The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
FANS FRENZYING
Browns craze erupts during 31-21 win over Texans at FirstEnergy Stadium
Browns fans celebrate a favorite player Kareem Hunt, 27, an Elyria native and graduate of Willoughby South High School in Lake County as the team trounces the Texans, 31-21 on Sept. 19 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The game included aerial acrobatics and injuries to quarterback Baker Mayfield, who shook off the pain and played anyway. For analysis and more information turn
Baker Mayfield, 19-for-21 passing and a perfect 10-for-10 after injuring his left shoulder attempting a tackle after throwing an interception, was not pleased with the Browns’ offense Sept. 19 in what became a battle of attrition with the Houston Texans.
One by one, players from both teams limped to the sideline at FirstEnergy Stadium, never to return, starting with the second play of the game when Jarvis Landry suffered a knee injury that left the Browns without their two star receivers. Odell Beckham was ruled out on Sept. 15 because he hasn’t sufficiently recovered from ACL surgery last November.
The Browns came out on top, 31-21, but they did not dominate a Texans team projected to be one of the worst in the league by the time the season ends.
That can be dissected two ways. The Browns were not at their best, but still won the game to even their record at 1-1. Or, they have plenty of work remaining before they are ready to face playoff contenders down the road on their schedule — the Chargers in Week 5, the Cardinals in Week 6, the Steelers in Weeks 8 and 17, the Patriots in Week 10, the Ravens in Weeks 12 and 14 (with a bye in between) and the Packers in Week 15.
Asked to analyze the way the offense played, Mayfield made a face like he got a whiff of sour milk.
“We turned the ball over twice again,” Mayfield said. “It’s just not good. We’re hurting ourselves. We need to learn from these mistakes. Obviously this week, it’s better to learn from a win than a loss. But we just have to be better. We have to take care of the ball.”
Rooke Anthony Schwartz stopping on his pass route led to Mayfield throwing the interception that led to the Texans taking a 14-7 lead on a 15-yard run by Houston quarterback Tyrod Taylor. A fumble by Donovan PeoplesJones earlier in the game did no damage.
Taylor was 10 of 11 passing for 125 yards and a touchdown in the first half to go with the touchdown run before a hamstring injury ended his day. Houston was 7-of-13 on third down.
Still, a win is a win. The Browns, Steelers and Bengals are tied for first in the AFC North at 1-1. The 0-1 Ravens hosted the Chiefs in the night game Sept. 19 on NBC.
The Browns had no takeaways in the 33-29 loss to the Chiefs in the opener. Sione Takitaki recovered a muffed punt after the Browns’ first offensive series stalled Sept. 19 and the Browns cashed the takeaway in for a touchdown on a one-yard plunge by fullback Andy Janovich for a 7-0 Browns lead. Malcolm Smith made a diving interception of a pass from Texans backup quarterback Davis Mills in the third quarter and the Browns turned the pick into a 30-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin.
Grant Delpit, the second-round draft pick from 2019, made the most of his NFL debut with a sack, a forced fumble and a tackle for loss. Delpit, a safety from LSU, missed the 2020 season recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon. He was on the inactive list last week.
Demetric Felton, the rookie hybrid from UCLA, made a dazzling catch and run, spinning to elude defenders and breaking two tackles to turn a short pass from Mayfield into a 33-yard scoring play.
And as for Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, well, they showed again why they are the best pair of backs in the NFL. Their quickness and power is unmatched. Hunt carried the ball 13 times for 51 yards. Chubb ran 11 times for 95 yards and scored on a 26-yard run around right tackle with 5:52 to play to open a 31-21 lead. The fans in the front row of the Dawg Pound were closer to him than any Houston defenders.
“It was a great call (by head coach Kevin Stefanski),” Chubb said. “I don’t think I was touched on the play. It was well-blocked and well-executed by everyone, so I was able to ice the game.”
The sellout crowd was loud and stayed to the end — the surest sign yet things are changing for the Browns.