Having found their stride on offense after two weeks of competition, the Cleveland Browns are on the precipice of putting together something truly special. With a plethora of talented skill position players and a competent signal-caller under center, the team is in a holding pattern while they wait for their defense to catch up.
In comments to reporters on Wednesday, quarterback Jacoby Brissett made a point to explain his growing chemistry with receiver Amari Cooper, who joined the Browns via trade in the offseason. A three-reception performance by the star wide-out in Week 1 gave way to a dominant showing against the New York Jets on Sunday, where he snagged nine catches on 10 targets for 101 yards and a touchdown.
“It is Amari,” Brissett explained of his talented teammate. “That was just one of those days for him. Did a really good job of understanding the plan. I thought we as a collective group understood the plan. It was not just Amari – obviously, Amari was getting himself open – but players running routes to help get him open. Just capitalized on the opportunities that we had. Like I said, looking forward to creating more opportunities in the future obviously coming up Thursday, and just seeing how things unfold.”
Cleveland will need to lean on Cooper while they wait for their full-time starter to see the field in his first action of the 2022 season. Brissett has been adjusting to life as the team’s top passer and is still in the process of feeling out the offense, so his newfound connection with his top receiver should be a boon for the Browns moving forward.
Few teams have the luxury of a dominant pass-catcher to pair with an elite running game, so Cleveland would be wise to maximize their abundance of talent as much as possible against the Steelers in Week 3. If they can get the ball into the hands of their most reliable playmakers, the Thursday night matchup could be the bounce-back that the Browns need to stay on course for the playoffs in January.
