defensive line continues to be aggressive in their gap soundness, which can often leave big holes if they’re not careful.
JOK, who has been a top-three defensive player all year for the Browns, just seemed to have an off night. He got caught up in blocks, took poor angles, and got burned for a touchdown in the first half that was very uncharacteristic for him.
It’s easy to focus on the bad, but given the hand they were dealt this was a strong overall performance against a team that has some talented players on offense but has been lacking quarterback play all season.
At the end of the day, the defense came up with a blocked field goal and turned up the heat on Trevor Siemian when they needed to make him uncomfortable.
One Lingering Question Mark
For all the good we saw on Thursday night, I left the evening with one major concern heading into the playoffs. Two weeks ago, I would have said the offensive line; now I’m going to turn back to the placekicker.
After being let go by the Detroit Lions mid-season, Riley Patterson was brought in after the soft tissue injury to Dustin Hopkins, who was performing at an All-Pro level. Hopkins not only had a strong leg, but his accuracy had been clutch all year long and won the Browns multiple games.
For me it wasn’t just the missed extra point in the first half that felt huge at the time, it’s knowing that a kick outside of 50 yards with Patterson isn’t even an option.
Shockingly enough, where we felt it the most on Thursday was in the return game. When kicking into the wind, Patterson couldn’t get it into the end zone, which resulted in multiple long returns that put the Browns’ defense in a tough position.
The hope remains that Hopkins can get healthy for the playoffs, but keep your eye on special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone. He must keep his group in line, especially the kickoff team, where a lot of these guys aren’t used to having to go down and make a tackle.
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