Baker Mayfield said he wasn't frustrated by the performance of the No. 1 offense in Sunday's game-like practice in FirstEnergy Stadium. (Cleveland Browns)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Takeaways from Day 14 of Browns training camp …
Portions of the Browns’ last official day of training camp actually looked like a game without fans.
In their first appearance on the lush, green grass in FirstEnergy Stadium, they moved the ball in game-like situations. The giant video boards flashed. Ambient crowd noise played. The players wore their classic uniforms with easy-to-read brown numbers on white jerseys and white numbers on browns. Damion Ratley did a chest bump with an offensive teammate after a touchdown catch. D’Ernest Johnson climbed the Dawg Pound wall and posed on it after his scoring grab.
Ultimately, the No. 2 offense quarterbacked by Case Keenum scored two touchdowns against the No. 1 defense (minus Myles Garrett) and the No. 1 offense quarterback by Baker Mayfield scored 10 points on the No. 2 defense.
“I thought, by and large, both sides got a lot of really good work in,” Stefanski said. “Had a live portion of it and got into different situational moments so I was pleased with that.”
Yes, there were hiccups.
Like the play that ended the proceedings – a Mayfield pass for rookie Donovan Peoples-Jones intercepted at the goal line by safety Jovante Moffett.
There were a couple goalpost doinks by kicker Austin Seibert, a trick play on offense that went awry on a dropped backwards pass from Jarvis Landry to Mayfield, and another sack by Porter Gustin racing past rookie left tackle Jedrick Wills.
But there were highlights, too.
Tight end David Njoku had his best day, connecting twice with Mayfield and once with Keenum, including one behind the secondary which he turned into a 70-yard gain. There was a lot of misdirection setting up open receivers and tight ends. Keenum looked sharp. There was no tackling to the ground, so handoffs to Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt were not a gauge of how truly dominant they may be.
Mayfield said he wasn’t frustrated to end the day on the goal-line interception.
“No, we did some things well. We’re trying to run some plays, trying some things out, trying a few trick plays, not normally how we’d call a game. There’s always room to improve,” he said.
“We are having to try to figure out which plays are we really going to really roll into Week 1 with."
The Browns have Monday off and then will remain in “training camp mode,” Stefanski said, in repping overall plays before turning all attention to the Sept. 13 opener in Baltimore against the defending division champion Ravens.
He has scheduled a return to the stadium on Friday for what he is terming the season “dress rehearsal” in the absence of preseason games. There figures to be more game situations and focus on getting players and units on and off the field with a game clock running.
“I think we are where we want to be,” Stefanski said. “I think it is a challenge without those [preseason] games, but that is where we have to replicate those moments in practice and replicate it here at the stadium.
“We have another opportunity to do that Friday night in here. We just have to be mindful about how we plan this thing and make sure that they have those moments of subbing in and out or all of a sudden it is a field goal situation and you are yelling for the field team so that just happens in the course of games. We are trying to do that in the course of practice.”
Action plans
Prior to practice, the Browns gathered near the west end zone and delivered a passionate update on their social justice initiatives that was displayed on the stadium video boards.
Via introduction, Stefanski said, “This is our Browns family and this family has some things that are weighing very heavily on their hearts.”
Reading from prepared statements, Mayfield led off and was followed by Larry Ogunjobi and Landry.
The team identified four action points of emphasis for change: 1. Improving digital resources and education to close the “digital divide,” 2. Police reform and accountability, 3. Empowering underserved, primarily black neighborhoods by supporting black-owned businesses and helping with food, clothing and shelter, 4. Encouraging voter registration, turnout and participation in the democratic process.
Brownie bits
Seibert missed three PATs and two field goals into the Dawg Pound end zone last year. On Sunday, he made seven straight kicks in that direction starting at 33 yards and ending at 48. His eighth attempt, from 54 yards, died short and right of the target. Later, at the conclusion of an end-of-game drive, Seibert doinked the left upright from 52 yards. Then he doinked the right upright from 50. A third attempt from 32 yards was good. He made another field goal from 35 yards and two PATs. Busy day for him …
KhaDarel Hodge was the third receiver with the first team offense …
With Chris Hubbard idle, the second-team offensive tackle was undrafted rookie Alex Taylor. Kendall Lamm was at right tackle …
Employees and immediate family members of players and coaches viewed practice from the mezzanine level of the stadium …
Garrett (wrist) viewed practice on the field and out of uniform. Stefanski said they were using “an abundance of caution” …
Also not practicing were cornerback Greedy Williams, cornerback Kevin Johnson, cornerback, M.J. Stewart, linebacker B.J. Goodson, offensive tackle Chris Hubbard, center JC Tretter and linebacker Mack Wilson.