Five thoughts on the Browns preseason win against Tampa Bay

Aug 29, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Cleveland Browns strong safety Ibraheim Campbell (30) pressures Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Sure, Tampa Bay has one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, but that shouldn’t take away from what the Browns accomplished along the defensive front.

The Browns limited Winston to just six-of-15 passing, good for a quarterback rating of 32.6, while picking him off once and sacking him four times.

“I know they are a little banged up in their offensive line, but we wanted our guys to go out there and go hunting – that’s what they do.” – Mike Pettine on the pass rush

“We felt good about the matchup. I know they are a little banged up in their offensive line, but we wanted our guys to go out there and go hunting – that’s what they do,” Pettine said. “You get teams in adverse down and distance situations and then you turn those guys loose. I thought Jimmy [O’Neil] did a good job of mixing coverage and pressure and letting those guys rush. I thought he blitzed at opportune times as well. I thought he had a good feel for what they were going to do. Like I said, this was the really first one that we truly game planned for. Both sides of the ball, we felt good about our plan.”

It was especially nice to see Desmond Bryant come up with sacks on consecutive third downs on Tampa Bay’s opening two drives.

“We have a great rotation, (I got) in there early, (made) a couple plays, and let the other guys go in there and eat. This is our last chance before the regular season to make a statement,” Bryant said. “I wouldn’t say (the defense was) perfect, definitely have to look at the tape, see some things to be corrected. It’s definitely a good set. Once again, last dress rehearsal and we want to go out there and make a statement. The Browns are for real this year.”

It was also encouraging that rookie safety Ibraheim Campbell had a sack and rookie cornerback Charles Gaines had an interception, as they continue to take advantage of their opportunities (please take note, Justin Gilbert) and make the roster decisions as hard as possible for the coaching staff.

Even the run defense was relatively decent. While the Browns allowed Tampa to run for 4.9 yards per carry in the first half, if you take away the 19-yard touchdown run by Doug Martin (we know, every play counts), it becomes a more tolerable 3.5 yards per carry.

The Browns even held “superstar” running back Bobby Rainey to no yards (even though it was just one carry).

Next: The injury bug continues to bite