CLEVELAND — Two weeks into the season and the AFC North is right where we all assumed it would be, right gang? With the two Division favorites still winless, the Cleveland Browns at 1-1 and the “rebuilding” Steelers undefeated, despite having scored only one touchdown in two games.
I jest, of course. No one would have anticipated this, but isn’t that what makes the NFL so interesting? No matter how tuned in you are, no matter how much research you do, you can’t every really accurately predict what’s going to happen on any given Sunday, with the possible exception that the Carolina Panthers may never win a football game again.
But outside of that, nothing’s for sure. We all think we know our teams, but every week our preconceptions are defied and the only consistent certainty is the uncertainty.
So which Browns team ARE we this season? Are we the totally-inept looking Browns that got smoked on their home field last week or are we the scrappy, middling-Browns that scratched out an ugly win, on the road THIS week, and at times showed elite potential?
Well, we’re both teams, of course. And it’s a safe bet we’ll present as a new team next week as factors on the ground change, the team deals with injuries and players continue to gel.
And they’ll continue to change while simultaneously trying to win as many games as possible, by whatever means necessary throughout this 17 game season.
That’s what happened yesterday, and we’ll take it! The only thing better than leaving the state of Florida is leaving the state of Florida with a victory. It was by no means an attractive affair but I’ve already begun actively forgetting most of the details anyways, so who cares?
The few things that I WILL remember about this largely dismissible game are as follows:
- The Browns defense was formidable and in control.
- Deshaun Watson looked more like a legit QB and less like a contest winner who won the right to play quarterback in the NFL through a raffle of some kind.
- But first and foremost, based on the stellar performances of Dustin Hopkins and Corey Bojorquez, I am hereby declaring this “Kicker Appreciation Week” for the Browns fan base. So, let’s show these guys the love they deserve.
- Hopkins nailed all 3 of his field goals from 52, 44 and 38 yards making him a perfect 4 for 4 on the season.
And sure, Hopkins was also flagged for a penalty based on a new rule that says the kicker can’t go past the 50-yard line till the ball is in possession. It could have been very costly but it wasn’t and I simply refuse to condemn my kicker for being overzealous to help tackle someone. I think it shows moxy.
But the REAL play of the game courtesy of my boy “Puntin’ Corey” Bojorquez — terrible nickname, we’re still workshopping it.
At a pivotal moment in the game Co-Bo, delivered a perfect punt to the Jacksonville 2-yard line, pinning Jacksonville’s offense by their own end zone, which led to the safety that essentially shut the door on the game.
It was a special teams sight to behold and also, an extremely unique way to help secure a crucial, early-season win.
But as I said earlier, the NFL season is nothing if not unpredictable. It’s that very uncertainty that keeps it interesting and contributes to the league’s massive success and the fact that the NFL has a higher annual GDP than most developed countries.
We human beings love unpredictability in our entertainment. And fortunately the Browns are more than happy to provide it for us. Because I can genuinely say that I have no idea what Cleveland team will show up to play the Giants this week, but I look forward to making their acquaintance. Enjoy the ride folks, and go Browns.