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Browns 26, Panthers 24



Am I the only one who may need to have a pacemaker appointment? I can't be the only one who has heart palpitations after that finish! WOW! The Cleveland Browns defeat the Carolina Panthers 26-24 for their first season-opening win in 18 years! That's right. The Browns had a drought in season-opening games dating back to 2004. That year, the Browns opened the season by beating the Baltimore Ravens in Cleveland by a final score of 20-3, and then unfortunately struggled the rest of the year on the way to a 4-12 season.


I'm not sure what the 2022 season holds for the Browns, but that was certainly one heck of a finish! Cleveland had control of the game for most of the day, but in typical Browns fashion they very nearly blew a 13-point lead before they snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. But no matter how ugly that win was (and it certainly was ugly), all that matters in the NFL is the bottom line of winning and losing. There are no style points.


Before we get into the Keys to Victory though, can I just take a second to say how absolutely clutch Cade York was today? The rookie kicker out of LSU was drafted in the fourth round by the Browns, and made all four field goals, including an unbelievable 58-yarder to give them the win! His kick was right down the middle, and so strong that it hit the back of the net. He could've probably hit that one from 70 yards! He's got a seriously strong leg!


In addition to that, it just struck me how calm he seemed to be out there. Here's a 22-year-old kid from McKinney, Texas, with the game on the line in his first ever appearance for the Browns, and he drills a set of absolutely perfect kicks. Somewhere, Browns legend Phil Dawson has to be smiling today!


But let's take a look at the Keys to Victory to get a fuller picture of just what went down today in Charlotte.


Shut down McCaffrey/Get Chubb Going


The Browns definitely showed up here. In spades. Not only did Nick Chubb do Nick Chubb things, but the Browns also bottled up the Panthers' All-Pro running back in Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey started to come alive on what would've been the game-winning drive, but for the game only had 33 yards on 10 carries. On the other side of things, Nick Chubb continues to show why he's one of the best running backs in the league, as he carried the rock 22 times for 141 yards. As a team, the Browns rushed for 217 yards and a touchdown thanks to Kareem Hunt. Great day on the ground!


Get the pass rush going


The Browns definitely got after it here as well, registering four sacks, six hits, and several hurries on Baker Mayfield. The front seven for Cleveland largely controlled the line of scrimmage for most of the game, and had their way with the Panthers in the trenches. Myles Garrett started his season off strong, getting a pair of sacks against his old teammate. On back-to-back plays to boot! But towards the end of the game, the Panthers seemed to make adjustments, and Mayfield seemed to find a little bit of a rhythm as he brought the Panthers very close to winning this game, which brings me to my final Key to Victory...


Limit the big play in the secondary


For the majority of the game, the secondary was solid. But they may have been the beneficiaries of a struggling Panthers offense, and a Browns defensive front that brought their A-game. Once the Panthers offense made their adjustments, and neutralized the pass rush, they exposed a secondary that still seems to have a lot of issues in either covering receivers or figuring out what their assignments are. A busted play on a 75-yard touchdown pass was proof of that. Nobody was covering Panthers wide receiver Robbie Anderson when he hauled one in and took it to the house. Someone missed their assignment on that one. And on what would've been the game-winning touchdown drive if it hadn't been for Cade York, the Browns' secondary was soft again. Baker Mayfield carved them up on that drive like a Thanksgiving turkey. That has to get corrected, or it's going to be a long year for this secondary.


But at the end of the day, in the words of the Hall of Famer Al Davis, "Just win, baby!" The Browns did that, and they move to 1-0 on the season! Next up? The home opener against the New York Jets, and a chance to go 2-0! GO BROWNS


Statistical Leaders


Jacoby Brissett: 18-34, 147 yards, TD

Nick Chubb: 22 car., 141 yards

Donovan Peoples-Jones: 6 rec., 60 yards

Cade York: 4-4 FG, long of 58 yards (GW)


Sources: NFL on Youtube, ESPN


Picture Credit: clutchpoints.com


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