Instant reactions: Cleveland Browns go through the motions in win

Cleveland Browns Secondary Plays Well

The offense played a very bland and vanilla-style game, but the defense decided the offense was too flashy so they went an even more generic scheme. The Browns decided to simply line up and play football on defense. There was no attempt to disguise, run blitzes or be tricky in any way.

You may say, of course it’s bland it is preseason. Yes, I agree. But today’s game was even more bland and generic than usual. At least most teams look to work on schemes, blitzes, or getting things on tape to evaluate later. There is no reason to believe the Browns did anything today but get tape on backups to evaluate.

One defender who stood out today was Richard LeCounte III. He looks to be the real deal. He was all over the field. He was always in the right spot. He made the hits when hits needed to be made. He is making the case to be an integral part of the Browns defense this season. With all the injuries to the safety room, LeCounte is taking full advantage of his opportunity.

Another player who took advantage of his time on the field was cornerback Greg Newsome. He had very few targets come his way. When they did come his way, he was able to make the play. He was in on several tackles. In short, he had a quiet day, which is exactly what a team wants from a rookie corner. His play may have helped him secure a starting role on the defense.

One bright spot on defense was Malik McDowell. Although still a very long shot to make the roster, McDowell made his Browns debut today. He made a nice play on a two-point conversion to preserve the Browns 14-13 lead.

Overall, the defense was super generic. It was a line-up and play mentality. The Browns defensive backups were better than the Giants backups on this day.