The Cleveland Browns are reeling after a thrilling victory over the Chicago Bears. The dramatic ending of the Hail Mary nearly secured the Browns a playoff birth. It also sent players, coaches, and fans into shock. The Browns have developed a habit of late-game heroics that has revitalized the title of the Kardiac Kids as tight end David Njoku and cornerback Greg Newsome II posted monster games.
The Browns’ defense played very well against a resurging Chicago Bears offense led by a former first-round pick. The unit limited his running ability while locking down his wide receivers. The defense harassed the offense all day as the Bears could not move the ball against the Browns. The Bears got a few explosive runs against the Browns, but that’s the only damage their offense could inflict.
The Browns’ offense inflicted a lot of damage to themselves on both sides of the ball. The offense could not string a drive together as the Bears were well-prepared for the unit. The Bears were sitting on any underneath throw or run play. They quickly triggered downfield and proved a tough matchup for the team. The Browns finally exploited the Bears’ defense in the fourth quarter when Flacco connected on a handful of deep shots. The offense dug themselves out of their hole. Reliable stars like Amari Cooper and David Njoku helped lead the Browns to their most recent victory.
Here are the Studs and Duds from Sunday’s performance.
Stud: TE David Njoku
David Njoku played a complete game in the Browns’ victory over the Bears. The team’s vocal leader plays with an unrelenting tenacity in every phase on offense. His passion is contagious, and teammates can catch it at any moment. On Sunday, it inspired them in the fourth quarter.
Njoku caught ten passes on 14 targets for 104 yards and one touchdown. His touchdown snag in the back of the end zone was picture-perfect. It’s a good reminder that Njoku is an exceptional red-zone threat. He has the size, speed, and strength to overpower opponents in the end zone.
Njoku is a dynamic weapon with the ball in his hands. Defenders struggle to bring him to the ground. He is a threat to run past tacklers, through them, or jump over them. His reputation for hurdling players is growing across the league. A Bears defender jumped in the air, attempting to tackle Njoku with a chest bump.
Njoku’s exceptional day showed the veteran tight end is among the top 3 in the position. The 100-yard game and clutch performance at the end is what Andrew Berry and the Browns envisioned when they signed him to a contract extension last season.
Stud: CB Greg Newsome II
Greg Newsome II has had an excellent December so far. The young cornerback has seen far more reps at outside cornerback as Denzel Ward missed time with injuries. Newsome locked down wide receivers D.J. Moore and Darnell Mooney. Newsome forced multiple pass breakups against the two, including dropping a would-be pick-six. Newsome has turned into a shutdown cornerback over the past month, but missing out on turnovers separates the good cornerbacks from the great ones.
Newsome’s excellent day extends to his success defending the run. He had two tackles for losses, knifing into the backfield, tackling the ball carrier, and killing two offensive drives. Newsome has struggled as a run defender in Cleveland. It has made his job as a nickelback difficult. Newsome was decisive and aggressive on Sunday. Hopefully, Newsome can channel that energy in the future.
I’d be remiss not to mention Newsome’s elaborate choreography to celebrate. The score could not sway his confidence and electric energy. Newsome danced as the team was down multiple scores. I think it’s a great practice to help ward off being trapped by the momentum of an opposing fanbase. On Sunday, Newsome deserved to cut it up.
Stud: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is etching his name into the Stud list. The linebacker has been exceptional for a month. His hard work was rewarded on Sunday when he granted the first interception of his career on the first Hail Mary of the day. The ball hit the field before Owusu-Koramoah wrangled it in, but the play was not overturned on review.
Owusu-Koramoah showed off his skills at a blitzer on Sunday. The linebacker was tasked with chasing down hyper-athletic quarterback Justin Fields. Owusu-Koramoah was used as a spy in case Fields broke the pocket or used as a green dog, a check that sends the defender covering the back on a blitz if the back stays to pass block. Owusu-Koramoah registered a sack and a quarterback hit against Fields.
The linebacker was just as dangerous against the run as he was against the pass. Owusu-Koramoah had six tackles, two of which were for loss yards. He was hard to block at the point of attacking, slipping by offensive linemen to hit the ball carrier. Owusu-Koramoah has become a complete player. Hopefully, his play rewards him with a selection to the Pro Bowl.
Dud: The Offensive Tackles
James Hudson III and Geron Christian Sr. had their worst collective game for the Cleveland Browns. The bookends could not execute blocks in the run game or the pass game. They were the weakest links across a heavily injured offensive line.
Starting on the left side, Geron Christian Sr. does not have the foot speed or strength to give the Browns any chance in the run game. He gets bullied into guards by defenders extending a long arm into his chest. The Browns cannot run outside zone towards his side for this reason.
In pass blocking Christian’s craft is no better. His technique feels like a mix between turtling and prayer. He is a turnstile at the end. The Browns need to get a lot more help from him as they prepare for the playoffs.
Hudson III fared no better on the right side as he gave up multiple pressures to Montez Sweat. Sweat bullied the inexperienced tackle, showing Hudson his collection of moves and countermoves. Hudson was manhandled on every snap. It was a pitiful performance for the 2021 4th-round pick.
Hudson’s toughest problem comes from his inability to anchor against pass rushers. Hudson is easily moved into the quarterback’s lap when hit with a bull rush. His lack of strength shows up in the run game, where he gets overpowered by long arms. The running backs had no success running toward his side. While Kareem Hunt and Jerome Ford have their strengths and weaknesses, there is no reason why a team should have 30 rushing yards in an NFL game. The Browns need to find some success among the offensive tackles heading into the playoffs.
Dud: QB Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco had an exceptional fourth quarter when he finished the game nearly perfectly. However, he wouldn’t need those late-game heroics if he didn’t throw multiple interceptions on Sunday. Flacco‘s first three quarters were horrible.
The quarterback looked slow and cagey. The offensive line couldn’t protect Flacco adequately. However, he didn’t want to be hit by the Bears’ pass rushers. The experienced quarterback telegraphed every throw as he stared down wide receivers. The Bears linebackers sat in coverage and let Flacco’s eyes take them to the ball.
Flacco did come alive at the end of the game. He did a great job of biding time in the pocket and delivering catchable passes to his playmakers. His touchdown throw to Amari Cooper was a beautiful sign of trust. Flacco knew Cooper would be open, but Flacco was unaware of where the outside cornerback was. Flacco’s hardest completion came against a fire zone blitz in the waning seconds. Flacco drifted through the back of the pocket to avoid the free blitzer before throwing into the teeth of the blitz to a wide-open David Njoku.
The Browns and Flacco are still learning to mesh together. Flacco has thrown over 130 passes in his three games with the team. Kevin Stefanski has to do a better job of scaling back Flacco’s workload. The offense needs to find more balance to give Flacco a better chance of succeeding.
