Well, the Cleveland Browns have dropped to 2-3 on the season as they take another close loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Chargers. It was a busy, busy day from start to finish, but that almost made the pain of the loss linger.
Regardless, there is a great deal of news and content to recap from yesterday as the Browns now look forward to Week 6 against the New England Patriots in desperate need of a win. Even though this is not an easy Browns Morning Roundup to write, we power through after another tough Sunday.
Let’s dive into yesterday’s the action.
Some thoughts on pre-game action in Cleveland
To the dismay of former New York Yankees and Cleveland pitcher Joba Chamberlain, the midges returned to a sports venue in Northeast Ohio. Just as they terrorized Chamberlain 15 years ago in the 2007 ALDS, the midges took over FirstEnergy Stadium as well.
The biggest news of any pre-game, however, is the inactive list that drops about 90 minutes before gametime. And the biggest name to be inactive yet again was hybrid player Demetric Felton. The Browns have opted for Chester Rogers as their returnman off of the practice squad, but can only elevate him one more time. After that last elevation is used, there is reason to worry about Demetric Felton’s roster spot.
In-game newsworthy action
At least the game was a fun one to watch! It was not quite as exciting as last year’s offensive explosion that registered 89 total points, but 58 was still a great deal of offense. And just as we do every week, we kept the site up to date with every touchdown, big play, and in-game news.
Most of the offensive firepower could once again be traced back to running back Nick Chubb, who has also reclaimed his lead in the NFL rushing battle as he now sits with 593 yards rushing. On his way to 134 yards, Chubb found the endzone twice on the day as well. First, he found the endzone on a Chubb-esque 41 yard scamper, then was able to punch one in from the goalline as well.
Despite an ugly interception that kept points off the scoreboard from the redzone late in the game, the Browns’ passing attack was once again efficient in this one. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett connected with Amari Cooper for an 11-yard touchdown for his only passing touchdown on the day.
The fourth touchdown of the day came when Kareem Hunt pounded the rock into the endzone from the redzone as well. It is hard to point fingers at the playcaller when he put the offense in position to score seven times on the day, but two missed kicks and a redzone pick really bogged down another winnable game.
There was, however, an in-game injury that hurts as starting cornerback Denzel Ward left the game with a concussion. Given the new protocol steps since the injury to Dolphins’ quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, there was little shot he would return. His status hangs in the balance as the Browns host the Patriots next week.
The action continued after the game as well
Not only were there some interesting quotes from the players post-game about feeling disrespected by Chargers’ head coach Brandon Staley for a decision to go for it on fourth down, but the Browns made a trade as well.
First off, if you do not want opposing coaches to go for it on fourth and short situations, no matter the spot on the field, perhaps give up less than 400 yards in a two-game span. However, if trading for a linebacker six hours after the game does not tell you the status of current MIKE linebacker Jacob Phillips, then nothing will.
Swapping a 2024 sixth rounder for former Pro Bowl linebacker Deion Jones and a 2024 seventh round pick, the Browns have made a desperation move to replace the sorely missed Anthony Walker Jr. While Jones’ best days are about two years in the past, this is a low risk, low cost move that does not really make a difference on the books anyway.
