A tale of two Melkies and what to expect: Between Innings
August 23, 2018TMI?: Being a Cleveland Browns fan in the Age of Information
August 27, 2018The Cleveland Browns beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 5-0, in a defensive slugfest in the third preseason game of 2018. The so-called dress rehearsal for the Browns was more of baseball score than a football. The Browns defense matched and even outperformed the talented Eagles defense. Both defenses were really good. The Browns allowed 258 total yards, while the Eagles allowed 263 total yards. The difference was the Browns’ ability to force four turnovers in the game and also sack the quarterback seven times.
The first half was highlighted by both team’s first team defenses. The only points either offense could muster in the first half was from the Browns and that a 54-yard field goal by Zane Gonzalez. The Browns first team defense was great against Nick Foles and the Eagles offense. The Eagles had just 168 yards of total offense. But, the more impressive stat for the Browns defense was the four turnovers the unit was able to force from the Eagles in the first half. Those turnovers were key in shutting out Philadelphia in the first half. It was a nice sign from the Cleveland defense that struggled to make big plays and force turnovers last year.
The Browns first team offense was not so good in the first half. They only notched three points and 151 yards of total offense. The unit would have spurts of good play, but lacked the consistency to put up multiple sustained drives. The Browns offensive line was not good against the great front seven of the Eagles. The Browns allowed three sacks and were letting penetration throughout the half. We saw both Tyrod Taylor and Baker Mayfield in the first half, which I will get to later. Both struggled to find open receivers and good blocking throughout the first.
Second half was much of the same. The Browns and Eagles went through the second half scoreless as both defenses continued to dominate the game. Mayfield showed some flashes in the half, but a crushing interception ended a promising drive that could have netted some points in the third quarter. In the end, Cleveland was able to blank the Eagles and play a complete defensive masterpiece with a 5-0 win.
The collective hearts of Browns fans stopped quite a few times on Thursday. The biggest cardiac incident came when quarterback Tyrod Taylor fell awkwardly on his wrist. The Browns starting quarterback left the game for a couple drives as many feared the worst. But, Taylor returned to the field seemingly in good spirits, finishing off the half as if nothing happened. The other heart permutation came when Browns rookie corner Denzel Ward left the game with an injured back. This injury forced the rookie to miss the rest of the game. An injury to Ward would be a crushing blow to the Browns secondary, which is already without E.J. Gaines for a few weeks.
The game overall was a defense slugfest. The offensive play for both teams will not go in the highlight reel. But, both teams possess strong defenses, which are incredibly talented in their front seven. So, the offensive struggle was not a huge surprise. The Eagles are a well-known defense, but the performance of the Browns defense was exciting to watch. The unit showed pressure all day and it also showed the ability make plays, including turnovers. The Browns defense is the biggest takeaway from tonight’s dress rehearsal.