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Cleveland Browns: Studs and duds in Week 2 reality check

By Matthew McFatridge

Sep 19, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Demetric Felton (25) runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown against the Houston Texans during the third quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 19, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Demetric Felton (25) runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown against the Houston Texans during the third quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Cleveland Browns
Sep 19, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns tight end Harrison Bryant (88) makes a catch as Houston Texans cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III (26) defends during the first half at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

The Cleveland Browns needed to fight a bit harder than anticipated against the Houston Texans in their Week 2 meeting. Here are the positives and negatives to come from the game.

After a very close loss in Week 1 that came down to the final drive against one of the best teams in the NFL, many expected the Cleveland Browns to have a much easier time in their matchup with the Houston Texans in Week 2. However, the Texans fought strong, perhaps showing the Browns that they still have much to improve on.

This was a much-needed reality check for the Browns. While the Texans were coming off a beat-down of the Jacksonville Jaguars, they were still seen as one of the worst teams in the NFL. Cleveland was picked by many to reach the Super Bowl this year, so struggling against a team like the Texans comes as a slight shock.

However, in the end, the team did pull away from Houston late, and found a way to win. Some performances were better than others. Here are three positive takeaways from the Browns victory, and two negative takeaways.

Cleveland Browns Stud: Tight end performance

The biggest standout position for the Cleveland Browns in Week 2 was the play of their tight ends. After an early injury to wide receiver Jarvis Landry left the team with question marks on offense, Baker Mayfield started looking for his tight ends a lot in the passing game.

After a first half that saw the tight ends rack up seven catches for 85 yards, they continued their good play in the second half, ending the game with 11 catches for 107 yards. The leading receiver at tight end was Harrison Bryant, who had 49 yards on four catches, and was a nice outlet that Mayfield knew he could go to when he needed a positive play.

While the Browns offense will always be focused on running the ball successfully, having quality tight end play in the passing game is important for this team. If the wide receiver play is going to remain a question mark throughout the season, the tight ends need to perform as well as they did on Sunday to help Cleveland reach their goals this season.

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