The Cleveland Browns’ defense took out all of their anger and frustration about the back-to-back subpar performances of the Arizona Cardinals. The Browns not only shutout the Cardinals, which was the first shutout for the Browns since the 8-0 blizzard blow with the Bills in 2007,
They held the Cards to only 58 total yards on the day on 48 plays, remarkable!
QB Deshaun Watson made his much anticipated and discussed start for the Browns on Sunday, and his results early were not so good as he missed passes low and was off target on multiple throws. But as the game went on, he started to find WR Amari Cooper deep, which helped him settle into the game.
Watson ended up with two touchdowns on 19 of 30 passing for 219 yards. Cooper was excellent, going for five catches for 139 yards and a touchdown.
There’s more on the day with the defense, as they sacked Arizona seven times and also caused three turnovers, including the play of the day with CB Denzel Ward making an acrobatic catch to give the Browns great field position at midfield.
This was the game dreams are made of, and it helped to play a poor opponent like the Arizona Cardinals. The Browns got a great mental health game and should be feeling good heading into Baltimore.
In his second start for Cleveland in five weeks, Deshaun Watson threw two touchdown passes, one of which deflected off an Arizona helmet, as the Browns secured a commanding 27-0 victory on Sunday. This marked Cleveland’s first shutout since 2007.
Watson, who had been sidelined due to a shoulder injury, displayed occasional rustiness and indecision in his first full game since September 24 when he suffered a strained rotator cuff. He completed 19 of 30 passes for 219 yards, with 139 of those going to Amari Cooper. While the offense struggled to find its rhythm after the hiatus, the Browns (5-3) relied on their top-ranked defense to stifle the Cardinals (1-8), who had rookie quarterback Clayton Tune at the helm.
Cleveland’s defense created opportunities for Watson’s two touchdown passes with turnovers, and the Browns notched seven sacks, with Dalvin Tomlinson sacking Tune 2.5 times. Watson connected with Cooper for an 11-yard scoring pass in the second quarter and found tight end David Njoku for a 5-yard touchdown in the third. Additionally, Kareem Hunt scored a 3-yard touchdown, and Dustin Hopkins kicked two field goals for Cleveland.
Arizona’s losing streak extended to six games. The Cardinals made the decision to start Clayton Tune, a fifth-round pick from Houston, rather than activating Kyler Murray, who was nearing a return from a previous knee injury. Earlier in the week, Arizona had traded Joshua Dobbs, their starting quarterback for the first eight games while awaiting Murray’s return.
Tune struggled to make any headway against the relentless Browns’ defense, completing only 11 of 20 passes for 58 yards and throwing two interceptions. In addition to their quarterback situation, the Cardinals were hampered by injuries, with running back Emari Demercado and receiver Michael Wilson both inactive for the game.
Arizona’s offensive struggles were evident, as they managed just 31 yards in the first half, with their six first-half possessions resulting in punts, an interception, and more punts. The Browns led 13-0 at halftime, thanks to two field goals by Hopkins and an unusual touchdown play. This touchdown occurred when Denzel Ward intercepted Tune, and Watson’s pass deflected off the helmet of Cardinals defensive lineman Dante Stills, launching high into the air and ultimately landing in the end zone, where it was caught by Cooper. It was a fortunate turn of events for the Browns, who had experienced a similar play working against them the previous week, resulting in a late interception and a comeback win for the Seattle Seahawks.
Starting LT Jedrick Wills Jr. appeared to suffer a serious lower leg injury. He was carted off in the third quarter with his right leg immobilized. …. WR Marquise Goodwin left with a head injury early in the third quarter. He was assisted from the field and taken straight to the locker room for evaluation and treatment.
At Baltimore Ravens 1 PM 11/12
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