This one hurt. The Cleveland Browns drop a winnable game against the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 23-20. It was not head coach Kevin Stefanski’s best in terms of playcalling, and it is hard to stop the run when you are missing three starting defensive linemen and your starting MIKE linebacker.
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett returned to the form of the backup quarterback he is, the Falcons ran for 202 yards with most of them coming in the second half, and the Browns wasted a couple of redzone opportunities. It was not a great showing across the board, but it happens in the NFL.
Regardless, who stood out for the Browns most in this one?
RB Nick Chubb
Wash, rince, repeat.
This could be a weekly copy and paste as running back Nick Chubb continues to do Nick Chubb things. Not only did he keep his league lead in rushing yards after racking up another 118 yards on 19 carries, but he found the endzone once again.
On the season, Chubb is now up to 459 yards and five touchdowns for the Browns’ offense, and is on pace for the most carries in his career by a longshot. If the Browns are hoping to sneak out another two or three wins over the next seven weeks (which is absolutely non-negotiable), then this amount of touches will remain the status quo.
Rushing title, meet Chubb.
CB Denzel Ward
It has been a rough start to the season for Denzel Ward defensively. Coming off of a season where he finished as a top-five cornerback in the league, the expectations were obviously high. There is hope that this showing against the Falcons could be a step in the right direction.
His negative play came on taking a bad angle off the edge, giving Cordarrelle Patterson a clean pathway to the endzone. In coverage, however, Ward proved to be the lockdown cornerback he has proven to be in the past.
Ward broke up a pass deep, clamped receivers along the sideline, and even came away with an interception as he stayed stride-for-stride with a crosser. The run defense was gashed due to the depth along the interior, but the secondary, and especially Ward, played well today.
LT Jedrick Wills
There may not be a player who takes more heat from the fanbase than left tackle Jedrick Wills. The former 10th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft has been a solid left tackle for the Browns, but some have expected him to be even better. And if his last two games have been an indication, he may be getting there.
Wills came into the game with the second-highest pass block win rate of all offensive tackles, and put together another dominant showing. Not only was he out in front of Chubb’s long run, but the former Alabama football star was moving bodies off of the line of scrimmage all day.
The Browns have a decision of whether or not to pick up his fifth-year option after the season, and it really is not a decision at all. It is a no-brainer. Wills is here to stay, and has put together a great string of games for the Browns.
