It was another tough loss in week 11 for the Cleveland Browns. Here are the studs and duds from the game that likely sealed their season.
It was another promising start for the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, but it was also another disappointing finish as they fell to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. After the game getting rescheduled to Detroit likely gave the high-powered Bills offense a leg up, the game got out of hand in the second half.
The positives of Sunday, the Browns defense played really well for about a quarter in a half. The offense also managed to move the football most of the day, but they had timely penalties and stalled out before hitting the end zone one too many times.
At 3-7 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next on the schedule, there isn’t a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving as a Browns fan. The good news, only one more week before the return of Deshaun Watson. This offense has been just good enough that he could be the exact spark they need.
Here are the studs and duds from the demoralizing loss on Sunday.
Cleveland Browns studs and duds Week 11
Stud: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
There’s no doubt the Cleveland Browns desperately missed Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (JOK) the last two weeks. The second-year player has been dealing with a knee injury for a few weeks but his return on Sunday was felt.
JOK was all over the field and constantly putting pressure on Josh Allen. Multiple times throughout the game JOK was able to limit what looked to be a huge run by Allen because of his athleticism. With 12 tackles, he jumped out of the tv on Sunday which is difficult to do for a linebacker. I wish he had a little more size to eat up blocks, but his toughness and drive are what I desire of every Browns player.
In a year where there hasn’t been a ton of excitement on the defensive side of the ball, JOK is a real bright spot and is a great building block for the future.
Dud – Joe Woods
I’m smart enough to realize that Joe Woods had a to of success before coming to the Cleveland Browns, but man it is continuing to get harder and harder to defend him. One of the biggest concerns I have with this defense is the effort. They have shown they can stop anyone, but they also get lazy and can give up 500 yards to one of the worst defenses in the league.
This roster lacks leadership, which is not ideal, but Woods has struggled to rally these troops and keep them motivated. It’s asking a lot of Woods to make this defense elite with a lot of overvalued players, but it just feels like the game plan struggles more and more each week.
Stud – Offensive Tackles
Although things got a little hairy at the end of the game and Jack Conklin left with an injury, the offense tackles played much better on Sunday vs. a strong Bills pass rush. Conklin looked fantastic vs. Von Miller before his injury and Jedrick Wills also had a strong game.
If you remember, Jacoby Brissett was under a ton of pressure last week vs. the Dolphins and it was one of the worst games the tackle tandem has ever had. Once James Hudson entered the game late in the fourth, you also felt the presence of Miller instantly.
This was a game that never felt that close, but if the tackles can play as well as they did today, the offense stands a chance. Brissett can make some throws, but he definitely needs time.
Dud – Run Defense
I already have Woods on this list, but the entire defense deserves to be on the dud list with another week of giving up a ton of rushing yards. The two running backs for Buffalo each ran for over 85 yards, and truthfully if the Bills would have run it more, they could have racked up a ton more yards.
At times today, it looked like the defensive line was actually getting penetration, but they couldn’t finish the play. They just got up the field, and actually opened up bigger holes by taking themselves out of the play. The secondary stepped up and made a few nice tackles which was a pleasant surprise, but overall, it was still a complete disaster on Sunday.
Woods is committed to the dime scheme defense with an extra safety, but with how battered the Browns are at linebacker, they may need to consider always keeping a bigger body on the field.
Stud – Amari Cooper
Through all the bad, Amari Cooper continues to shine as the Cleveland Browns no. one wide receiver. He racked up eight catches for 113 yards to go with two touchdowns and has quickly become the favorite target for Brissett.
The return of David Njoku likely helped Cooper as well, as some attention had to go to the playmaking tight end who returned from an ankle injury. Cooper just does everything right. He isn’t a typical diva wide receiver, he is not afraid to block downfield, and he is as good of a route runner there is in the NFL right now.
At this point, I’m just looking forward to seeing Deshaun Watson throw him the ball.
Week 11 instant reactions: Browns fail to capitalize, fall to 3-7
The Cleveland Browns had all the opportunities in the world but failed to capitalize and in turn, fell 31-23 to the Bills, dropping to 3-7 on the season.