And after the Vikings scored their only points on their first possession of the game, the Cleveland defense did just that by putting the screws to the Minnesota offense and allowing nothing on the scoreboard for the rest of the game.
It was that defense that allowed the Browns to survive some terrible quarterback play and questionable decision-making by Kevin Stefanski to escape with a 14-7 win.
Nick Chubb rushed for 100 yards and Kareem Hunt ran for 69 yards and the only Cleveland touchdown on the day to lead a Browns offense saddled with the albatross that wore number six on the day.
Cleveland improves to 3-1 and will travel to Los Angeles to face the Chargers, who happen to have a young quarterback that can actually hit a receiver in his hands without the receiver leaving his feet.
Brownie Bits
1) What an effort by the Browns defense in completely stopping an offense that had scored eighty-seven points in their first three games.
Defensive coordinator Joe Woods claimed last year that his defense just needed a little more talent and his scheme would be loaded for bear- on this day, Woods was correct.
2) The Browns sacked Kirk Cousins only twice but they were rushing effectively on almost every passing attempt and didn't allow the Vikings to use play-action passes as effectively as they normally are able.
3) The Browns also controlled one of the better rushing games in the league as Cleveland held Dalvin Cook to 34 yards and Alexander Mattison to twenty on a combined nineteen carries.
4) Greedy Williams made a key interception in the second half and after missing all of 2020, you had to feel good for the former second-rounder in his first start since 2019.
Playing in place of the injured Greg Newsome, Williams's interception ended the first Viking possession after the final Chase McLaughlin field goal, which was the only points by either team in the second half.
5) Back to the running game with this underrated play.
With the Browns just running out the clock in the first half, Kareem Hunt rips off a 33 yard run on third and twenty on their own 26 that allowed Cleveland to gain three points at the end of the half on a 48-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin.
Hunt's run allowed the Browns to hold a four-point lead for most of the second half rather than clinging to a one-point lead where one bad play could allow Minnesota into field goal range.
6) I'm normally a fan of Kevin Stefanski but I don't think he called a very good game in this one.
I can understand his reasoning in going for it on the Browns' first possession near the Minnesota goal line.
Stefanski stated that he thought the game would be a high-scoring affair after the initial Viking drive and getting all the points that the Browns could get was the way to go.
Minnesota stopped Cleveland on that possession and as the game moved on, the field goal that could have been scored would have been huge to calm Browns fans in the second half.
7) I also don't understand why Stefanski continued to throw the ball as often as he did in the fourth quarter considering how Baker Mayfield was playing.
Minnesota almost certainly received a final possession that they may not have gotten with Stefanski calling Mayfield passes that fell incomplete instead of Nick Chubb/Kareem Hunt running plays.
8) Still, I'm giving Stefanski a pass because of the circumstances.
Stefanski's a young coach making his return to the place that he spent most of his career and young coaches in that situation often go over the top because they want to win so badly.
Ignore the usual narrative that games all mean the same- to coaches, they don't, even if they don't admit it.
9) And now since if you are a long-time reader, you knew it was coming.
Baker Mayfield was awful.
I tweeted that Mayfield's performance ( 15 of 33 158 yards) might have been the worst performance that I have seen from a winning quarterback without an interception that I have ever seen.
Overthrowing receivers, not seeing wide-open receivers, and throwing ridiculous passes that only Lady Luck kept from being disasters were all seen from Mayfield in this game.
Just awful and it's the fact that games like these happen more than they should from Baker Mayfield may be the reason that the Browns haven't locked Mayfield up to an extension yet.
Andrew Berry may believe that he can receive similar results from a cheaper (or even younger) quarterback and wanted to see more before signing Mayfield to an extension.
I cannot blame him in the slightest.
10) The Mayfield throw that could have ended the game to a clearly open Odell Beckham has been blamed by many on the lack of chemistry between Mayfield and Beckham.
I call B.S.- I don't care who the receiver was, no one was catching that pass, and Beckham did his job by getting open.
That's on the QB.
11) Give Mayfield credit for not making excuses for a terrible outing but I don't think the most experienced political spinmeister could do much with those numbers other than he didn't turn the ball over to put the defense in a hole on a short field.
Other than that, I have nothing positive to say.
12) I am worried about Jedric Wills continuing to aggravate his injured ankle.
Wills was forced to leave the game again for the ankle and was replaced by rookie fourth-round pick James Hudson.
Chris Hubbard is expected to return against the Chargers and while Hubbard hasn't been good at tackle compared to his performance at guard and he will have to block Joey Bosa against the Chargers, I might take the hit and allow Wills to miss a week rather than have his ankle continue to be an issue throughout the season.
It's a seventeen-game season now, the Browns are good enough to be looking at the long road, not the short term and I'd think that is at least worth considering.
13) The Chargers are a fun team to watch, I know because I watch them a lot but the Chargers haven't created a home-field advantage since moving to Los Angeles.
In the Chargers' home loss to Dallas, it felt like a Dallas home game or at least a neutral site feel and I wonder if the Browns fans, who usually travel well to warm weather sites, might be able to take things over there as well.
14) Finally, 3-1 in a division with Baltimore and Cincinnati also with the same record.
3-1 is about what you could have hoped for and now with two surprising teams from the West next in line with the Chargers and then the Cardinals at home, 4-2 would put the Browns in pretty good shape against a slumping Steelers team to end the month.
I'll take it but the Browns will need more from Baker Mayfield if this team is to reach its potential.
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