Jerry Jeudy's busy day included 12 catches on 18 targets, three drops, one pass caught out of bounds, and a broken up pass in the end zone. (Cleveland Browns)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is an analyst of the Cleveland Browns for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
It had all the makings of a Day From Hell for suffering Browns’ die-hards that hoped to experience one last win at home before the long, dubious offseason.
A cold rain fell consistently throughout the day.
The always-problematic commute to isolated Huntington Bank Field was made even more torturous by multiple road closures due to a massive sinkhole nearby. Detour signs were scarce. Even with a light, apathetic crowd, traffic was snarled for hours before the game.
Once fans reached their destination, they were greeted by news that Baker Mayfield, their one-time QB savior, had another wondrous day for Tampa Bay, throwing for five touchdowns. That equaled the combined season output of $230 million man Deshaun Watson and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Sunday’s sacrificial lamb.
And then the game itself lived down to the lowest of low expectations.
The Dolphins won, 20-3, as Tyler Huntley, who was released by the Browns in August and filled in for starter Tua Tagovailova, thoroughly outplayed DTR, his young training camp competitor.
The consolation of the miserable day was that the Browns (3-13) moved up to No. 3 in the draft order based on the strength-of-schedule tie-breaker behind New England and Tennessee.
“Yeah, I have no comment on that,” said coach Kevin Stefanski, whose team completed a 2-6 season at home after going 7-1 a year ago.
Huntley completed 85% of his 26 passes for one touchdown and also scored a TD on an 18-yard run. The former understudy to Lamar Jackson in Baltimore left victorious with a 115.5 passer rating.
Thompson-Robinson had 23 incompletions on 47 passes, was intercepted once, fumbled once, flagged three times for intentional grounding, and oversaw four turnovers on downs after failed fourth-down tries. His rating was 50.8.
“Ultimately,” DTR summed up, “I thought I executed, for the most part, in terms of doing my job.”
DTR’s main objectives on this, his second start, was to avoid turnovers and get the ball to receiver Jerry Jeudy. He was despondent about failing on the first one.
“I can’t remember the last game we had where we didn’t have a turnover,” DTR said. “And so that is really frustrating, especially on my part after harping on ball security all week and Coach has been harping on ball security all year. So, it’s definitely a point of emphasis and it didn’t get done today.”
As for the second objective, DTR fed Jeudy the ball 18 times in a frank concession that they screwed up last week by targeting him but three times in Cincinnati.
“I wish it was more,” DTR said. “You know, it’s our best receiver. We have to get the ball in his hands as much as possible.”
Jeudy caught 12 of DTR’s throws for 94 yards. But his busy day included three drops, one catch on which he couldn’t get both feet in bounds, and a fourth-down miss in the end zone broken up by Miami cornerback Jalen Ramsey with the Browns down, 13-3, early in the fourth quarter.
“DT threw some great balls today,” said the diplomatic receiver. “I just gotta make a play on them. I gotta catch them. I feel like he did a great job, and I feel like I gotta play better for him.”
Stefanski said he felt it was “best for the team” that Thompson-Robinson not be removed for QB2 Bailey Zappe, but he would not commit to him for the season finale in Baltimore.
For his part, DTR said, “I’m not focused on that. I’m about to go home, watch this tape and just be really critical of myself so come Monday I can go in there and let Coach know.”
He really wants a third straight start to end the season on a positive note.
“Obviously, this year isn’t where we wanted it to be, but for me personally, I love this game of football,” DTR said. “I love being out there with that group of me in the locker room, coaches and players and everybody else. So for me, to be able to get another shot … it’s going to click eventually, and that’s all I can say.”
The only drama in this game was whether Myles Garrett would catch the mercurial Huntley for a couple sacks. He did, which gave him 14 on the season, matching Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson for the NFL high. It also made Garrett the first player since the sack was accepted as an official statistic in 1982 to record four consecutive seasons of 14 or more sacks.
“The individual stuff is great. It’s nice. You want to be remembered for all the above,” said Garrett, who celebrated his 14th sack on the field. “But cities remember you for wins and bringing championship back home. That’s always been my intention. So I want to get back on track, want to get back to winning, whether it’s the last [game] or whatever’s in store next season.”
By nighttime, excessive winds were swirling the rain sideways inside the soon-to-be-demolished stadium and overturning the heated sideline benches. The roads were re-opened and traffic subsided.
And the sinkhole, which caused so much needless commotion, had swallowed up another Browns season at home.