Browns Week 12 studs and duds: David Njoku rises to the occasion

The Cleveland Browns got a huge win in Week 12 over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Here are the players that stood out as studs and duds in the victory.

There’s been a lot of negativity surrounding the Cleveland Browns this season but winning seems to fix a lot. That’s the feeling now as they improved to 4-7 with an overtime victory against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It’s still a long shot they make it into the postseason but with Deshaun Watson reinstated, hope is renewed.

But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s look back at the action from Sunday and see who stood out as both studs and duds in Week 12.

Cleveland Browns Week 12 studs and duds

Stud: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Linebacker

Two drives in a row ended in three-and-outs for the Browns defense in the first half — which was a welcome sight. The first was thanks to rookie Alex Wright knocking down a pass on third-and-five but the second drive ended thanks to a great play from Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.

The second-year linebacker knifed through the line on third-and-one and stuffed Rachaad White for a loss of one yard. JOK had missed the past couple of games and it was apparent this linebacker corps missed him. They might not be an elite defense, by any means, but he’s a playmaker that they rely heavily upon.

He finished with a team-high eight tackles and was a huge reason the Bucs were held under 100 yards on the ground.

Dud: Denzel Ward, Cornerback

This was a game to forget for Denzel Ward.

On the opening drive, he was beaten by Julio Jones on one play and then Chris Godwin on the next — and that one went for six. He later peeled off his receiver, concerned with the deep ball, giving up an easy first down.

Ward has been a solid cornerback for years but this season, he’s seemed to regress. And Sunday was one of his worst outings.