Browns studs and duds Week 3: Amari Cooper goes off in redemption win

The Cleveland Browns knocked off the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3. Here were the studs and duds from the 29-17 win over their divisional rival

Week 2 can finally be put to rest. The Cleveland Browns responded to one of the more epic meltdowns ever by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football in Week 3.

Having the short week was a blessing for them since they were able to stop all the noise — and they were able to hand a divisional rival a loss in the process.

Here we look back at the game and identify who stood out as studs and duds in the Browns second win of the season.

Browns studs and duds Week 3

Stud: David Njoku, TE

In Weeks 1 and 2, David Njoku was rather quiet. He made up for that in Week 3. Njoku was open all day and entered the half with seven receptions on seven targets for 69 yards. He also had the second touchdown of the game, catching one from seven yards out to put the Browns up 13-7. That tied a career-high in receptions for him and he still had a second half to play.

He didn’t make as much noise but then again, Cleveland spent the final 30 minutes primarily running the ball. Njoku ended up with a new career high still, with nine receptions on 10 targets for 89 yards and a touchdown.

Dud: Mike Priefer, Special Teams Coordinator

There’s clearly an issue with the Browns special teams unit. They had some problems with their punt returner and this week, they finally decided to leave him inactive. Demetric Felton wasn’t on the field as Chester Rogers replaced him. While he was fine, Jerome Ford had a blunder on a kick return.

Before the half, Ford ran the ball out of the end zone and was tackled at the 12. Had he let the ball go for a touchback, they would have had 13 more yards. That drive ended on downs at the Pittsburgh 31, but perhaps they take the three points if they’re closer. Those points weren’t needed in this one, but if the game stayed closer that decision could have been costly.

There was also a late penalty on the Steelers’ final possession. When going for a 39-yard field goal, the Browns were called for too many men on the field, moving them five yards closer before attempting the kick. Topping it off was another onside kick where the ball wasn’t secured and bounced around for a moment.

It went out of bounds and wouldn’t have mattered since Pittsburgh was offsides but the mistakes keep happening under Priefer.

Stud: Nick Chubb, RB

Amari Cooper got the touchdown to put the Browns on the board first in the opening quarter, but Nick Chubb was the one who put Cleveland in position.

Right after Jacoby Brissett snuck it for the first down on fourth-and-inches, Chubb took it to the right side for 36 yards — and made a heck of a move on Minkah Fitzpatrick near the end of the play.

Chubb also helped move the ball downfield late in the third quarter, into the fourth. He was integral to their 11-play drive that covered 80 yards and ate up 6:35. Chubb sat for a few plays but returned for a fourth-and-one play where he ran the ball right into the end zone to put Cleveland up 23-14.

He finished with 113 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Chubb continues to be the key to this offense even when defenses sell out to stop him.

Dud: Jordan Elliott, DT

Every defensive tackle could be listed here for the Browns but Jordan Elliott is the one they were counting on to help slow down the run. On Thursday night, Pittsburgh had their way on the ground and one reason was Elliott being pushed back quite often in the running game.

In the end, it didn’t matter much as the Steelers had to abandon the run but had this game stayed close, Najee Harris could have been a major problem.

Stud: Amari Cooper, WR

Amari Cooper continues to be a stud.

His stats weren’t great in Week 1 but he was open the entire game against Carolina. He’s remained open the past two weeks and after having 101 yards and a touchdown in Week 2, he again went off in Week 3 — and added his second touchdown in as many games.

He continued to play well from that point, topping 100-yards for the second time this season. He crossed that mark on his seventh reception which came on a third-and-one to start the fourth quarter. A play-action pass from Brissett found Cooper wide open after a route that left his man looking lost on the field. No. 2 ended up pulling it in and gaining 32 yards before being taken down.

In all, he had 101 yards (for the second week in a row) on seven receptions. He’s proven to be everything this team thought they were getting.

Dud: Denzel Ward, CB

Following the second Cleveland touchdown, Pittsburgh started moving it down the field again and it was clear they were attacking Denzel Ward. Diontae Johnson caught an eight-yard pass on first down. Two plays later, Trubisky avoided a sack and again hit Johnson, who beat Ward for a 16-yard gain to move it into Cleveland territory.

After Cleveland turned it over on downs, Ward was flagged for holding as he grabbed Johnson when he was trying to make a cut, giving Pittsburgh a fresh set of downs.

Ward continued to struggle in the second half, giving up a 14-yard gain on second-and-19 in the third quarter. That turned the following third-down into a manageable situation but they were bailed out when Chase Claypool was called for offensive pass interference.

He nearly gave up a long play to Johnson in the third as well, but the Pittsburgh wideout dropped the pass, which led to Nick Chubb’s touchdown run that put Cleveland up by nine with just under 10 minutes to play.

The game ended with Ward falling on a fumbled lateral in the end zone, which means he scored a touchdown, but overall, it was a night to forget for the former No. 4 overall pick.