Browns Week 7 studs and duds: Late mistakes dampen strong effort

The Cleveland Browns suffered yet another defeat as the Ravens knocked them off 23-20. Here, we look back at the game and identify a few studs and duds.

It was another loss in Week 7 for the Cleveland Browns as they fell to 2-5 on the season. The Baltimore Ravens held on with a 23-20 lead and while Cleveland had some opportunities to pull it out in the end, they were unable to thanks in large part to some untimely penalties.

Here, we look back at their fourth loss in a row and identify who stood out as both studs and duds in the loss.

Browns Studs and duds week 7

Stud: Jacoby Brissett, Quarterback

Baltimore was dedicated to stopping the run and Jacoby Brissett made sure they paid for that. He started out strong as he was 12-of-14 for 165 yards in the first half while Nick Chubb had just 20 yards on seven carries.

The fact that he was hitting his throws helped the running back in the second half as Chubb had 71 yards in the final two quarters. As for Brissett, he finished 22-of-27 with 258 yards and should have had a potential game-winning touchdown had it not been for a weak offensive pass interference call. It was possibly his best game of the season and gave them a shot against a divisional rival.

Dud: Special Teams

The blocked field goal will get the headlines but that wasn’t the only time Cleveland’s special teams were far from special on Sunday. Punter Corey Bojorquez continued to show off his strong leg but in the second quarter, he outkicked his coverage when he booted it 59 yards from his own eight-yard line.

That allowed Devin Duvernay to allow his blockers to set him up for a 46 yards return, giving Baltimore the ball on the 21. They moved just five yards but still managed to make it a 10-6 game since they were in range for a kick from the beginning.

Cleveland would have been in better shape with a shorter kick that forced a fair catch than booting it that deep and allowing a return.

Stud: Amari Cooper, Wide Receiver

Up 7-3, the Browns were able to extend their lead to 10-7 thanks to a five-play, 52-yard drive on their second possession. However, it should have been even better than this. The very first play of the drive was a 55-yard pass from Jacoby Brissett to Amari Cooper. A penalty and sack forced them back but Cade York still hit a 41-yard field goal thanks to the deep play from Cooper setting them up.

Later in the first half, he put them on the edge of field goal range as they were down 13-10. This time, Cooper made a great sideline catch for eight yards and then drew a pass interference on Marcus Peters to move it to the Baltimore 40. Again, self-inflicted mistakes cost the Browns as they lost 10 yards due to two sacks on the ensuing plays and had to punt.

Cooper was hit with a pass interference late that led to the loss, but that was a questionable call and shouldn’t take away from his strong outing.

Dud: Team Chemistry

Following the loss, there was some shouting heard from the locker room and while head coach Kevin Stefanski can say it’s “normal,” it’s really not. This team has been a mess all season. From having the earliest ever “player’s only meeting” in the history of every major sport, they’ve evolved into finger-pointing and calling out each other for a lack of effort.

None of this is normal and it’s fair to ask if Stefanski has lost control of this locker room. Of course, winning cures everything but if they can never get on the same page, will that ever happen?

Stud: Nick Chubb, Running Back

It’s never a shock to see Nick Chubb listed as a stud. He continues to be the central piece in the Browns offense and put them up 7-0 early when he ran in a touchdown from two yards out. From there, he had a hard time finding lanes and had just 20 yards in the first half.

With the Ravens focused on stopping the run, Jacoby Brissett answered and that allowed Chubb to find more room in the second half. He finished with 91 yards on 16 carries with 16 more yards on two receptions. It was another strong game for one of the best players in the league.

Dud: Jed Wills, Left Tackle

Jedrick Wills has been much better this season than in 2021 but had a rough day on Sunday. The left tackle had two penalties in the first half alone as he was simply off his game. The second was a killer as he was hit with a hold that put his offense in a second-and-18 situation. Before that, they were really playing well and had a 10-6 lead but ended up having to punt it back to the Ravens. It also made it back-to-back three-and-outs for the Cleveland offense.

The issues continued as the Browns were trying to tie it before the half. Down 13-10, Cleveland was moving it but then Wills was beaten by Justin Houston who sacked Jacoby Brissett, causing a fumble. Ethan Pocic was able to recover it but the drive stalled there and Cleveland was unable to tie it up, or take the lead, before the break.

Stud: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Linebacker

Had Cleveland found a way to win, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramaoh would have been the hero. Down by three, the Browns needed something to get them back into the game as the Ravens were marching the ball down the field.

They had gone 51 yards on 11 plays and had it at the Cleveland 24. That’s when JOK stepped up as he forced a fumble on the 12th play of the drive, knocking the ball out of Justice Hill’s hands after he had gained four yards.

Rookie Isaiah Thomas picked up the ball and gave them life with just over three minutes to play. The Browns didn’t pull it off but they can’t blame the defense since they performed well against a team that has given them issues for years.

Dud: Jordan Elliott, Defensive Tackle

When the Browns elected not to sign more defensive tackles this offseason, they were claiming they had faith in Jordan Elliott. Unfortunately, he has yet to live up to those expectations.

Elliott has struggled all season with the run and that was again the case against Baltimore. He ended up with three tackles but more than once he was pushed back and allowed an extra couple of yards even after making contact.

Baltimore is known for their talent on the ground and while the defense did well overall, giving up 160 yards rushing is never a recipe for success. Elliott is a player who is supposed to prevent that from happening but that wasn’t the case in Week 7.