The Cleveland Browns came into the game with no defensive line help with Myles Garrett, Jadeveon Clowney, and Taven Bryan all out against the Atlanta Falcons. And it showed as they were gashed against the run, and at one point surrendered 14 straight positive runs in the second half.
Buy Browns TicketsOn the day, the Falcons were able to chalk up 202 rushing on the day, as the Browns were able to bottle up quarterback Marcus Mariota to just 139 yards and an interception through the air. In the end, quarterback Jacoby Brissett showed some natural regression for a bridge, journeyman quarterback as the Browns’ offense struggled a bit more than expected in this one as well.
They ran the ball plenty, racking up over 30 designed runs for a total of 177 yards on the ground. Nick Chubb himself was responsible for 118 of those yards and a touchdown, but the passing game just could not find its stride as Brissett went a measly 21-of-35 for 234 yards and a last minute interception.
David Njoku led the way for the Browns in the receiving department, racking up 73 yards on five catches. Wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones added another 71 on five catches. Amari Cooper managed just one catch on the day for nine yards.
The Browns fall to 2-2 on the season on what felt like a very winnable game. The schedule gets much tougher moving forward for the Browns as they now look ahead to the Los Angeles Chargers and their high-flying offense.
