Entering the bye week, the Cleveland Browns have an opportunity to get healthy as a handful of starters missed their Monday Night Football matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Even without key players, the Browns came away with a massive 32-13 beatdown of their division rivals.
They now sit with a record of 3-5 on the season (and 2-1 in the division), with the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers left on their schedule before their starting quarterback returns from suspension.
As we do every week, we bring our 4 Downs article to bring to the top four key aspects of the matchup. What can the Browns take from this game to ride into the bye week before they travel to Miami to take on the Dolphins?
Ethan Pocic continues to build a long-term home at center
Nick Harris may not get another shot at the starting center job, which is rough considering he suffered a season-ending injury on the first play of the preseason. However, center Ethan Pocic has been rock solid for the Browns after signing a one-year deal in Cleveland as a free agent.
On the night against the Bengals, Pocic graded out as the best player on the field according to PFF. All-in-all, Pocic is the second-highest-graded center in the entire NFL in 2022.
Pocic fits like a glove in the Browns’ outside zone offense, possessing the athletic ability to get wide and climb to the second level in a heartbeat. He may be looking at more than just another one-year deal as he continues to play at a high level.
The 27-year-old center looks like the long-term answer in Cleveland at the center position after releasing J.C. Tretter this past offseason.
Still raving about Sione Takitaki
As the second level of the defense continues to battle injuries, as Anthony Walker Jr. and Jacob Phillips are out for the season, and as Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah missed this matchup, Takitaki has stepped up for the Browns’ defense.
Against the Bengals, he played both WILL and MIKE reps, and perhaps played the best game of his NFL career on the night. A peak performer on the evening, Takitaki racked up double-digit tackles, forced a turnover on a strip sack, and another tackle for loss.
When Owusu-Koramoah returns, hopefully after the bye against the Dolphins, the Browns would be wise to roll with the pairing of him and Takitaki at the second level the rest of the way out. Let Takitaki continue to play SAM in base defense, but keep him on the field in nickel sets by sliding him into MIKE.
Where has A.J. Green been?
As an Exclusive Rights Free Agent, Green will more than likely return to Cleveland in 2023 as well. It makes sense for him to continue to get snaps over Williams, who is an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Hopefully, Ward returns sooner rather than later, but Green has proven he deserves snaps in the meantime. But the question has to be asked: why has he not seen the field sooner?
Jacoby Brissett is having a blast
We know who quarterback Jacoby Brissett is as a player. He’s not a top-ten quarterback, a guy who is going to anticipate and throw open receivers, or a player who is going to wow on a week-to-week basis. Brissett, however, is loved by his teammates and is cherishing every moment he has as the starting starter of this Browns team.
And while he has been on the giving end of some devastating turnovers, Brissett is playing at an above-average level in 2022. Last night he was as good as the Browns could have hoped for him to be as well. Going 17-for-22 for 278 yards and a touchdown on the night, Brissett was efficient and made big throws when his team needed a big throw.
You can see the passion he plays with, you can see how excited he is in press conferences and with his teammates. His attitude and energy are a breath of fresh air, and it makes Brissett an easy man to root for.
Jacoby Brissett fired up after this one. pic.twitter.com/n1bxFvM06x
— Bridget Condon (@BridgetCondon_) November 1, 2022
