The Cleveland Browns left Week 12 with a big win against the Pittsburgh Steelers during an instant classic primetime contest. It was a fun and snowy game, and Cleveland fans who stuck it out in the cold and win at Huntington Bank Field left with a feeling that sitting through that terrible weather was all worth it in the end.
There was plenty to pull from this game that worked well for Jameis Winston and the Browns' offense, and they desperately needed to perform well after coming out solidly but without a win in Week 11 against the New Orleans Saints. Specifically, it was going to be interesting to see how Winston could continue to get chemistry formed between himself and the Browns' receivers. The snow and wind in Week 12 was just an extra touch to that.
Read more: Browns' big TNF win over Steelers came after one confusing call
But, one play call stood out amongst the several that ended in scores throughout the contest, and it was the call for a two point conversion pass to David Njoku in the end zone that would ultimately give a game winning cushion to the Browns as the Steelers were attempting a comeback.
Despite having previously dropping an easy pass in the end zone, Njoku was trusted to secure the football in a barely visible end zone after Winston managed to hurdle his way in for a touchdown after Njoku's dropped catch. The play call was simple - Winston remained in the pocket and trusted the offensive line to hold up. Njoku simply ran a straight route right into the end zone and managed to get just enough separation on his defender for an athletic flip and catch for the conversion to stick.
This was the best play call for two reasons. One, if you're aiming to get those two points done in the snow and in the air, you better pick a pretty big target for your pass. Njoku is one of Cleveland's biggest receiving targets, so it made perfect sense to target him on that play. Secondly, Njoku deserved a shot at redemption. He's been reliable all season long, and is only recently starting to reap the benefits of that consistency with Winston under center.
Ken Dorsey, who took over play calling several weeks ago from head coach Kevin Stefanski, has really shown he can work well with Winston on developing plays and chemistry. If he's able to keep unlocking this next level of play from not just Winston, but from the Browns' receivers and their run game, Cleveland is likely to make sure they stick him with the QB he's best alongside - and right now, that's Winston.