Josh Dobbs plays well again in Browns' 21-20 preseason loss to Eagles

Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.

Instant takeaways from Browns’  21-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles …

1. Dobbs! Again!: Is it time to take Josh Dobbs more seriously as a capable backup to Jacoby Brissett? Even, (gulp), as the starter if Brissett should falter during Deshaun Watson’s 11-game suspension? Dobbs was more than credible in leading the Browns to two touchdowns and two field goals in four series as the starting quarterback. That followed a touchdown and two field goals in four series in Jacksonville. So Dobbs has led the Browns to 33 points in eight possessions. Prior to joining the Browns, the 2017 fourth-round pick of the Steelers had appeared in five regular-season games, completing 10 of 17 passes for 45 yards. So maybe the Browns are justified in not panicking about acquiring another quarterback to get them through Watson’s suspension. The Browns lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, 21-20, when No. 3 Eagles quarterback Reid Sinnett hooked up with Devon Allen for a 55-yard TD in the fourth quarter behind the Browns' depleted secondary.

2. Well done: Dobbs was poised, accurate and elusive as a runner. He showed off his agility on his first drive with a Houdini escape from the pocket and then a 36-yard run on which he tight-roped the left sideline. Dobbs finished that drive with a 3-yard TD run after he dropped the snap in the shotgun. Dobbs made a number of sideline throws and effectively got receivers Anthony Schwartz (2 catches on 3 targets for 20 yards) and David Bell (3 catches on 4 targets for 36 yards) involved. (Schwartz and Bell each had a drop.) Dobbs’ best work was on the last possession of the first half. He inherited the ball at the Browns’ 4 and took it to the Eagles’ 1 after a keeper run on which he leaped into a tackle short of the goal line. An incompletion for Mike Harley in the end zone stopped the clock with :01 left and led to a Cade York chip shot field goal. Dobbs played the first series of the third quarter and attached another touchdown to the scoreboard on an 11-play drive. On that series, he converted a fourth-and-6 with an accurate throw to Ja’Marcus Bradley on a slant for 7 yards. John Kelly scored the TD on a 6-yard run. For the game, Dobbs was 14 of 20 for 141 yards and a rating of 89.9. All the more impressive considering he received few snaps in the joint practices with the Eagles, as Kevin Stefanski favored giving Watson more time. That should be over now.

3. Rock star: Prior to pre-game warmups, kicker Cade York exercised his leg towards the problematic Dawg Pound end zone. He made six in a row, missed from 54 yards, reloaded, and made from 54 yards. Then he missed from 58, reloaded, and made from 58 yards. Then he lined up from 63 yards and made it. By plenty. In his first official preseason attempt in FirstEnergy Stadium, York nailed it from 50 yards into the Dawg Pound. York added a 19-yard chip shot, also into the Dawg Pound, on the last play of the first half. On his third attempt, from 55 yards into the closed end, however, York doinked it high off the right post. Stefanski eschewed what would have been a 65-yard game-winning attempt with 3:09 to play. Instead, Josh Rosen threw the ball into the grass on fourth-and-9.

4. High-wire act: Receiver Javon Wims made a spectacular catch in the third quarter, leaping over Eagles cornerback Kary Vincent for a downfield throw from Rosen. Wims held on after crashing to the grass, good for 32 yards. At this point, any Browns receiver not named Amari Cooper who makes a great catch has to be considered for a roster spot.

5. Cornered: The Browns looked intent on playing only five cornerbacks in the game. At one point, three were hurt. Rookie M.J. Emerson (undisclosed), A.J. Green (concussion evaluation) and Herb Miller (undisclosed) each paid visits to the medical tent. Emerson returned to the bench to watch but didn’t play again. Miller came back to play. He dropped an interception inside the 5 that would have been a 98-yard pick 6 on an Eagles’ fourth-and-goal from the 6. On that play, Eagles quarterback Gardner Minshew did not notice back Jason Huntley all alone in the right corner of the end zone.

6. Not that deep: The Browns are indeed deep at cornerback, but not that deep. With Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome and Greedy Williams sitting out, the injuries left the Browns vulnerable in the second half. Sinnett took advantage by heaving a 55-yard TD to Allen in the third quarter to put the Eagles ahead, 21-20. Allen zoomed behind cornerbacks Miller and Lavert Hill to get wide open.

7. Grinding it: The Eagles grinded to the NFC playoffs last year when they just decided to run the ball all the time. That culture is still ingrained in their backups. Their first two drives consumed 14 plays and 7 minutes, 26 seconds, and 17 plays and 7:35. The only plays turned in by the Browns’ No. 2 defense came from  Emerson (run stop for no gain), safety D’Anthony Bell (run stop for no gain) and cornerback A.J. Green (pass rejected near line of scrimmage). One of the unfortunate plays went to safety Richard LeCounte, who whiffed on a tackle attempt of running back Kenneth Gainwell on a third-and-13 inside handoff that resulted in 16 yards and an Eagles first down. By the fourth quarter, however, the Eagles were averaging only 3.7 yards a rush.

7. Center of things: With starter Ethan Pocic getting the day off, the Browns began the game with Michael Dunn at the position. It’s a sign Dunn is in the lead in the new competition for Pocic’s former role as interior swingman. Dunn played through Dobbs’ time on the field. When Rosen came in with 8:05 to play in the third quarter, Hjalte (pronounced Yell-duh) Froholdt replaced Dunn.

8. Stay dry: Injured players who did not play included receiver Michael Woods (hamstring), cornerback Greg Newsome (hamstring), defensive end Isaiah Thomas (hand) and defensive end Chase Winovich (hamstring). No healthy regulars saw action, other than the specialists. It downpoured in downtown Cleveland prior to kickoff, but the rains stopped by kickoff and stayed away all game.