The Cleveland Browns offense was on the field for 75 snaps in Denver. Cleveland’s defense played just 50. Yet the radical discrepancy in plays did not help the Browns in their 24-19 loss to the Broncos.
Some notes and observations from the Browns snap count breakdown…
Offense
Nick Chubb was on the field for 45 offensive snaps at RB. Backup Dontrell Hilliard made it a clean split with 30. Third-string D’Ernest Johnson only appeared on special teams.
Rashard Higgins played 15 reps, far fewer than Antonio Callaway’s 36 as the No. 3 wideout. Kha’Darel Hodge saw his first real action on offense, playing eight snaps and making his first reception as a Brown.
Stephen Carlson saw extensive action in his first game after being promoted from the practice squad. Carlson played 23 snaps at tight end, most coming after Ricky Seals-Jones exited the game with a knee injury on his 22nd rep.
Backup QB Garrett Gilbert was the only one of the 46 Browns active for the game who did not play, not even on special teams.
Defense
Adarius Taylor continues to get more work as the No. 3 linebacker. He played 26 snaps. Neither Joe Schobert nor Mack Wilson left the field, which means the Browns played three LBs on more than half the snaps for the first time all season. Playing against a greenhorn QB and a run-heavy offense, with starting safety Damarious Randall out, helps provide needed context to the situation.
Olivier Vernon took more reps than Myles Garrett at DE. Vernon played 45, Garrett 42.
Jermaine Whitehead played all 50 snaps in what turned out to be his last game as a Browns safety.
