Nick Chubb ran for 106 yards while DeShaun Watson ran for one score and threw another to Harrison Bryant for the Browns two touchdowns.
Cleveland is 1-0 and will travel to 0-1 Pittsburgh next Monday night.
Brownie Bits
1) Cleveland only finished with two sacks of Joe Burrow but the Browns pass rush was consistently forcing Burrow to throw the ball before he wished and the Cincinnati offense was out of sync all game.
Cleveland has to be pleased with the results of their pass rush and I think it was the number one factor in their win.
2) Burrow threw for a career-low eighty-two yards and even though the Browns didn't intercept Burrow, the play of the defense didn't allow Burrow to regain the chemistry with even his returning players.
Burrow's preseason absence likely contributed to some of the struggles but the defense of Cleveland seemed to be a larger factor.
3) I've been a Grant Delpit believer since the Browns drafted him and Delpit has disappointed me at times but gave me just enough hope to keep me on the hook.
Delpit led the team in tackles against the Bengals and seemed to be in on every play.
It's a long season but I'm encouraged that this is the breakout year for Grant Delpit.
4) I think DeShaun Watson was okay, not great and you still have to hope the Browns will receive better play when you consider what the Browns paid for him but he avoided the big mistake and he was good enough to win on a bad weather day,.
5) The weather was rotten with a hard rain falling throughout the game and that likely contributed to neither quarterback producing big statistics on the day.
6) The Browns did have some problems protecting DeShaun Watson at times as the Bengals sacked Watson three times and had success rushing him.
I wouldn't say I'm concerned yet but considering the investment in the offensive line, I will be paying attention to the protection next Monday in Pittsburgh.
7) The offensive line might have taken a severe hit already as tackle Jack Conklin was carted off the field by cart and Kevin Stefanski said "it doesn't look good" for Conklin after the game.
The fourth-quarter injury put a damper on the win and fourth-round draft choice Dawand Jones finished the game in Conklin's place.
8) Nick Chubb was his usual dependable self finishing with over one hundred yards and was the one offensive player that could be counted by either team.
Chubb averaged 5.9 yards a carry on his eighteen carries.
9) The Bengals converted just two of thirteen chances on third downs and only converted six first downs all day.
10) Tee Higgins may be the Bengals number two receiver but he's one of the best number two's in the league, yet the Browns held him without a catch in eight targets.
11) The Browns defense looked great, the offense not so great and the weather likely helped and hurt both sides of the ball.
Either way, it's a big win on a sloppy day and an interdivisional win on a day where the Ravens lost a key contributor for the year in J.K. Dobbins and Pittsburgh was pounded at home, a win in the opener could be big at the end of the year.
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