Lessons from Week 2: Deshaun Watson, Baker Mayfield, Week 1 Browns, defense in our 4 Downs
· Yahoo Sports
Raise your hand if you had the Cleveland Browns going on the road upsetting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. No one? Okay, well, not no one, but very few. Raise your hand if you had quarterback Deshaun Watson outplaying Baker Mayfield. Okay, no more questions.
Despite a lengthy rain delay late in the 4th quarter, the Browns found a way to finish their Florida road trip on a high note by beating the Bucs. Almost everyone picked Tampa Bay to win; however, it was Cleveland leaving Raymond James Stadium with a victory.
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1st Down: Never overreact to Week 1Week 1 overreactions are the best. It’s what makes the NFL (or any sport, for that matter) unique. Yes, the Browns had a bad outing last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The most important thing for Cleveland was to see how they would respond.
Both offensively and defensively, the team had a much better showing. This team is unlikely to make the postseason, but they have the opportunity to play spoiler in certain weeks. If the NFL has taught us anything, never overreact to the 1st week of the season. Unless it is justified.
2nd Down: Give Deshaun Watson his flowersGive credit where credit is due. Everyone knows how poorly Watson has played since he’s been in Cleveland, but Week 2 was one of his best outings as a Brown. The last time I saw Watson play this well was back in 2023 during the 2nd half of their game against the Baltimore Ravens. Granted, the bar is low, but he looked like the guy that the Browns traded for.
Watson made the necessary plays that he needed to make and used his legs to his advantage. Considering how he looked last week and how he was talked about locally and nation the entire week, a performance like this was something he needed.
It’s unlikely that he finishes the season as the starter, but overall not a bad at-the-office for Watson.
3rd down: Baker Mayfield shows why the Browns moved off himI don’t like bringing up stuff from the past, but this third down will be the exception. When it comes to Mayfield, he’s not a bad quarterback, but he’s not someone who’s going to elevate your team and get you to a Super Bowl. You can question Cleveland for replacing Mayfield with Watson, but you can’t question the Browns moving off of Mayfield.
Deshaun Watson outplayed Baker Mayfield on Sunday.
It’s not an exaggeration; it’s a fact. Tampa Bay signing Mayfield to an extension was a premature decision, and it’s a decision the team felt they were forced to make. I understand not wanting to lose Mayfield in free agency, but giving him all that money when he hasn’t earned it just wasn’t smart by them. It was the decision the Browns refused to make.
Mayfield hasn’t played well going back to the second half of last season, and it has continued. Constant overthrows and not seeing open receivers; it was a bad day for Mayfield. Sunday showed why Cleveland was right to move on.
4th down: Defense respondsIt is no exaggeration to say that the Browns defense had one of their worst outings in some time in Week 1, by their standards. This week? Much better.
Cleveland’s defense could use Myles Garrett right now more than Jim Schwartz. Losing a player like Garrett hurts because you don’t have that presence when it matters the most. Having someone like that can elevate an entire defense, but as of now they don’t have that.
Overall, outside of a few explosive plays given up, the performance was better. The tackling will get better as the year goes on, and the moving parts will eventually settle in. Defensive tackle Mason Graham is the best player on the defensive line as of right now. Jared Verse will receive some grace with the win, but the concerns about him were valid in terms of his pass rushing. Tampa’s offense didn’t do themselves any favors, but the Browns defense had a good day after an abysmal outing last week.
Extra Points- I don’t fault Todd Monken for being aggressive, but if you are going to be aggressive, at least be smart. Going for it deep in your own territory wasn’t the best idea and the play call was terrible. Thankfully, Monken avoided being a talking point this week by redeeming himself later in the game
- I don’t know if Tampa Bay is bad or not, but they aren’t as good as people suggested they would be. It’s early, but the early returns aren’t good.
- The Browns came out of the weather delay with high energy, which didn’t surprise me, as the effort for this team hasn’t been an issue.
- The run blocking is a work in progress; I cannot emphasize that enough. It will be a while before the offensive line will be able to run effectively
- Denzel Boston is pretty good. So is Harold Fannin Jr. And KC Concepcion. Oh, and Quinshon Judkins.
24 hours removed, what are some of your takeaways from the Browns vs Bucs in Week 2?
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