The Cleveland Browns shut down the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, dominating with a 27-0 victory. The team’s stars showed out in the shutout against the Cardinals, proving why they are among the very elite of the NFL.
Deshaun Watson looked extremely sharp in his return from the rotator cuff injury that made it nearly impossible for him to throw the ball, as demonstrated against the Colts a fortnight ago. On Sunday, Watson looked fully healthy and back to his normal self, seeking out contact. Wide receiver Amari Cooper jokingly told Watson, “Slide more” in their post-game press conference. The Browns’ defense once again regained their No. 1 ranking in most models after slipping against the Seahawks. It seemed like every defensive starter had a sack or tackle for loss as the Browns held the Cardinals to 58 yards in over 60 minutes.
Here are the five studs that advanced the Browns to victory. There are no duds in 27-point wins.
1
Stud: Amari Cooper
Amari Cooper has been the hero of the offense since the Nick Chubb injury and proved his star status with another great game. Cooper and Deshaun Watson started the game off strong after linking up on a 59-yard pass in the first quarter. They finished the game by completing all 5 of their targets for 139 yards and a touchdown.
Cooper’s touchdown catch came off a deflected ball ricocheting high into the air off a helmet, a cruel reversal of fortunes from the prior week’s loss. Maybe this is a sign that turnovers are mostly random events, as the analytics community likes to think, and not that the Browns are cursed, as I like to think. To finish the game, Watson and Cooper drew up a route midgame that split a double team for a 49-yard strike. The duo had an excellent game. Cooper has dragged a listless Browns’ offense over the past month, racking up 235 yards on 13 receptions.
Sunday was a reminder of what he can do with a franchise quarterback. Cooper is a tactician when route running, every step is calculated to beat the defender on the play while setting up a counter move for later. The wide receiver is famously obsessed with chess and approaches the sport with a long-term strategy in mind. It has kept the 29-year-old pro bowler dominant since his freshman year at Alabama. With Watson as his quarterback, Cooper will show the league he is one of the most dominant wide receivers.
2
Stud: Myles Garrett
Myles Garrett continued his campaign for Defensive Player of the Year as he terrorized the Cardinals’ rookie quarterback Clayton Tune. Garrett’s reign of terror started against the Cardinals when he almost absorbed a pass when he sniffed out a screen pass on the first drive. Garrett eventually found the ball when Shelby Harris sacked Tune, setting up the Browns in the red zone. Garrett got his only sack of the game in the fourth quarter, but his impact went far beyond the box score. Tune was sacked six other times during the game due to all of the attention Garrett forced. Garrett is slowly gaining a lead against fellow pass rushers Micah Parsons and T.J. Watt in the race for DPOY. Performances like Sunday will propel him even further.
3
Stud: Denzel Ward
Denzel Ward is the best cornerback in the NFL this year. He proved it once again on Sunday. Ward’s passion for hit-sticking ball carriers cannot be found in most cornerbacks who shy away from tackling. Ward loves to trigger downfield to hit someone, finding Cardinals’ running back Tony Jones Jr. this week. Ward is a lockdown corner and harassed former AFC North rival Marqise Brown all day. When the Cardinals successfully rubbed Ward on a pick play, the ref assumed that a foul must have happened. Ward picked off a pass at the start of the second quarter that catalyzed a Browns’ touchdown. The interception will look great to All-Pro voters who primarily vote after consulting with box scores. The Browns’ historically great defense should see many individuals rewarded by the media.
4
Stud: Shelby Harrison
Shelby Harris lived in the Cardinals’ backfield all day. The veteran defensive tackle had a throwback performance. They could not block him in the run game, pass game, with double teams, or with tight ends. Harris started the game strong when he swallowed Rondale Moore on a jet sweep. Harris would get a strip sack after stalking the quarterback on a play-action pass. Harris would finish the game with a tackle for loss to help the Browns secure the shutout. Harris had an excellent game as the Browns’ defensive tackles wreaked havoc against the Cardinals.
5
Stud: Dalvin Tomlinson
Dalvin Tomlinson had the day the Browns envisioned when they signed him to a lucrative contract this offseason. Tomlinson finished the game with 2.5 sacks and 4 tackles. If Harris lived in the Cardinals backfield, then Tomlinson was the landlord. The Cardinals could not stop him no matter what they did. If they dedicated too many blockers to him, then
another defensive tackle would make the sack. Tomlinson wasn’t just dominant as a pass rusher as he made multiple run stops. He was a major reason why the Cardinals had a lowly 41 yards through the ground. Tomlinson was given the game ball at the end of the day.
