Where have these guys been all year?! The Browns play arguably their best defensive game of the season, and they shut down the Baltimore Ravens at home in front of a loud crowd at FirstEnergy Stadium for their sixth win of the year!
The Ravens have tortured us for years. And their fans are smug. Maybe it's sacrilege for a Browns fan to say this, but I despise Baltimore worse than Pittsburgh. At least for right now. I don't exactly know why that is. It's probably 25% from Art Modell, 50% hatred from seeing them hoist what should have been OUR Lombardi trophies, and the last 25% from dealing with their fans. But whenever the Browns play a game like this, they quiet those folks in purple and black down quite a bit. Their silence is absolute music to my ears!
How'd they do it? Let's take a look at how they got the job done with tonight's Keys to Victory!
Lean on the Run!
Baltimore's run defense is incredibly tough. But as a team the Browns ran the ball 33 times for 143 yards. Nick Chubb led the way with 21 carries for 99 yards. And even though the Browns did not score a rushing touchdown tonight, whenever a team is physical with the run, that sends a loud and clear message to the opposing team: "We're here to play. And this is our house. We're going to make you hurt in the morning as we break your spirit and pound away at you like a sledgehammer!"
This is how AFC North football is supposed to be played a week from Christmas. Tough, physical, nasty, oblivious to the cold and the snow, and just focused on getting the job done more than anything else. The Browns did that to perfection here in this facet of the game!
Get after Huntley
The Browns showed up in a big way here. No, Tyler Huntley is not Lamar Jackson. But he still is a dangerous quarterback when given time to make a play. He can burn defenses with both his arm or his legs. But Cleveland got after him tonight. The Browns' defensive front registered three sacks and six quarterback hits. Playing quarterback is quite the glamorous position...but it gets absolutely ugly when the defensive linemen are in your face and putting you on your back often!
Myles Garrett led the charge for the Browns yet again with a sack and a half. He's registered at least one sack in the last five consecutive games, and he also becomes the Cleveland Browns' all-time franchise sack leader with 70.5 sacks since he came into the league in 2017! I would love to see him spend his whole career in Cleveland and retire a Brown, but if he doesn't, I'm at least enjoying watching him terrorize opposing quarterbacks. That man is a straight up beast once he gets going!
Corners and Safeties: Welcome to the party!
If there's been one area of this team that I've been incredibly frustrated with for not only this season, but in the past two seasons before this, it's the secondary. That zone scheme has made me say so many choice words, I'd make Bill Cowher blush! And I still am almost certain that Joe Woods is gone after this season, along with defensive backs coach Jeff Howard.
But at least for one game, that unit showed up in spades. They allowed the Browns defensive line time to pin their ears back and come after Tyler Huntley, they blanketed opposing receivers, and bagged their fourth interception in the last three games. I was thrilled with their performance tonight...but I was left sadly shaking my head too. If these guys had shown up early on in the season, and Joe Woods and Jeff Howard had prepared them better, who knows how good they might have been? They are incredibly talented. Under the right coaching staff, they'd be right up there with the best secondaries in the entire league! But at least for one night, we saw a brilliant showing from them.
Up next, the Browns host the Saints on Christmas Eve. At 6-8, the Browns' playoff hopes are all but gone. But after we started 3-7, winning four of five would certainly be nice, and a wonderful Christmas present for suffering through a long, lost season. Hey Santa Claus, we're tired of getting coal for most of the year! Give us a W!
Until then, Dawg Pound, enjoy this one all week and party it up! GO BROWNS!
Stats Leaders
Deshaun Watson: 18-28, 161 yards, TD
Nick Chubb: 21 carries, 99 yards
Amari Cooper: 4 receptions, 58 yards
Source: ESPN
Picture Credit: Pressboxonline.com
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