Baker Mayfield threw for 219 yards with two touchdowns and an interception while the running game paced the offense with Nick Chubb finishing with 124 yards and two touchdowns along with Kareem Hunt ran for 86 yards along with one score.
The now 1-1 Browns will host the Washington Red and Yellows next Sunday in Cleveland.
Brownie Bits
1:The Browns may have won this one on the ground, but the early strike was through the air as Baker Mayfield threw a beautiful pass to Odell Beckham for a 43-yard touchdown.
Mayfield's accuracy has been in question over the last year, but that was a well-thrown pass that was on the money.
2: The ground game is going to have to carry this team.
That's not a surprise to many, but when two backs as talented as Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are on your team, hammering the opponent in the running game takes the pressure off Baker Mayfield, gives his play-action far more presence, and gives the Browns an identity as a physical team that they have lacked.
Chubb set the table and late in the game on the game-clinching drive Kareem Hunt cleared the plates.
The Bengals couldn't stop these two and if the Browns want to reach respectability, they should ride these two horses.
3) The offensive line was missing Jack Conklin, who was active with injuries to his ankle and finger but the Browns started Chris Hubbard in the hopes that Conklin would not be needed.
Hubbard played well, Conklin was able to sit out and the hope is with ten days before the game with Washington that Conklin will be able to return to the lineup.
Jedrick Wills was again fine at left tackle, Wyatt Teller is much improved at right guard, and the usual standouts are playing to form in Joel Bitonio and J.C. Tretter.
Very encouraged after two games.
4) Baker Mayfield played good, not great. Good.
Mayfield was given more plays that called for him to roll to his right, which seems to be the only way that Mayfield can play like an NFL quarterback and he was successful.
The key to Mayfield's future may come down to how he plays when teams force him to stay in the pocket or roll to his left.
When he's been forced to do that to date, the struggles begin to happen.
5) The defense is bad.
I mean really bad.
Other than the defensive line, this defense is porous and the Browns are going to have to outscore teams to win and few teams are similar to the Bengals to allow the running game to beat them in shootouts.
6) Olivier Vernon missed the game at one defensive end and his replacement went down as well as Adrian Clayborn left the game due to injury.
Cleveland finished the game with only three defensive ends, Myles Garrett, Porter Gustin, and recent arrival Joe Jackson.
I don't have any news on Clayborn's injury, but a loss of Clayborn from the pass-rushing rotation would really hurt the Browns.
Clayborn had a sack of Joe Burrow before leaving the game.
7) Myles Garrett made the play that saved the day for the Browns when his strip of Joe Burrow inside the Bengals five and resulting fumble recovery by Joe Jackson, not only set up a Nick Chubb touchdowns run, it evened the possession before when the Browns failed to score on four shots from the Bengals one.
8) Sheldon Richardson continues to be tremendous on the inside and is playing the best football of his career.
I counted three times that Richardson lost his helmet, but continued to charge after the football.
It's only two games, but Richardson is playing at a Pro Bowl level.
9) Porter Gustin may have to play a larger role depending on the time that Olivier Vernon and Adrian Clayborn could miss.
Gustin sacked Joe Burrow once, but grabbed Burrow by the facemask and was deservedly flagged.
Gustin might be the biggest surprise on this team since his signing during the 2019 season.
10) The bad news for Baker Mayfield?
The horrendous interception in the red zone that should have never been thrown makes me wince and he overthrew a wide-open Austin Hooper for which would have been a score.
Color me open to any opinion on the future of Mayfield.
11) I know that injuries have contributed to Andrew Sendejo and Taviarre Thomas being on the field so much in the secondary, but man are they a hindrance!
Sendejo is just too damn slow to be effective and while Thomas is an excellent player in special teams it is clear that he just cannot stay with receivers.
Sendejo's time will decrease as Ronnie Harrison becomes more comfortable in the defense, but I'm not sure where the help in getting Thomas off the field until Greedy Williams and Kevin Johnson are able to return from their injuries.
Until then-Yikes!
12) How about those orange pants?
In the name of Brian Sipe- I love them!
These are THE home uniform that the Browns need to use and I'll accept no substitutes!!!
13) Now it's onto Washington.
A team that looks a little better than Cincinnati with a young quarterback in Dwayne Haskins and a pass rusher with the potential to be the best in the game in Chase Young.
This is a winnable game, but it's also one that could be very competitive or even a defeat.
The schedule toughens after the visit from Washington with a trip to Dallas, a home game against the Colts and a visit to Pittsburgh.
The Browns will likely be underdogs in all of those games, so the Washington game might be the difference between 1-5, 2-4, and assuming the Browns can win one of those three games following Washington 3-3.
It'll also be another matchup of young quarterbacks for the third game in a row after Baker Mayfield opposed Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow, he'll face Dwayne Haskins.
See you then.
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