With four games in the books, the Cleveland Browns have hit the end of the first grading period. Unlike elementary school where the periods took nine weeks, in the NFL it’s just four.
A limited number of assignments means one failed test can really harm a player’s grade, while a string of solid quizzes likely keeps the mark higher than it might seem.
Here’s how the Browns position groups grade through the first four weeks of the 2019 campaign.
Quarterback
Baker Mayfield is the only QB to play, so this is effectively just grading the second-year signal caller. He’s had an inconsistent start, with the completion percentage down and the INT rate up. The negative TD/INT rate has been an issue, as has his propensity for holding the ball too long.
However, Mayfield looked very much like the maestro everyone expected in Week 4. That Baker Mayfield gets an A-minus and also gets these Browns to the playoffs. It doesn’t wash away the early struggles, but it certainly helps the overall grade at the quarter-season mark.
Grade: C
Running backs
Nick Chubb erupted for 165 and three TDs in the Week 4 win, but even before the romp in Baltimore he was having a strong second season. Chubb continues to rank at or near the top in broken tackles, yards after contact and explosive plays for all NFL running backs. At his current pace of 99 yards per game, Chubb will shatter the 1,000-yard barrier.
The rest of the running backs have not had much to do. Dontrell Hilliard has just seven carries, D’Ernest Johnson four. Johnson has flashed as a receiver with five receptions and held his own in pass protection.
Grade: A
Wide receivers
Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry each have one superlative game thus far. Both have topped 300 receiving yards and produced some chunk gains. They’ve also been very good blockers and selfless as route runners.
Losing No. 3 man Rashard Higgins has hurt. Damion Ratley has flashed at times but failed on two contested catch situations in Week 4 and missed a block in Week 3 that led to a failed 3rd down. KhaDarel Hodge is a very good special teamer but doesn’t impact the offense.
With great expectations comes a tougher grading scale. The combination of WRs, namely Landry and Beckham, has been good collectively but seldom good and productive all at the same time.
Grade: B-minus
Tight ends
Losing David Njoku in Week 2 put a big crimp in the expectations for the tight ends. He was not off to a great start despite a TD reception, blowing a couple of blocking assignments and dropping an easy catch.
Beyond exactly one good play all year from Demetrius Harris, the Browns had gotten almost nothing from the rest of the group through the first three weeks. Harris has proven a massive downgrade from last year’s No. 2 TE, Darren Fells. Ricky Seals-Jones went off in Week 4 and looks like he might be a keeper as a receiving TE; he matched the season output of the other TEs in that one game.
Grade: C-minus
Offensive line
This one is probably easier to break down on an individual player basis, even though the unit functions as a collective group.
LT Greg Robinson gets a C. His pass protection has been solid, but the penalties and the run blocking remain problematic.
RT Chris Hubbard earns a D-minus and only escapes the dreaded F because I’ll give him partial credit for playing injured. He had two good series in Week 1 but has consistently been one of the worst OTs in the league ever since.
Center JC Tretter is having a Pro Bowl-caliber season. Again. He’s been the most consistent player (along with Chubb) on the entire offense. A for Tretter.
Left guard Joel Bitonio has played well but has not been flawless. Quicker DTs have had some success against the team captain. He earns a B-minus.
Right guard Eric Kush started strong but has quickly faded. He could get pushed by Justin McCray, who held his own filling in for Hubbard in Week 3 and reliably generates power in the run game. Both earn a C.
Overall grade: C-plus
Defensive line
This has been the strength of the team in the first portion of the season. Myles Garrett is second in the NFL in sacks, and when the Ravens focused their attention on stopping him, running mates Olivier Vernon and Sheldon Richardson had their best games. Garrett has emerged as one of the NFL’s best defensive players in his third season.
Larry Ogunjobi continues his developmental arc and has been strong vs. the run. Reserve DT Devaroe Lawrence has not matched his preseason performance but has flashed. He and reserve DE Chad Thomas both played quite well in Baltimore. Thomas has earned more playing time in his second season and appears hungry for even more.
Grade: A-minus
Linebackers
The Browns only play two LBs, but because of Christian Kirksey’s unfortunate chest injury, there are three players here to factor into the grade.
Joe Schobert has played every snap and has proven indispensable. He leads the AFC in tackles. Schobert is getting back to his 2017 Pro Bowl form with his coverage and quick reads, too. The Browns rely on him to fill and crash what the DL cannot, and he does that very well.
Kirksey was off to a rough start, missing four tackles in the first two weeks and also getting lost in coverage too easily. Replacement Mack Wilson has stepped up well and outplayed the team captain, though he’s still got work to do in finding the proper run fit and staying focused in coverage.
Schobert and Wilson together can elevate this grade with more impact plays like PDs and forced fumbles.
Grade: B
Secondary
There has been some solid play here, but not necessarily from the expected players. A Pro Bowl CB as a rookie, Denzel Ward was bad before missing two games with a hamstring injury. He missed five tackles in seven quarters of football and also got burned in coverage. Greedy Williams, this year’s rookie starter on the outside, played much better in Weeks 1-2 before he too was sidelined with a hamstring.
Slot CB T.J. Carrie has seen a ton of action and has held up pretty well. His tackling and awareness have been very good. Terrance Mitchell came off the bench and looked very much like a guy who has been a starter before.
At safety, Damarious Randall rebounded a little with a decent game vs. the Ravens after a wretched start that included a mystery concussion. Juston Burris came off the street and was outstanding in Week 3, showing depth the team hasn’t had in eons. Eric Murray has shown versatility to play anywhere, though he’s really only played well as a run-stuffer. Jermaine Whitehead saved himself from a failing grade by being a part of three takeaways in Week 4.
Grade: C-plus
Special teams
For a team starting two rookie specialists, the Browns are looking very good under new coordinator Mike Priefer. Kicker Austin Seibert has been perfect on field goals, and nearly all have been no-doubt makes. He did miss an extra point.
Punter Jamie “The Scottish Hammer” Gillan won AFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 2. He’s cooled a little since then but remains very effective at not allowing returns.
Jarvis Landry has had a little success as a punt returner, better than the kick return combination of Dontrell Hilliard and Taywan Taylor. In coverage, Tavierre Thomas and KhaDarel Hodge have proven worthy of their roster spots despite almost zero snaps outside of special teams. They’re that good.
Grade: B-plus
Coaching
Freddie Kitchens has looked like a rookie head coach, a man learning the ropes of playcalling and overseeing everything on the team for the first time. He sorely needed a good coaching effort and result in Week 4 and Kitchens got it. Kitchens has a difficult job with all the media attention and the critics ready to pounce on every misstep from every Brown.
New coordinators Todd Monken and Steve Wilks are still finding their way with their offense and defense, respectively. Wilks rebounded nicely from a terrible Week 1 debut and has done so despite facing myriad injuries.
Grade: C
