The Cleveland Browns Have Given Fans This to be Thankful for This Season

The 2022 Cleveland Browns have had plenty of dark moments in a dreadful 3-7 start to the season. The playoffs look impossible, and they would have to win 6 of their final 7 games just to avoid yet another losing season. We seem lightyears away from Week 2 when a hefty lead over the New York Jets pretty much guaranteed a 2-0 start to the season for the first time since 1993. Sadly, since that moment in that game, pretty much everything has gone wrong.

Or has it? Upon a deep dive into the stat book and also big picture I was able to find at least a few bright spots in an otherwise dim season.

They finally won an opening day game. For the first time since 2004, the Cleveland Browns won a thrilling opening week game at Carolina thanks in part to a dramatic last second kick by rookie placekicker Cade York from 58 yards out. The boot began the Browns 1-0 for the first time in nearly 20 years, and helped them defeat their former starting quarterback Baker Mayfield in the process.

Speaking of Mayfield, despite the teams record, he has continued to be a bust in Carolina as well. Mayfield has played in 7 games for the Panthers and only thrown for 1,313 yards along with 6 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Meanwhile the play of Jacoby Brissett has been tolerable as he is 213 of 331 passing for 2,398 yards with 11 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions for a 90.7 QBR. He is not the reason the Browns are 3-7.

At the very worst, he has played well enough to get them to 7-4 in what will be his 11 game stretch, it is not to be however as the best he can be is 4-7.

To the surprise of no one, Nick Chubb has continued to be great with 1,569 yards on 174 carries in 10 games with a 92.3 per game average. Chubb is on pace for a career season of 1,569 rushing yards. He has also started and played in every game, remaining injury free while racking up 11 rushing touchdowns with 7 games to go.

The Browns have finally found a kicker in Cade York they can count on. He is 17 of 19 from kicks inside of 49 yards, and is 20 of 25 overall. He has a game winner to his name, and 3 of the 5 misses have been blocked. That is more on the offensive line then it is on him.

Amari Cooper is everything they expected of him and more. Cooper has 7 touchdowns on 50 catches for 698 yards. When Watson begins to take snaps for the Browns, I truly believe they will be the number #2 QB / WR threat behind JaMar Chase and Joe Burrow in Cincy in the AFC North. Cooper continues to work hard and lay out for balls. He has kept his mouth shut in tough times and been a team player.

Speaking of wideouts, I really like what little we have seen from David Bell thus far. He has been targeted only 20 times, but has 16 catches and has shown the sure hands that made him Kee On Sports top wide receiving prospect out of Purdue this past Spring. He badly needs to become the number 3 if not number 2 receiver on this team, and you will see a 1,000 yard wide receiver with 10 touchdowns. The Browns coaching staff needs to realize that, and quickly!

They are winning division games at home. For years the Browns have struggled to win Divisional games. They seem to be turning that corner with primetime home wins over Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. They looked great in both wins and will need to keep that momentum for years to come.

Despite a small bit of off the field drama, and once again getting doubled or even tripled teamed and held, on every single play, Myles Garrett has 8.5 sacks in 9 games. Maybe not world beater numbers, but when you consider the amount of pressure and attention he receives, not bad at all.

What is bad however is the fact that defensive coordinator Joe Woods has had three yeas to exploit O-Lines and running backs doing this, and still hasn’t figured out a way to capitalize with the free men running at the quarterback behind and next to Garrett. He is going to get doubled and tripled every play, how do you not use this to your advantage?

OH, AND THIS ONE LAST THING OF COURSE