Browns defeat Joe Burrow again for only third 1-0 start in 25 seasons
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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 24-3 win over Cincinnati Bengals …1. Complete game: The fireworks promised by the new-look Browns’ offense were a dud. But the revamped Jim Schwartz defense was as good as advertised and the new special teams of Bubba Ventrone contributed a lot. The Browns kept Joe Burrow in poor field position all day and the defense hounded him into another bad day in Cleveland. The Browns wore down the Bengals, 24-3, to go 1-0 for only the third time in 25 seasons. New kicker Dustin Hopkins was 3 for 3 on field goals, Deshaun Watson had a touchdown run and a TD pass, plus a 2-point conversion run, and Nick Chubb rushed for 106 yards on 18 carries. But the defense set the tone and chased Burrow to Cincinnati with his third straight loss in Cleveland and fifth in six games overall to the Browns. Burrow had only 82 yards passing on 14 of 31 and was sacked twice before being relieved, mercifully, by Bengals coach Zac Taylor with 5:15 to go.
2. When in doubt: With the Browns’ passing game misfiring most of the day, the offense’s best plays were made on runs by Chubb and Watson when the game was still tight. Chubb had 26 yards on 4 carries and Watson 13 on a keeper to set up Hopkins’ second field goal from 34 yards in the third quarter. The way the Browns’ defense was handling Burrow, a 13-3 lead seemed safe. Watson wound up with 45 yards rushing on five attempts. He was mostly off the mark in the passing game, going 16 of 29 for 154 yards. He tossed a 3-yard TD to tight end Harrison Bryant in the fourth quarter and was intercepted once.
3. Caught in the act: Browns cornerbacks did a job on the Bengals’ touted receivers trio in the first half, limited them to 29 yards receiving. But one miscue by Denzel Ward on Cincinnati’s first possession of the second half helped to put the Bengals on the board. Ward tugged on Ja’Marr Chase’s jersey as he was breaking deep when Burrow escaped pressure. Chase almost made a one-handed catch. The pass interference penalty gave the Bengals a first down at the Browns’ 28. Evan McPherson eventually kicked a field goal from 42 yards. McPherson missed from 51 yards after Dax Hill intercepted Watson.4. The Watson run factor: Watson threw inaccurately most of the first two quarters (see below) but came alive on his final possession of the first half. He connected with Amari Cooper (11 yards), Donovan Peoples-Jones (12) and Elijah Moore (6) to get to the Bengals 13-yard line. After an incomplete fade for Cooper, Stefanski made a daring call with no timeouts left and :17 on the clock. From empty formation, Watson kept the ball, scooted to the left side, and ran it in for the touchdown. Hopkins’ PAT made it 10-0 at halftime. 
Deshaun Watson had a tough day in his 2023 debut. (Cleveland Browns)
5. Rusty? Still?: Before that last possession, Watson’s first half brought back bad memories of his Browns debut in Houston last year. He misfired for open receivers several times, and a few cost the Browns some legit scoring chances. On the first series, Watson took a shot and just overthrew Cooper in a 1-on-1 matchup. Two times, speedster Marquise Goodwin raced past the Bengals’ secondary but had to wait for Watson’s passes and they were broken up. Later in the second quarter, Watson threw balls in the dirt intended for Peoples-Jones and Cooper. When Watson finally put one on target, David Bell dropped it. For the half, Watson was 10 of 20 for 85 yards and was sacked twice.
6. Oh, no: Right tackle Jack Conklin went down with a left knee injury just before the end of the first quarter and was carted off the field. Conklin, who has missed 14 games because of injuries in three years with the Browns, was replaced by rookie Dawand Jones.
7. A better idea?: We were led to believe Chubb would stay on the field on third downs. But it was, in fact, backup Jerome Ford who came in mostly to reprise the Kareem Hunt third-down back role. Chubb got a breather after a 17-yard run in the first quarter. On Ford’s first carry, the handoff exchange went awry. Ford picked up the ball and ran for 6 yards and then had the ball pried loose by linebacker Germaine Pratt. Cornerback Chidobe Awuzie recovered deep in the Bengals’ end.
8. Sigh of relief: Hopkins got his first kick opportunity in a Browns uniform with 14:15 to play in the second quarter. He made a field goal from 42 yards. He was heartily congratulated by teammates and the crowd gave him a loud ovation.
9. Tone-setter: The Browns put their defense on the field first (get used to that) and that unit set the tone from the onset. On the first play, Za'Darius Smith stormed in untouched and deflected Burrow’s pass. After Burrow converted his first third-down try, the Browns forced a punt on an Ogbo Okoronkwo sack. Burrow struggled the entire half as the Browns kept him in poor field position. For the half, burrow was 6 of 14 for 36 yards and was sacked once.
10. 32 remembered: The Browns honored the late Jim Brown with a large 32 logo on the south side of the field. There was also a halftime tribute on the video board. Also, Nick Chubb served as the game captain and sprinted onto the field at game introductions waving a flag with Brown’s No. 32.
11. Pre-game notes: Safety Juan Thornhill (calf) was made inactive after he worked out briefly before the game. Rodney McLeod started in his place. Other inactives for the Browns were cornerback Kahlef Hailassie, center Luke Wypler, defensive end Isaiah McGuire and defensive tackle Siaki Ika. The biggest name among Bengals inactives was edge rusher Joseph Ossai (ankle).
