Browns show positive elements in final dress rehearsal against Chiefs before the real thing
Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs decided they wanted to put up a bunch of points in their final preseason game. In the end, the Chiefs prevailed, 33-32. The preseason is officially wrapped up and the Browns’ attention will turn to trimming the roster down to 53 players before Tuesday’s deadline. There were some good […]
Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs decided they wanted to put up a bunch of points in their final preseason game. In the end, the Chiefs prevailed, 33-32.
The preseason is officially wrapped up and the Browns’ attention will turn to trimming the roster down to 53 players before Tuesday’s deadline.
There were some good things on display for the Browns early on, as most starters got some run throughout the first quarter. Nick Chubb, Joel Bitonio, Myles Garrett, and Grant Delpit were among the starters who did not play.
Veteran presence arrives on defense
Cleveland’s defense had two interceptions returned for a touchdown in the exhibition against Kansas City. One of those came from a familiar face to Arrowhead Stadium, Juan Thornhill, who jumped a pass and wouldn’t be caught on his way to the end zone. Throughout the first quarter, it was clear that Thornhill was out to show he deserved to get paid. The veteran safety was flying around making tackles, granted it was against a lot of the Chiefs’ second-string players.
Za’Darius Smith has done what he’s wanted to through training camp and any training camp opportunities he has seen. Being across from Garrett, Smith is going to get plenty of opportunities to get after the quarterback without a double team. The newcomer to Cleveland’s defense was stout in the run game against Kansas City.
Rodney McLeod picked off a pass from a deflection, he was the right guy in the right place. McLeod is an overlooked part of this defense but he’s played with DC Jim Schwartz in the past and is an instinctive player. That much showed on Saturday.
Deshaun Watson showed enough
Early on for the Browns’ offense, things were not clicking and they were not pretty. The offense eventually figured it out when Watson found TE David Njoku in the end zone on a 10-yard touchdown. Njoku has been basically unguardable through training camp and could be in for a big season.
Watson finished 5-for-10 for 92 yards. One part of the game that comes with Watson is his ability to escape the Pickett and make plays. No. 4 showed that off on a 53-yard pass to Amari Cooper down the sideline after he scrambled a bit.
Without Bitonio and Chubb, the starting offense showed a couple of nice drives in the opening quarter. With Chubb, the offense will open plenty more, as the Browns didn’t operate with a starting caliber running back against Kansas City.
All in all, there were bad things to take away from this game as well. But the Browns showed some beneficial things early on against the Chiefs. Even if it was not consistent, it was what they needed to end the preseason.
Browns Jakeem Grant Sr. exits on cart after his first play against Chiefs
A very unfortunate development for Jakeem Grant.
Featured image via Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports.
