3 Cleveland Browns who stood out despite Week 12 defeat

After winning their past three games, the Cleveland Browns were handed a tough loss in Week 12. What made this one so frustrating wasn't the fact that they lost 29-12 but it was how hard they fought back from a 14-0 hole only to see it fall apart thanks to injuries and turnovers.

Cleveland lost Dorian Thompson-Robinson to a concussion as well as Amari Cooper to a rib injury. They even saw Myles Garrett and Martin Emerson head to the sideline at one point, and while their injuries didn't seem to be too troubling, it did take them off the field. That's not ideal especially when Anthony Walker and Denzel Ward were already out.

In the end, this loss doesn't hurt their playoff standings but it could have a ripple effect if DTR misses time. And while we have plenty of time to reflect on what went wrong, there are some players who should be praised for their work in Denver. Here we look at three Browns who stood out despite the loss.

3. Jerome Ford, Running Back

The Broncos came into this one with a weak run defense and Jerome Ford was able to take advantage of that. Well, sort of. He did run incredibly well and averaged 7.2 yards per attempt. The problem was that he was given just nine carries on the day.

Ford, who is starting in place of an injured Nick Chubb, went for 65 yards on his nine attempts. He added 14 yards on four receptions but it was his work on the ground that stood out. And he should have been given the ball more often.

Not only did Cleveland throw it too often but they gave Kareem Hunt seven rushes and he did what he's done all year — average three yards per attempt. Hunt excites the fans when he jumps over players but his vision was awful on Sunday and he continually ran into traffic rather than the open holes. Ford, on the other hand, was on fire and deserved to carry the load in this one.

2. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Linebacker

Cleveland was off to a slow start on Sunday, beginning with a three-and-out on their opening drive. That was just the 10th time this year the Broncos' defense was able to force a team to punt after just three plays. They quickly surrendered a touchdown and had another offensive series to forget after that.

This time, the Browns were unable to convert on a fourth-and-one thanks to Harrison Bryant fumbling the snap on a potential tight end sneak. That was the second time this same play failed them as a third-and-one lost the five yards when Ethan Pocic was hit with a false start on the same formation.

Denver then had a chance to break the game open with the ball at midfield. They knew this wouldn’t be easy since the defense is so stingy but they initially seemed to be well within field goal range as Russell Wilson converted on a fourth-and-two. However, as he was being taken down at the end of his eight-yard run, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah reached in and punched the ball loose.

Wilson wound up fumbling it and Alex Wright made an impressive recovery in traffic. Unfortunately, the defense was back on the field in a hurry since the offense again let them down. Despite the turnover giving them momentum, it was another three-and-out for the offense as they gained a total of three yards before punting again.

He began the second half with the same passion and again stepped up on the Broncos' opening drive. Down 14-6, the Browns needed the defense to get them the ball back and that happened thanks in large part to JOK. On third-and-one, Javonte Williams got the ball but was stuffed for a three-yard loss when Owusu-Koramoah met him in the backfield to force a quick three-and-out.

JOK finished with 12 tackles, two for a loss, and had a sack as well. He continues to shine for Cleveland and despite the loss, he stood out as a star. This has easily been his best season as a pro and as long as he keeps playing this well, the Browns will always have a fighting chance.

1. Cedric Tillman, Wide Receiver

Cleveland was set on improving their wide receiving corps this offseason. They had a huge campaign in 2022 from Amari Cooper but outside of him, there wasn’t a lot to get excited about. That’s why they added Elijah Moore in a trade, sending their top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the New York Jets for the speedy receiver.

They also received the 74th pick in the draft, which wound up being their first selection. That was also used to add a receiver, as their first pick wound up being Cedric Tillman from Tennessee. His addition gave them a large 6-foot-3, 215-pound target on the outside across from Cooper.

Through the first 10 games, however, Tillman hasn’t seen the ball much. Even with Donovan Peoples-Jones being traded to Detroit, he’s been largely forgotten — until Sunday. Tillman came into the game with just 10 yards on three receptions but doubled that total on his first catch in this one.

Tillman had a 10-yard reception in the first quarter and continued to see the ball come his way. In the first half alone, he had 55 yards on four receptions, including a 23-yarder that moved the ball to the Denver nine. The Browns had to settle for a field goal but No. 19 did a great job moving the ball deep into enemy territory.

He didn't record another catch in the second half but much of that had to do with DTR being out with a concussion. The two were former high school teammates so their rapport is unsurprising. Hopefully, the fact that they started connecting means even more good things are on the way for Tillman.

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