3 Takeaways: QB Deshaun Watson leads Browns offense on comeback Watson connects with WR Amari Cooper for offensive production As the Browns marched down the field
about halfway through the 4th quarter, QB Deshaun Watson threw a deep pass to right to WR Amari Cooper downfield.
With a defender on either side, Cooper caught the pass for a 49-yard reception and put the Browns in the red zone.
The Browns were then able to convert on the next play when RB Kareem Hunt rushed three yards into the end zone.
Then, as the Browns’ defense took the field, they continued to dominate, forcing the Cardinals into a three-and-out.
As the clock ticked down and there were only two minutes left, the Browns defense once again rushed the field to suppress the Cardinals and keep them scoreless.
It was free-flowing football for the Browns on Sunday, allowing them to build on each other’s success and lead the Browns to a 27-0 victory.
“That’s what we preach and practice every day, playing as a unit, everyone being in that flow state and everything coming together,” DE Myles Garrett said.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better result.
” Let’s look at three of the most important lessons from the 27-0 blowout win over the Cardinals.
QB Deshaun Watson returns and finds his rhythm Watson took the field at quarterback for the first time since Week 7 and played his first full game since September 24th.
He seemed comfortable leading the attack.
He finished the game 19-of-30 throwing for 219 yards and two touchdowns.
His longest throw of the day, he connected with WR Amari Cooper for a 59-yard reception.
Watson finished with a passer rating of 107.
5.
“I thought he had some really, really good moments.
He ran the ball when he needed to, he made plays, so I was really happy for him,” HC Kevin Stefanski said .
“I think he looks very nice and looks like me.
” Stefanski said they wanted to test the run game at first, which then played a big role on the first few short passes in the first quarter.
But then Watson threw a deep ball to Cooper with two minutes left in the first half, which Cooper caught for 59 yards.
“The first deep ball he threw convinced me he was back because if he wasn’t feeling well he wouldn’t have thrown the deep ball,” Cooper said.
“So once he threw that one, I was like, okay, great, let’s go because I know Deshaun likes to throw the ball deep.
That’s his preference, so when he threw it out , I think he must feel very happy.
” Three days of practice this week have provided Stefanski with the necessary information that Watson will be in good shape for Sunday’s game.
Then, before the game, Stefanski said Watson looked like him.
It felt good to be back on the field on Sunday,” said Watson.
“This is something I’ve been preparing for and I’ve been training really hard to get back to it,” Watson said.
“Just going out there and playing freely and being able to be really close to myself and just going out there competing and having fun with my teammates, and that’s what I brought today .
” Defensive advantage restored
As the Browns went to work on Wednesday and began preparing for Week 9, DC Jim Schwartz issued a call to action.
He was unhappy with the way the Browns’ defense started the game in Seattle, as well as the drive that ultimately led to the game-winning drive for the Seahawks.
There are no players.
DE Myles Garrett thought the Browns met that challenge on Sunday.
“We accepted the challenge that (Jim) Schwartz gave us,” Garrett said.
“We played with our fire and the boys really responded and they are happy to have reached the level they did.
” And they did it.
They took the field for the first time since 2007.
The Browns’ defense finished the game with three sacks and seven sacks – that’s the most sacks conceded in a game since record nine against the Bears in 2021.
This spread throughout the defense, as CB Denzel Ward and LB Sione Takitaki each recorded an interception.
DT Dalvin Tomlinson had 2.
5 sacks, while DE Za’Darius Smith, DT Shelby Harris, DT Jordan Elliott and Garrett each had one.
S Grant Delpit also recorded a half-sack.
They also limited the Cardinals to 58 net yards, which is the third-fewest total yards allowed in a game in Browns history.
The Cardinals also only ran five plays on Cleveland’s side of the field and did not advance further than the 44-yard line.
Elliott felt like Sunday’s game brought them back to their roots on defense.
“I just re-identified ourselves because the last two weeks there has been a leak,” Elliott said.
“It wasn’t top five.
So I think that match was more of a statement for us to keep doing the same things.
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