Ranking the Cleveland Browns top 5 players from Week 2 win

It was a hard-fought game but that made it all the sweeter when the Cleveland Browns were able to steal a win on the road.

They were ahead for the majority of the game, thanks to a touchdown on their opening drive, but the Browns let the Jacksonville Jaguars back in it late. In the end, their special teams and defense made enough plays to get the win.

Let's take a moment to look back over the game and highlight which five players were the most impactful.

5. Dustin Hopkins, K

All D-Hop does is make kicks.

Dustin Hopkins was added ahead of Week 1 last year in exchange for a seventh-round pick. This proved to be a win for both teams involved since the Los Angeles Chargers are thrilled with Cameron Dicker, who is 36-of-38 since winning the kicking competition with Hopkins. The Cleveland kicker has been just as deadly, going 37-of-40.

That included a 3-for-3 effort on Sunday — and another from beyond 50. Hopkins, who was extended this offseason, was instrumental in several wins last year, and that was the case again Sunday.

4. Corey Bojorquez, P

Field position can often be key in close games. No one knows this more than the Browns, who were able to pull off a couple of wins last year thanks to Corey Bojorquez setting their defense up for success. That was the case again in Week 2 as he had five punts, with three landing inside the 20.

The one that helped seal the win came at the two-minute warning when Bojorquez hit a 39-yarder that forced Jacksonville to start at the two-yard line. Trevor Lawrence was sacked by Alex Wright on the first snap, resulting in an 18-13 lead for the Browns.

Cleveland might have the best kicker combination in the entire NFL with Hopkins and Bojorquez, and on Sunday, they were both integral in the outcome.

3. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB

Another player who landed an extension this offseason is linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who signed for three years and $39 million. Anyone who has watched him play knows he's well worth that salary and he's continued to prove as much.

He had nine tackles in Week 1 and added seven more this weekend. JOK was a game-changer in 2023 with 20 tackles for a loss. On Sunday, he was at it again with two tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

2. Jerry Jeudy, WR

For the third year in a row, the Browns added a wide receiver via trade in the offseason. First, it was Amari Cooper (2022) and then Elijah Moore (2023). The latest is Jerry Jeudy, a 2020 first-round pick entering his fifth year in the NFL.

Jeudy never lived up to expectations with the Denver Broncos but was never as bad as some of the criticism made it seem. So far with the Browns, he seems to be a solid fit in their offense, even recording a touchdown in the opener.

This weekend, he had 73 yards on five receptions, including a couple of clutch grabs on third down. Their offense wasn't explosive but they made just enough plays, and Jeudy was their MVP on that side of the ball.

1. Myles Garrett, EDGE

Even when the numbers aren't eye-popping, Myles Garrett is making a massive impact for the Browns — which is why he won the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. That was the case again on Sunday as he had three tackles and a sack. But it was the attention he commanded and the timing when he recorded his sack that made the difference.

Garrett draws double-teams on just about every play, which was the case again on Sunday. Despite this, he made a huge play that took points off the board in the third quarter. Cleveland's defense was protecting a 16-3 lead, and the Jags moved it to the Browns' 17. On third-and-eight Garrett sacked Trevor Lawrence, forcing a fumble.

Jacksonville recovered the ball, but it ended up being an eight-yard loss. The Jaguars went for the field goal, and Cam Little hit the upright and watched the ball fall to the turf. Had it not been for the loss of yards, that kick would have been good and the entire post-game conversation might be different.

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