Browns Show Up And Shock The Ravens, 29-24: Game Notes

This Week 8 version of the Browns was a fun group to watch as they gave the Ravens all they could handle and stole a victory when they needed it most.

(Photo - Cleveland Browns)

Well, that was a good time. Sometimes the NFL will have you feeling like some kind of way and then smack you right into the opposite emotion. It’s unique in that sense. Things change quickly and while we didn’t get that change as quick as we might have preferred, it was a welcome sight to see it change on Sunday in the Browns’ surprising 29-24 win over a very good Ravens team.

Jameis Winston led the offense, with some help from the football gods, to over 400 yards and 20+ points for the first time since late last year and the defense did just enough to slow down the dangerous Ravens’ offense to steal a win when they needed it most. Emotions felt different. The stadium was loud. The players were thriving off their energy. Guys, it just felt right. So did the post-game speech following the big win.

You start to dig for those key stats after a win like this and the best one to notice from the basic perspective is the Browns defense held the Ravens to 2/10 on third down while the Browns offense went 8/15. That is not a stat we have seen the team dominate at any point this year. Mix that with an offense limiting penalties, turnovers, and finding big yards and you have a real formula for NFL wins.

Let’s dig into Week 8 Game Notes.

• Outside of three false start penalties the offense was clean on the procedure/process standpoint. As we all know this was a major issue through the first seven weeks so seeing it cleaned up was a welcome sight. Wyatt Teller was responsible for three of the four offensive penalties (one holding call, two false starts) and Dawand Jones the other. Much better.

• Jameis Winston had a strong day overall but sometimes it’s how the ball bounces on Sundays that can matter most. It bounced right for the veteran today. He finished with a strong 27-41 for 334 yards and three touchdowns and played well within structure for the most part. He threw with anticipation, stared down pressure situations, and generally delivered a very accurate football.

• However (gulp), at Browns Film Breakdown we pay attention to the process. Winston did have three very turnover-worthy throws where he was very fortunate the throws were dropped, but there is not doubt he is a big part of the positive turnaround for the collective group today.