Cleveland Browns: Orange and Brown Scrimmage recap

The typical scarlet and gray blanket covering Ohio Stadium in Columbus was temporarily replaced by an orange and brown assortment of 42,310 fans who came for the annual Orange and Brown Scrimmage on Saturday afternoon.

The fans who packed the horseshoe witnessed a practice full of game-like situations, intended to provide experience for this young Cleveland Browns team.

The main headlines of the scrimmage included the phenomenal play of receiver Terrelle Pryor, who took over the mock game, recording two touchdown receptions, including a 75-yard one on the final play of practice.

Following Corey Coleman’s impressive performance on Friday night, Pryor displayed the impressive resilience of the wide receivers, a group which has consistently had a critical role in training camp.

“He’s done a tremendous job,” head coach Hue Jackson said of Pryor. “There are a lot of guys that I can say that about, but he’s definitely one. He has taken this opportunity and he is trying to make the most of it.”

As for Coleman, the rookie wide receiver had the day off due to a sore hamstring, opening the door for other receivers to shine. Jordan Payton and Rashard Higgins were two rookies who benefited from Coleman’s absence, making an impression on offense.

Despite all of the attention the receivers were given on Saturday, it is important to still understand that this offense runs collaboratively. Their success has come based on a variety of different groups coming together and improving simultaneously, especially the offensive line. In addition, both Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson bounced back after a rough day on Friday.

Most evident, however, was the continued progression of the quarterbacks who saw action.

Presumably the starter, Robert Griffin III led three scoring drives, converting on two touchdown passes to Pryor. Most notably, Griffin made a spectacular throw on a fade route in the end zone to Pryor, who made the catch amidst solid defense from cornerback K’Waun Williams.

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Josh McCown‘s performance was mixed. In his limited action, the 37-year-old committed the only turnover of the day by throwing an interception. However, McCown did cap the day with electrifying deep touchdown pass to Pryor.

Third-round draft pick Cody Kessler also saw a lot of action Saturday. While Kessler missed some throws, he took some more strides as a rookie who is not expected to play much during the regular season.

What will go unnoticed for the most part will be the consistent play of tight end Connor Hamlett, who is still introducing himself to the majority of Browns fans. Hamlett once again used his 6-foot-7 frame to make an impressive, critical catch. Additionally, the former Oregon State Beaver was involved in a lot of the run blocking and pass protection, proving to the coaching staff that he is a well-rounded player.

On the injury front, offensive lineman Cameron Erving sat out the scrimmage, still suffering from a tweaked elbow. The good news, however, is that Jackson said the Erving should be back soon. In addition, no injuries were suffered today, as the players were not in pads and there wasn’t much contact.

The Browns offense gave fans a glimpse of how potentially potent it could be in 2016. With Pryor having a spectacular performance following a similar outing by Coleman, the Browns clearly have multiple threats on offense. With wide receiver Josh Gordon hopefully returning soon to practice, and Gary Barnidge still playing solidly at tight end, this version of the Browns offense could be a very good one.

The Browns will take today off before making their final preparations for their first preseason game on Friday night in Green Bay.

If you missed any of the action from the Orange and Brown Scrimmage, you can catch a reply on the Browns website.

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The Browns will be back on practice on Monday at 3:15 p.m. The full training camp schedule for future training camp sessions can be found here, and free general admission tickets can be reserved here.