Photo courtesy of Cleveland Browns
After preseason hump week, the Browns can focus more on the Chiefs than on roster evaluation
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
If this was “hump week” in Kevin Stefanski’s first preseason, then the Browns have to feel fortunate to get past it in relatively good shape.
After two gruelling days of practice with the New York Giants with each team rightfully claiming a victory, the rubber match, aka Preseason Game 2, went in favor of the Browns, 17-13.
In conjunction with Giants coach Joe Judge, Stefanski saved the regulars for a second practice game in a row and was able to expose his backups to some game situations that will benefit them down the road. Two developed late in the game.
First, the Browns’ mostly-third team defense was able to stop a two-point conversion attempt from inside the 1-yard line (after two Robert Jackson penalties). Towering cornerback Brian Allen and linebacker Elijah Lee, who started and played in every quarter, stopped Giants running back Gary Brightwell short of the goal line to preserve a 14-13 Browns lead midway through the fourth quarter.
Brightwell, a sixth-round rookie from Arizona, is no Saquan Barkley, of course, but the experience was good for Allen and Lee.
On the ensuing possession, the Browns’ offense was able to move into position for a longish field goal attempt by Chase McLaughlin. It was later revealed that incumbent kicker Cody Parkey had a quad injury, so McLaughlin suddenly looms as a serious challenger. He drilled the field goal into the Dawg Pound end from 49 yards for the final points.
Rookie safety Richard LeCounte sealed the exhibition win with an interception in the end zone on the last play – his second on a Hail Mary throw in two games.
There were a few more injuries. Newly re-signed linebacker Montrel Meander suffered an Achilles injury that looked serious and cornerback Greedy Williams left early with a groin strain. But some good news trickled out when Stefanski termed a knee injury on Friday by backup center and heir-apparent Nick Harris as “day to day.”
With one last preseason game to go in Atlanta – which is simultaneously the traditional dress rehearsal and coaches nailbiter for avoiding injuries – the largest hurdles are cleared for Stefanski to look toward preparing the main team for the Sept. 12 opener in Kansas City. The coach would not discuss his play-time plans for Sunday’s prime-time preseason finale.
Stefanski also would not concede that roster evaluations are complete. Another roster cut from 85 to 80 players comes Tuesday.
“I think you can do both at the same time,” Stefanski said. “We are trying to evaluate the roster and we are trying to get the guys ready in the scheme and get them ready to play. We are constantly trying to sharpen what we do. Always have the season in mind with everything we are doing.”
Here are some individual highlights from another hot, humid day under the sun:
* Case Keenum started and took the offense to a touchdown on his first series. Under-rated receiver KhaDarel Hodge saved the drive on fourth down with an outstanding high-point catch over cornerback Madre Harper in the short corner of the end zone. Harper had broken up a similar throw for Rashard Higgins two plays earlier.
If you think preseason games don’t matter, you should have seen the joy on Hodge’s exhausted face in the post-game interview room.
“It felt amazing,” he said. “That was my first one since my rookie year [of 2018], preseason with the Rams. I have been trying to get in the end zone for so long. I just thank God.”
Keenum, by the way, was intercepted in the end zone on the second of his three series’ work.
“We can’t do that, and he should not do that,” Stefanski said. “He knows that. We have to take better care of the ball.”
* Because injuries during the week reduced the linebacker corps, Lee got a lot of play time at middle linebacker and he took advantage. Besides helping on the stop of the 2-point try, he led the Browns in tackles with nine.
“Everybody loves Elijah because of the way he plays the game and the way he comes to work every day,” said veteran linebacker Malcolm Smith. “I have a ton of respect for him since I saw him as a rookie in San Francisco. I just love to see it.”
* An interesting development was backup fullback Johnny Stanton getting reps as a tight end. It positioned the converted college quarterback at UNLV in the competition to replace injured No. 4 tight end Stephen Carlson.
Stanton had two catches for 33 yards, igniting a four-play touchdown drive with Kyle Lauletta at quarterback. Fifth running back John Kelly finished it off with runs of 18 yards and 5 for the touchdown.
Stanton said, “They prepared me well this week. I knew it was coming. For them to be able to get me the ball on a couple plays at tight end gets me excited.”
* Rookie utility player Demetric Felton got plenty of time at running back. He had 25 yards rushing on eight carries and added a catch for 12 yards.
Truth be told, No. 3 back D’Ernest Johnson was very good in limited time, rushing for 36 yards on four carries. Johnson, Felton and return specialist JoJo Natson could be competing for two roster spots. Natson had an end-around run for 12 yards, but was limited to only two punt return opportunities (for 11 yards) as all of New York's kickoffs sailed out of the end zone.
* Project defensive tackle Malik McDowell played his first NFL game in four seasons and had five tackles, one quarterback sack and another hit that forced an incompletion.
Overall, Stefanski summed up the week as “great work.”
“We also realize that we have a ways to go,” he said. “We are just not where we need to be, but that is OK. We have some practices coming up.”
