[2022] Browns Bulletin, Week 1 - Defense Dominates in Debut

[Piercewise1]

 

The Browns opened their season with a victory, defeating rival Pittsburgh 24-5 in front of a yellow-clad crowd at Heinz Field.

 

“Any win is a good win, but on the road against a division opponent is especially impactful,” coach/GM @Piercewise1 said after the game. “There are definitely some things we’ll have to revisit in practice, but on the whole I’m happy with how the team played in our first real game.”

 

The defense carried the team with an elite performance, led by ILB Louis Dell (11 total tackles, 3.5 TFL). After giving up a field goal on the Steelers’ first possession, they allowed only 2 first downs on the remaining 16 drives. Those drives contained 56 plays for 63 yards and a pair of interceptions (FS Robert Davis, ILB Louis Wallace).

 

The Browns offense sputtered for the most part, punting 9 times and having difficulty maintaining long drives. But turnovers and a couple of big-time throws from veteran QB James Rivera (16-29, 144, 2 TDs) created enough opportunities for the Browns to put points on the board. RB Juan Mora was the offensive standout, with 26 total touches for 137 yards and a receiving TD (though he fumbled once as well). But honorable mention goes to WR Christopher Cresswell, who surprised with 7 catches for 76 yards (more than WR1 George Lovejoy, the highly rated TE Mark Lysek, and the 2nd round rookie WR Marcus Ekstrom put together).

 

Special teams was a disappointment, with John Raigoza going 1-3 on field goal attempts. The Browns were the only team to select a kicker from their pool, and so far the investment doesn’t seem to have paid off. At least punter Patrick Brown was consistent on a busy day for him.

 

The Browns host the 0-1 Detroit Lions in their home opener week 2.