CLEVELAND — No one thought the Cleveland Browns would go 16-0, as Freddie Kitchens reminded us following the Tennessee Titans loss.
After a ragged win over the depleted New York Jets, the biggest takeaway might just be that nobody thought the Browns would go 0-16.
What else, if anything, have we learned about the Browns through the first two weeks of the season?
That the hard work is just beginning, starting with the Los Angeles Rams here Sunday night and continuing for the next couple months (Baltimore and San Francisco away, Seattle at home, rest week, New England away?)
We already knew that. What else?
- You can say the offense needs more time together without that being an indictment of resting players in the preseason. You'd still err on the side of caution to avoid injury but clearly the Browns offense isn't what it could be, or what it should be with more time on the field.
- Myles Garrett is unblockable. If the penalties at the end of his sacks continue, though, he’ll soon introduce the plus-minus into NFL stat keeping.
- Odell Beckham Jr. can’t be caught in the open field while carrying a football unless in the other arm he’s carrying a grandfather clock.
- Beckham’s 89-yard TD reception not only allowed an end zone celebration in which he pretended he was opening a door — reminding New York football fans he was back home — it did wonders for some otherwise so-so numbers for Baker Mayfield.
- Mayfield still made some of the same big-time throws that inspired the Browns offense a year ago. He still makes third and long look reasonably easy to conquer but the offense looked more ragged than efficient against the Jets.
- Gregg Williams' Jets defense was part of that, despite missing its best player, linebacker C.J. Mosley, and defensive end Quinnen Williams. The Browns converted just four of 13 third downs.
- It didn’t help that Mayfield didn’t have Rashard Higgins or -- for most of the game -- injured tight end David Njoku. But he’ll need even more than those two against the defending NFC champion Rams Sunday night.
- Beckham and Garrett both found motivation in the trip to New York. Beckham felt held back by the Giants offense in recent seasons. Garrett said he felt constrained by Williams defensive edicts the last couple years.
Hey, whatever players need to tell themselves.
They have a short week now to convince themselves Sean McVay looks like a teacher who once told them they’d never amount to anything.
- The only thing holding Nick Chubb back is the depth and talent on the Browns offense and Freddie Kitchens' pledge to keep everybody happy. He had 18 carries for 62 yards in New York, not a lot since the Browns led the Jets pretty much from the start.
- The state of the Jets made this win tougher to quantify, especially when practice squad quarterback Luke Falk took over for the injured Trevor Siemian.
- If we beat up Kitchens for bringing an unfocused, overconfident team into the season opener, it’s only fair to say the Browns responded pretty well to a prime-time road game no matter the quality of the opponent.
- The Browns went from 18 penalties for 182 yards to nine penalties for 85 yards. And two of those were intentional delay of games flags on fourth down when the Browns tried to draw the Jets offsides.
- Please remind me the last time you saw defenders jump offsides on fourth down when an opponent was trying to draw them offsides.
- And if you can answer that, we increase the degree of difficulty on this pop quiz by asking why Kitchens kept asking Mayfield to drop back and throw while leading by 20 late in the game?
- It’s only Week Three but it’s still time to stop questioning whether the Scottish Hammer can pin teams inside their own 20. The Jets all but set up up tents and a camp fire there Monday night.
- Given the Jets offensive troubles, if Le’Veon Bell didn’t slip away in disguise to a remote island getaway sometime in the third quarter, it must mean he’s committed to the Jets for the long haul. Long haul for him is at least three games.
- NFL power ratings put the Rams at No. 3 this week behind the Patriots (No. 1) and the Chiefs, which seems about right. The Browns are No. 15, which seems low but only based on potential, not performance.
- The Browns will have to be better offensively to beat the Rams and win on the road the following week in Baltimore. Could be worse. They could lack the talent to get better. That’s not the case. As it was most years from 1999-2018, but who's counting?