Cleveland Browns football is finally back after a long offseason filled with ups and downs including the massive trade bringing Deshaun Watson to Cleveland. That also led to the end of the Baker Mayfield era in Cleveland. The Browns traveled to Jacksonville to kick off the preseason against the Jaguars and left with an impressive 24-13 win.
Despite all of the uncertainty surrounding Watson we got our first look at him in a Browns uniform as he got the start tonight. Prior to the game the Browns announced Jacoby Brissett was one of the 14 players who would not play against the Jaguars. Brissett is set to be the starting quarterback during the length of the suspension of Watson which is still uncertain since the NFL decided to appeal Sue Robinson's decision of 6 games.
The first drive of the game the Browns was disastrous. The Browns went 3 and out and also watched starting center Nick Harris being carted off the field with a right knee injury. Deshaun looked a little rusty as you could expect since he did not play at all last season. His first pass as a Brown was overthrown intended for Anthony Schwartz. The next play Schwartz was targeted again but failed to hold onto the ball. Schwartz has struggled with catching the ball during his rookie year last season and it appears to still be a concern. The Browns defense struggled following the three and out as they were missing several starters/ The Jaguars easily drove down the field and put up 3 points.
Here are some takeaways from tonight's game:
Deshaun Watson still needs time to settle in and build chemistry with his teammates on offense. You had to somewhat expect this considering everything going on. He did not play last season in Houston, and his is in a new system with a new team. It was apparent that there were some miscommunications on some plays either the ball was overthrown or under thrown. Be patient Browns fans I promise it will get better.
Anthony Schwartz cannot be trusted. He had dropped several passes tonight. He is freakishly fast and if he can figure out how to hold on to the ball, he could be something special. He has a lot of work to do if he wants to make this final roster.
Miscommunications on both sides of the ball were an obvious issue. The Browns need to settle down and play ball like they know they can. It's the first game of the preseason so it is good that it is being seen now so they can address it before the regular season starts.
Undrafted Free Agent D'Anthony Bell continues to impress. He has been making plays in practice and made his presence known on the field tonight including a key strip fumble. Keep an eye out for him.
Jerome Ford looked was very impressive. He has had a great camp so far it was nice to see that transition onto the field. He helped the Browns get on the board with an explosive 41-yard run and then a 3-yard run to break into the end zone for the touchdown. He then caught a touchdown pass from Josh Dobbs in the 3rd quarter. I am curious to see how the Browns find a way to get him the ball going forward with their 4 headed monster in the RB room.
The Cade York hype is real. The Browns seem to have finally found themselves a kicker for the first time since the departure of the great Phil Dawson.
Penalties continue to plague the Browns year after year. A holding penalty had a John Kelly JR had a touchdown called back early in the 3rd quarter which led to a Cade York field goal.
MJ Emerson had himself a pick 6 and gave the Browns the lead right before halftime. This kid is a stud. He had a lot of hype coming into the draft and it is real. He is going to be a star in this league.
Defense looked great during the two-minute drill before half despite the penalty to start it off.
Isaiah Thomas, the 7th round pick out of Oklahoma, had a great game with 2 sacks.
Getting Josh Dobbs out of Pittsburgh was a solid move and had a great showing tonight as him and Josh Rosen are battling for the QB3 spot.
Which rookie were you impressed with the most tonight?
- Jerome Ford
- Isaiah Thomas
- MJ Emerson
- Cade York
It is week 1 of the preseason and they have plenty of time to iron out the kinks. Overall, I was really impressed with the Browns tonight minus the penalties and the dropped balls. The draft class looked phenomenal tonight. Let us know in the poll above which rookie you were impressed with the most. The biggest takeaway from tonight is the Browns football is indeed back! Preseason or not a win is a win here in THE LAND. Enjoy your Victory Saturday Browns fans!
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