D'Ernest Johnson picked up the slack without the Browns' top two backs. He gave the Browns a 7-0 lead on their first series with runs of 20, 10 and 4 yards for the TD. (Cleveland Browns)
Browns break loss streak behind D'Ernest Johnson's 146 yards rushing
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Instant takeaways from Browns 17-14 victory over Denver Broncos …
1. Season saved (for now): Backs against the wall, the Browns’ season was put back on track not by their stars but by backups Case Keenum and D’Ernest Johnson, and a defense re-awakened. Using quick passes to 10 different targets, including Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr., Keenum engineered a needed win in relief of injured Baker Mayfield. The 17-14 win over the Denver Broncos stopped a two-game losing streak and pushed the desperate Browns to 4-3. It was Keenum’s first win as a starting QB since Oct. 13, 2019 with the Washington Football Team. The star of the night, though, was Johnson, who rushed for a career-high 146 yards and one touchdown in 22 attempts in relief of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. The defense was in command most of the night, but Broncos QB Teddy Bridgewater made it close with a 17-play scoring drive in the fourth quarter. Bridgewater converted three of four third downs and then one on fourth-down on a 1-yard sneak at the Browns’ 10. Javonte Williams scored the TD three plays later on a screen pass with 5:17. But the Browns were able to ice the game with Johnson’s hard running (52 yards on 7 carries.)
2. Fourth down success: Stefanski eschewed a fourth-down gamble in the first quarter and settled for a long field goal. But late in the third quarter, he reverted to form and went for it on fourth-and-3 from the Broncos 6. Indeed, it was a gamble because the Broncos had closed the Browns lead to 10-7 and points were at a premium. Fans in front of the press box yelled, “Kick the field goal.” From empty formation, Keenum escaped pressure and sidestepped through traffic to the 1, where he fumbled into the end zone after hitting the ground. He was ruled down by contact at the 1 – good for the first down. On the next play, Keenum play-faked to his left and lofted an easy pass to fullback Johnny Stanton in the end zone. The PAT made it 17-7, Browns.
3. Here come da Broncos: After a first half in which the Browns had a turnover, allowed no points and no third-down conversions, the Broncos stormed out with a 13-play touchdown drive on the first series of the second half. Bridgewater converted his first third down of the game on a 4-yard pass to Kendall Hinton and then got the TD on third-and-goal from the 8 on a short pass in the left flat to running back Melvin Gordon. Denzel Ward missed the open-field tackle at the 4.
4. Must-win?: You think Stefanski considered this a must-win game? He went out of character on his first two offensive possessions to grab a 10-0 lead. The Browns won the coin toss and Stefanski took the ball. It is believed to be the first time as Browns coach that Stefanski did not defer after winning the opening coin toss. After two Keenum completions got the ball rolling, D’Ernest Johnson did the rest with runs of 20, 10 and 4 yards for the touchdown. After a defensive three-and-out, the Browns chewed up 7 minutes, 4 seconds on a conservative ball-control drive. It stalled at the Broncos’ 34-yard line. On fourth-and-9, Stefanski defied analytics once again and kicked the field goal. Chase McLaughlin’s 52-yarder sailed through the Dawg Pound goal post with plenty to spare for the 10-0 lead. It held up through the first half.
5. Thud, thud: McLaughlin’s streak of field goals made ended at 10 when his second attempt of the night, from 41 yards, was blocked by Denver’s Shelby Harris.
6. Finally: Safety John Johnson has come under some heat for all the miscommunication in the secondary in losses to the Chargers and Cardinals. He cooled his seat with an interception in the end zone on the first play of the second quarter when Bridgewater underthrew John Brown. It was Johnson’s first interception as a member of the Browns and only the third overall for the defense.
7. By committee: With two-headed monster Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt out, the Browns featured Johnson as the primary ball-carrier. He had 64 yards on 9 attempts in the first half. But they also gave reps to rookie Demetric Felton, who scampered for 12 yards on his first official NFL rushing attempt, and newly-re-signed John Kelly, who ran for 11 yards on his first carry. Kelly was the Browns’ leading rusher in preseason.
8. There’s another: After he dropped a fourth-and-4 pass against the Chargers, Odell Beckham Jr. vowed, “It’s the only ball you’re seeing on the ground this year.” Not quite. Beckham dropped a Keenum pass on a slant in the second quarter. On a later series, Beckham was whistled for illegal formation on one play and then slipped and fell on his break on the Keenum’s pass on the very next play.
9. Rut roh: The Broncos lost franchise pass rusher Von Miller with less than a minute to go in the first half when his left knee collided with the knee of a teammate in a collision in the Browns’ backfield. Miller walked gingerly off the field and then slowly into the locker room. The Broncos said the injury was to Miller's ankle.
10. Baker bombshell: Prior to the game, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reported that in addition to his torn labrum, a bone scan revealed a fracture of Baker Mayfield’s left humerus bone. The humerus is the long bone running from the shoulder to the elbow. Glazer quoted Mayfield as saying, “I need that fracture to heal for me to get back out there.” Glazer said the bone fracture occurred when Mayfield’s shoulder popped out on a non-contact play against Arizona. A Browns spokesman had no comment on the report.
11. Pre-game notes: Keenum received good news before he took the field. Receiver Jarvis Landry was activated in the afternoon, and then Odell Beckham Jr. was made active after working out hours before kickoff. Also, left tackle Jedrick Wills was made active, but Jack Conklin (knee) was not. Blake Hance, who filled in for Wills on Sunday, moved over to Conklin’s spot at right tackle. Mayfield (left shoulder) did not dress for the game, which put No. 3 QB Nick Mullens in a Browns uniform for the first time. Prior to kickoff, the Browns announced receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones suffered a groin injury and was questionable for the game.
