Despite all of the injuries and against all odds, the Cleveland Browns somehow sit with a record of 9-5 with just three games remaining in the season. Now after a win against the Chicago Bears, thanks to monster performances from both wide receiver Amari Cooper and tight end David Njoku, the Browns have a stranglehold on the fifth seed in the AFC.
According to Sumer Sports, the Browns now sit with a 92 percent chance to make the playoffs after this Week 15 win. It was not pretty. It was downright hideous for the first 45 minutes of the game. But as it has been for most of the season, the motto of this Cleveland team continues to be their ability to play a full 60 minutes and find ways to grind out wins down to the wire.
Now stringing together their second win in a row, I get to write a second victory 4 Downs. What stood out from this win against the Bears, and what is there to pull from this game to look forward to the rest of the season?
1st Down: Injuries, Schminjuries... Browns continue to win with "next man up" mentality
This is a team of fighters. There has not been any quit in them all season.
Already down numerous starters, with 15 players on Injured Reserve, the Browns then lost another big-time contributor against the Bears. Left guard Joel Bitonio exited with a back injury after attempting to give it a go at the break but to no avail.
The thought that he tried to play through it gives a glimmer of hope that this injury may not linger, but the aging veteran has already been playing through a knee injury all year as well. Michael Dunn came in for Bitonio, leaving just one healthy offensive lineman from their Week 1 depth chart on the field.
It was not pretty, but the Browns continued to get it done.
That has been the story all season. The Browns started two undrafted youngsters at their safety positions today, and a third who is an 11-year vet signed right off the practice squad. They are down numerous offensive linemen, their starting quarterback, and their best offensive player.
And yet they sit at 9-5 on the year.
This is a true testimony to the coaching staff and the culture that now exists inside the building in Berea. Sustainability has arrived Browns fans.
2nd Down: You all owe David Njoku an apology
David Njoku has been through quite the ride in his career. From a first round pick, to falling into the doghouse of Freddie Kitchens and John Dorsey, to being replaced by Austin Hooper, to hiring Drew Rosenhaus and demanding a trade, and more, Njoku’s story is one of resilience and perseverance.
Not to mention the severe burns to his face, hands, and arms as well this season.
Njoku took back his trade request, put his head down, and went to work. He has developed into one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL and now continues to stack successful seasons.
There was a ton of animosity toward the young tight end when he signed his long-term deal. There is still the occasional drop that Njoku has to work through. But make no mistake, Njoku is a Pro Bowler who has earned every penny of that extension.
Njoku now sits with 704 yards receiving and five touchdowns on 69 catches this season. These are career marks for a player who just set career marks a year ago. And there are still three games left to be played. This is a top-five tight end in the NFL, and he might not be five.
He is a locker room glue guy, leader, and dominant playmaker on the field. And he is doing it in the Brown and Orange.
3rd Down: Joe Flacco comes back to earth, but stellar fourth quarter saves the day
The regression hit Joe Flacco and the Browns hard in this game. He threw three interceptions, and while one was not his fault, Flacco could not seem to find a rhythm. There was no consistency to hang his hat on. Until it mattered most.
Down 17-7 to start the fourth quarter, Flacco caught fire. He led the Browns to a field goal drive after a suspect holding call in the redzone backed them up. Flacco then led a six-play, 80-yard drive that ended in a sick connection between him and Amari Cooper. Then when the defense stood tall again, Flacco found a way to lead a game-winning drive into field goal range, capping off another fourth quarter comeback for this Cleveland team.
Just how good was Flacco in the fourth quarter? He was lights out.
All-in-all, Flacco was 11-of-13 passing for 212 yards and a touchdown in the final 15 minutes of play, leading the Browns to 13 fourth quarter points.
The turnovers have to stop. The truth about how good Flacco can truly be for the Browns is somewhere in the middle, but his veteran presence and savvy have been carrying this team since he took over as the starting quarterback. This was evident on a crucial third-and-15 on the last offensive possession of the game.
Flacco read the pressure well pre-snap, knew where it was coming from, knew how to replace it where green grass now sat, dropped back, and floated a football off of his back foot for tight end David Njoku to find, picking up 34 yards on the play.
How far can this ride take us? Who knows? I’m just buckling in and enjoying every second of it.
4th Down: Big defensive stops came when needed most
Take away a pick-six, and take away another touchdown that left the Bears with the ball at the Cleveland one-yard-line after an interception, and the defensive unit gave up three points on drives that started under normal circumstances.
They stood their ground and buckled down when it mattered most. Rookie cornerback Cameron Mitchell came up with a huge fourth down stop. Second-year defensive end Alex Wright continues his ascension, finishing this game with a strip sack, four tackles, and a tackle for loss on a jet sweep that he sniffed out on a crucial third down. Greg Newsome II put the clamps on Chicago wide receiver D.J. Moore all game.
Then there is linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who is elevating himself to All-Pro status with his continued dominant play. Finishing the game with two tackles for loss, a sack, an interception, and two passes defended, Owusu-Koramoah was all over the field.
Names can be thrown out at just about every position in this one. The Cleveland defense built a brick wall that the Bears could not stack drives against.
Extra Point: Is there any hope for the run game?
Not to put a damper on this win, or the 9-5 Browns who now sit with a 92 percent chance to make the playoffs. But the run game has been concerning since the injury to Nick Chubb in Week 2 and continued to completely underwhelm in this game.
The trio of Jerome Ford, Kareem Hunt, and Pierre Strong Jr. just cannot muster any ground. On the day, the three combined for just 30 yards on 17 carries.
Sure, the Browns are playing behind a bandaid of an offensive line, with Wyatt Teller as the only Week 1 starter still out there. But this has been an issue far longer than just this week.
It will not get any easier either, as both the Houston Texans and the New York Jets, their next two opponents have fielded top-10 defenses against the run in Expected Points Added allowed per play since Week 10.
It is time to call it like we see it. The Browns cannot rely on the run game, are right to limit how often they stick the ball into the gut of one of these three backs and are better off using the arm of Flacco and the screen game as an extension of that run game.
This is not a team that can just run the football to “keep defenses honest.” This is a fallacy to begin with, but secondly, there is just no threat of a Cleveland run game to speak of.
