Browns 3 studs (and 2 duds) in statement win over Titans

This was the exact type of game the Cleveland Browns needed to see. On the heels of their first loss, the criticism was pouring in and they answered with authority.

Cleveland sent the Tennessee Titans home with a 27-3 defeat as they won in every facet of the game. Now at 2-1, they're preparing to host the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4.

Before we focus on that game, let's look back over this one and identify three studs and two duds from the massive win.

Honorable mention: Jerome Ford

Cleveland had several players step up and with Nick Chubb going down last week, that's what they needed. One guy who was asked to rise to the occasion was Jerome Ford, who is now the starting running back — and he rose to the occasion.

Ford, who caught his first career touchdown last week, hauled in his second to put the Browns up 10-3. This time, he went in from 19 yards out after a great route left him wide open.

Ford ran in another score from three-yards out late in the third, which out Cleveland up 20-3. He's not the same style runner as Chubb but he can get the job done and was great in his first career start.

His rushing totals were underwhelming with 18 yards on 10 attempts but he added 33 yards on just two receptions. But he had two of the team's touchdowns which means he wasn't one of the top studs but still deserves some praise for his performance.

Browns Stud: Deshaun Watson, QB

He took the heat when the Browns lost and that means he should get the praise when they win. Especially when he puts up his best game in a Cleveland uniform.

Deshaun Watson was shaky in his first two starts and was charged with two turnovers that were returned for touchdowns against the Steelers. This week, he was dialed in and completed 27-of-33 passes for 289 yards with two touchdowns — and no turnovers for the first time this year.

The first was when he found Jerome Ford running free — after he juked a defender out of his shoes. His second touchdown came in the fourth quarter when he hit Amari Cooper for a 43-yard score to put the game away.

Watson and Cooper both headed to the sideline after that play since the game was well in hand. It was a nice change from a week ago.

It was the perfect way to end a game where he was finally finding his confidence. Watson connected on a lot of short passes early in the game and by the second half, he was dropping dimes even when Tennessee had tight coverage.

There's still a long way to go before Watson proves the team right for making the huge move to bring him in but this Sunday we all saw why they felt he was worth the price.

Browns Dud: Elijah Moore, WR

Elijah Moore was Cleveland's huge offseason addition to the offense this year but hadn't really broken out through the first two weeks. He entered this one with just 79 yards on two receptions with 24 yards on three rushes. But in Week 3, it was clear they wanted to get him involved more.

That was evident on the opening drive as Moore caught a 10-yard pass on third-and-four. He added a seven-yarder on third-and-six and overall had five touches on the opening drive.

Two drives later, he was again force-fed with three touches on a four-play drive — but this time, he made a huge mistake. Moore caught a four-yard pass on second-and-eight but then fumbled the ball, giving the Titans a short field, starting on the Cleveland 17.

Cleveland's defense held them to a field goal and in the end, they were the only points the Titans scored — and it was thanks to the offense.

Overall, Moore had a good game with nine receptions for 49 yards but finished with three rushes for a loss of one yard.

It was nice to see him involved so much more in the offense since he's so dynamic but he never truly broke a big play and was responsible for the only points the defense surrendered.

Browns Stud: Amari Cooper, WR

This offseason, there was a lot of talk about the Browns going after DeAndre Hopkins after he was released by the Arizona Cardinals. Fans were convinced Cleveland needed to add him as their No. 1 wideout, completely forgetting that Amari Cooper proved last year that he's still a major weapon in the passing game.

As fate would have it, Cooper put on arguably his most dominant performance for the Browns against Tennessee while Hopkins managed just 48 yards for the Titans.

Cooper ended up with 116 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions and it could have been much more. He not only drew several pass interference and holding penalties but also had a 25-yard reception that could have gone for another 40.

In the second quarter, Cooper hauled in a deep pass from DeShaun Watson and then broke the initial tackle after the catch. He followed that up by juking the safety in the middle of the field and was free to take it to the house. That, unfortunately, didn't happen since the official who was only feet away from the play whistled the play dead, saying Cooper was out of bounds.

The replay showed how egregious the call was and despite getting the win, the Browns are surely going to stay sour about this one since it negatively impacted Cooper's incredibly dominant day.

Browns Dud: Jedrick Wills, LT

As has been the case for the first three weeks of the season — as well as for the six games he appeared in during the 2022 campaign — Deshaun Watson was constantly under pressure. Time and again he's taken the snap and immediately been on the move trying to avoid free rushers.

In Week 2, that led to several huge mistakes. Not only was Watson sacked six times but he also missed a few open players due to the pressure and had the late fumble when he was hit by T.J. Watt. That wound up deciding the game and it was a fitting end to a night where the offensive line was destroyed.

This week, there was a lot of the same in the first half — but it wasn't the entire line. Instead, it was mostly Jedrick Wills who really struggled.

The fifth-year tackle was often matched up against Arden Key and the speedy outside linebacker had his way with him. Throughout the first half, No. 49 was in the backfield forcing the ball out quickly. He even allowed a pass rusher to run right past him at one point, seemingly unaware he was even there.

To his credit, Deshaun Watson finally started to look like the player we saw in Houston. He was evading the pressure and making good plays but the Browns clearly need more from Wills going forward. He was better in the second half but has to get things figured out earlier against Baltimore in Week 4.

Browns Stud: Myles Garrett, EDGE

After Elijah Moore fumbled inside their own red zone, the defense was again asked to bail out the offense — and Myles Garrett responded. He broke through the offensive line on first down and took Derrick Henry down for a three-yard loss. On the very next play, he hit Ryan Tannehill's arm as he tried to pass, which was ruled a sack and fumble. Tennessee recovered the ball but it forced them into a third-and-17 and they wound up settling for a field goal.

This was the second time Garrett impacted a drive as he was able to force a punt on the opening drive, even though that one won't show up on the stat sheet. On third-and-three, Tannehill took aim for DeAndre Hopkins but his pass sailed high. He was hit by his own lineman as Garrett — who was lined up next to Za'Darius Smith which feels unfair — pushed Andre Dillard into Tannehill, forcing the off-target pass.

He continued to cause issues, drawing a hold midway through the second quarter when he got past Dillard while pursuing Tannehill. The flag negated a completion that would have moved the chains, forcing Tennessee into a third-and-12. A penalty from Martin Emerson kept the drive alive but all that did was allow Garrett and Okoronkwo to combine for a sack on third-and-11 to force another punt.

As if all that wasn't enough, Garrett also wiped three points off the board just before the half. Tennessee was going for a touchdown from the Cleveland 11 — with no timeouts. All they needed to was to ensure Tannehill didn't get sacked, and they would get points. But that's exactly what happened as Garrett took him down for a 10-yard loss, ensuring his team was up 13-3 at the break.

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