CLEVELAND — As we know in the preseason, the final score doesn't usually tell the full story, and there were plenty of positives to take out of the Browns' 17-15 loss to the Washington Commanders Friday night.
A good chunk of Cleveland's starters saw action, including quarterback Deshaun Watson. The signal-caller saw the field for a series and completed all three of his passes for 12 yards while also tallying 20 rushing yards on three carries. It was part of a solid Browns drive that saw them get all the way to the Commanders 1 before being stuffed on fourth-and-goal.
With Nick Chubb and Amari Cooper sitting out, the brightest among offensive playmakers was newcomer Elijah Moore, whose 18-yard rush was a highlight for the first team. The receiver eventually went to the locker room with a rib injury, but X-rays were negative.
Once Watson and the other starters left the field, attention turned to the rest of the quarterback room, with backup Joshua Dobbs completing 8 of 16 passes for 77 yards and an interception. However, the star of the show was fifth-round draft pick Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who went 9 of 10 for 102 yards and a touchdown as he further made his case for the third-string job.
On defense, it was more of a mixed bag. While the starters did tally a sack of Washington QB Sam Howell and later forced a safety, they did also allow a 26-yard touchdown pass from Howell to Jahan Dotson. Pro Bowlers Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward did not play, and rookie Ronnie Hickman out of Ohio State led the way with a pair of picks.
There was one pretty big negative on special teams, though, and that was kicker Cade York. The second-year player out of LSU missed a 46-yard field goal attempt in the third quarter, his second wide kick in as many weeks.
Down by eight with minutes to go, Kellen Mond led Cleveland on a 78-yard drive that ended with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Mike Harley Jr. Unfortunately, his 2-point conversion attempt landed incomplete.
The start of the game was delayed by more than an hour thanks to lightning in and around Downtown Cleveland. This will be the Browns' only true home game of the exhibition campaign, with the next matchup taking place Thursday in Philadelphia followed by the preseason finale in Kansas City on Aug. 26.
