Destruction, promise, and skipping stones: a Week 1 win in a nutshell

There aren't many better ways to wake up on a Monday in September than with a thorough drubbing of a division rival, and it's even better when it's Week 1 of the season. It sets the tone for not only your week but your year, and it's something Cleveland fans are not accustomed to yet. This is only the third time Cleveland has won Week 1 since 2004, which in itself is a shining light on the embarrassment the organization has been to its fans over the years. So let's look into why this game was the beatdown that it was.Under Pressure *dun dun dun dundundundun* While only totaling two sacks, ((Which hit the under for me on this week's pregame BrownsCast, something I'm definitely proud of.)) the defensive line terrorized newly-minted-money-man Joe Burrow all day. Per ESPN Next Gen stats and Seth Walder, Cincinnati only had a 30% pass-block win rate on the day. In layman's terms, almost 70% of the time, someone was hurrying or pressuring or sacking Burrow, causing him to rush throws or get out of the pocket and test the calf muscle that kept him out all of the preseason. Myles Garrett and Za'Darius Smith tied for four QB hits on the day, and Ogbo Okoronkwo got an early hit that set the tone for how the day was gonna go for the former first overall pick. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz did a fantastic job of swapping around the linemen, moving the pieces and trying to take advantage of mismatches or unexpectedness.No sack was bigger on the day than Garrett's, however. Silent most of the day, Garrett was dueling with double teams and letting the others get in on the fun, until midway in the fourth quarter. Pinned back deep in their own territory, Burrow and the Bengals decided they would attempt a 4th down try to keep the drive going. Two incompletions and a six-yard gain on 3rd down meant 4th-and-4 from their own 31, Cinci tried to get a first with a simple crossing route out of a bunch formation, and the receiver would have been open if Myles Garrett hadn't wiped out right tackle Jonah Williams to go and bounce off of running back Treyvon Williams, spinning down Burrow for a 13 yard loss and turnover on downs. A great example of power, speed, and why moving Garrett all over the line to create mismatches was a phenomenal idea.https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1700957966583865643?s=20With a great running game comes great offenseIn a game that felt like a slog for both teams, somehow Cleveland had the ninth-best offense by yardage on the day with 350. Only the Los Angeles Chargers had more rushing yards and first downs on the day than the Browns did, a testament to how good the run game was and how dedicated they were to working it. It didn't come the way that you would expect, however. The "Nick Chubb needs 20 carries to win" crowd doesn't get a seat at the table, and don't let them point to his four catches for 21 yards as touches. Jerome Ford overcame a fumble to carry the ball well, garnering 15 rushes for 36 yards, many coming in garbage time.The ground game didn't just come from running backs though, as Deshaun Watson got in on the action early. garnering 45 yards on only five rushes and this sneaky touchdown. A designed run in the redzone was the call, and Watson saw the defense pin down to the right side so he went left. Right guard Wyatt Teller pulled and took care of the abandoned edge rusher and a stiff arm later, 4 was celebrating 6. Watson's ability to make things happen with his legs has been a missing piece of the puzzle for Browns quarterbacks for years, and the athletic ability of the 6'2" behemoth unlocks new wrinkles for the offense to play off of.https://twitter.com/Browns/status/1700941930396569695?s=20All hands on deckIt was a slog out on the pitch this Sunday, with misty rain coating the field and players and balls and everything. It kept the sledding muddy and the passes off target, as it looked all game like Watson was in a stone skipping competition and less of a football game. Numerous passes were either too deep for deep balls or at the ankles and toes on short crossing routes. Watson spoke after the game that he actually went and got an IV at halftime because he was experiencing full body cramps in the second quarter, something that the rain could have exasperated, weighing down the ball and making getting a solid footing untenable. More than once, Watson had the appearance of not being set and stable. It got better as the game went on, firing missiles into receivers' hands, like this one on Donovan Peoples-Jones' only catch of the day.https://twitter.com/Browns/status/1700939932124975393?s=20What's Next?Monday Night Football, the Browns head to Pittsburgh for Week 2. Pittsburgh lost to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 fairly handily, 30-7.