Put away the pitchforks and torches. Hang up the angry calls to sports radio demanding radical change right away. The Cleveland Browns offense just needed a week of field-testing.
Kevin Stefanski’s offense thrived as advertised at home in posting five touchdowns against the Cincinnati Bengals. Cleveland ran past the visitors from Cincinnati, 35-30.
The Browns offense, so staid and sloppy in Baltimore in Week 1, was electrifyingly efficient and effective in Week 2. The blocking scheme looked harmonious in front of QB Baker Mayfield and leading the charge for 124 rushing yards from Nick Chubb and another 86 from Kareem Hunt.
Mayfield was composed and in control all night. He made one bad mistake, an interception deep in Bengals territory where he didn’t see the backside corner, William Jackson, sagging into a robber role. Other than that, this was a more emotionally contained version of the record-setting rookie Baker Mayfield of 2018.
Stefanski smartly moved Mayfield around. There was ample play-action, several bootlegs and even a couple of designed rollouts. That is where Mayfield thrived in college and during his rookie campaign. No. 6 was sharp with his accuracy and flashed the tight-window rifle that many questioned if he had any ammo left inside. The smart flow to the offense kept the Bengals unbalanced and uncomfortable all night.
The 434 yards of offense is a great showing one week after little went right. The Browns converted 5-for-8 on third-down conversions. Eight different Browns caught passes, including five separate players hauling in the first five passes Mayfield threw. Odell Beckham was engaged early, catching the team’s first TD, but wasn’t forced the ball. The offensive line was very good in both run blocking and pass protection, finally looking in sync and at ease with the new scheme.
This was the offense the fans were promised when GM Andrew Berry hired Stefanski, a Shanahan-tree disciple, away from Minnesota to lead the team. It took an uncomfortable week against what just might be the best team in the AFC to get untracked, but on Thursday night we saw the bright potential of the Cleveland offense shine majestically on the shores of Lake Erie.
