All good things must come to an end. After winning their last three and four of their last five, the Cleveland Browns finally found themselves back in the loss column. After losing rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson to a concussion at the end of the third quarter against the Denver Broncos, the game quickly slipped out of reach.
Before exiting, the rookie quarterback had found a stride. He was connecting with his targets over the middle and down the field, picking up chunk plays for the Cleveland offense. However, once P.J. Walker took the field, the Browns found no success on the offensive side of the ball as Russell Wilson and the Broncos have now made it five in a row.
While it is not a joyous 4 Downs as it has been in weeks prior, here is this week’s edition of the postgame instant analysis column. Let’s hope for a better outcome next week.
1st Down: Browns give Broncos 14-point swing on one play
The Browns had control of the game. They were down only five after holding Denver to just three points on two drives out of the half. Thompson-Robinson had led a scoring drive the series before and the Browns could chunk out yards on the ground.
Then disaster struck when running back Pierre Strong fumbled a pitch from Elijah Moore on a reverse. The Broncos recovered and turned it into seven points their next offensive drive on a short field.
A potential 14-point swing put the Browns well out of striking distance as a 12-17 point game with possession of the football turned into a 12-24 point game in the blink of an eye.
Turnovers continue to haunt this team, and today was no different. That turnover cost the Browns the game.
2nd Down: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah continues to be a bright spot
A lone bright spot, perhaps, continues to be the play of linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
Despite a losing effort from the collective, the third-year linebacker continues to prove he deserves the recognition of going to his first Pro Bowl. Entering the game near the top in tackles behind the line of scrimmage, Owusu-Koramoah feasted on Denver backs all game, loading up the box score. He even forced a fumble, punching the ball away from Wilson.
On the day, Owusu-Koramoah racked up a massive 12 tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack. Nobody plays faster and harder than number six on the field for the Cleveland defense.
It is time he starts getting the recognition he deserves.
3rd Down: How many more injuries can this team take on?
For a team where injuries are already piled high, the Browns sustained gobs more in this game against the Broncos. It started with Dorian Thompson-Robinson, but then defensive tackle Jordan Elliott exited, then wide receiver Amari Cooper.
As the Browns stay out west, they may now be forced to take on the Los Angeles Rams even more short-handed than they were entering this game. If the Browns can continue to find ways to win despite all of the adversity stacked against them, this could go down as one of the more resilient teams in recent memory.
Looking to get healthy in a hurry, however, the Browns have an opportunity to rebound against the Rams. But will they be short-handed (even more than they already are)?
4th Down: Cedric Tillman experiences mini-breakout, Browns will need more
A bright spot on the offensive side of the football, the Browns got signs of life out of their third round pick from this past Spring. Wide receiver Cedric Tillman burst onto the scene in the first half. While he was not able to add to it after the injury to Thompson-Robinson, Tillman finished the game with a strong showing.
While he had not made an impact on the season coming into the game, Tillman posted 55 yards receiving on four catches from his high school teammate. He led all Browns wide receivers in receiving and finished second to just tight end David Njoku on the team.
The Browns, however, may need more from Tillman this week if Amari Cooper is not able to recover from the rib shot he took that knocked him out of this game against the Broncos. Hopefully, this is a building point for the man the Browns will need to step up down the stretch and into the future.
Extra Point: It's Joe Flacco time in LA
The Browns cannot trot P.J. Walker back out there.
If Dorian Thompson-Robinson cannot go against the Rams next week, the Browns must put their trust behind the arm of the former Super Bowl MVP and rival quarterback, Joe Flacco. Thompson-Robinson was finding his stride before being taken out of the game by a dirty shot.
As they prepare for the 5-6 Rams, Flacco gives Cleveland the best chance at getting back into the win column after rattling off three straight and four of their last five before this loss. He has had a week to dive into the playbook and acclimate himself to the team.
Even if Thompson-Robinson is cleared, the Browns may no longer be in a position to wait on the development of the rookie fifth rounder who has gotten better every week.
It’s Flacco time.
