Cleveland Browns Offense Grade: B
This grade would have been an A if the Browns coach Kevin Stefanski wouldn’t haveinexcusably gone so conservative late in the game, a game in which the Browns were winning by a point with three minutes to go.
Baker Mayfield again lost sight of wide-open teammates late in the game and that didn’t help either. Mayfield started the game sizzling, going a perfect eight for eight before a dropped pass from wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. on a crucial early game fourth-down attempt. It blew an opportunity to get another score while in the red zone. Why coach Stefanski doesn’t just go for the points there and not be so aggressive again is a question for another day.
Cleveland did pile on the yards and points in this game, going for a crazy 531 yards, including 230 yards on the ground. The running duo of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt was again awesome to witness as they gashed the Chargers time and again for big yardage.
Why Stefanski didn’t use Chubb even more in that second half, is really concerning. Chubb finished with 21 carries and 161 yards and that score. He would have easily gone over 200 yards if Stefanski had played to win the game. Stefanski’s inability to recognize Chubb’s big game cost the Browns the contest and the win.
There were remerging stars on the Browns offense as well in the game. Tight end David Njoku had a great game catching seven passes for a career-high 149 yards. His biggest catch was in the fourth quarter when he caught a Mayfield pass, bounced off his defender, and sprinted 71 yards for the touchdown.
Wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones joined the show as he grabbed five passes for 70 yards. He’d only had four catches on the season, none in the game against the Minnesota Vikings, so it was good to see Peoples-Jones get into the action this week.
Star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was on the field for 58 plays in the game but was only able to grab two passes from Mayfield. That connection between Mayfield and Beckham continues to be a thorn in the side of almost everyone that follows the team. Where is that going and is it still having an effect on Mayfield’s mental psyche considering the outcomes of most of these games?
Next week, the high-flying and undefeated 5-0 Arizona Cardinals come to Cleveland. Hopefully, higher grade marks await this Browns team as they try and complete the project.