Cleveland Browns: RG3 shines in loss to Atlanta Falcons

The Cleveland Browns looked much better in Thursday night’s preseason matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.

The Cleveland Browns seemed to be off to another dismal start Thursday night after opening the game with a three-and-out. But while the final score was 24-13 in favor of the Atlanta Falcons, the Browns showed some life Thursday night.

The Falcons responded to the three-and-out with a nine-play, 71-yard touchdown drive, but Robert Griffin III and rest of the Browns offense had an answer.

The answer was a beautiful 50-yard touchdown pass to receiver Terrelle Pryor, who blew by his defender en route to the touchdown.

It was a perfect throw from Griffin, but the separation by Pryor is something that hasn’t been seen from a Browns receiver since Josh Gordon last played.

We have yet to see Corey Coleman in game action, but Pryor has emerged as the top receiver in the group so far. Even if he ends up behind Coleman and Gordon on the depth chart during the season, he is going to be a dominant force on offense.

Griffin was not done, making the most of his extended playing time in front of the home crowd. This time, Gary Barnidge was the beneficiary of a great pass from Griffin.

Griffin finished 6 for 8 with 96 yards and the two touchdowns, along with 36 rushing yards. While it is an incredibly small sample size, Griffin does look like he is ready to be a starter in the NFL once again.

His accuracy improved immensely since last week’s game at Green Bay, and his newfound ability to run the ball and slide at the proper time is something he failed to do in Washington, thus leading to his multitude of injuries.

This new version of Griffin is one that should be able to play for an entire season, given he sticks with these habits of protecting himself on the field.

While Griffin was the most impressive player on offense, Carl Nassib had himself a great game on defense.

The rookie out of Penn State had a sequence in the third quarter where he picked up a sack, while forcing a fumble and recovering that fumble all in a matter of a few seconds.

The rookie is being expected to be a force on the defensive line following the season-ending injury to Desmond Bryant. Based on his play through two games, he looks to be well on his way to being a mainstay along the defensive line.

Next: The K'Waun Williams saga continues

The next preseason game for the Browns is next Friday on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.