Packers @ Browns
Final Score: Browns 13, Packers 10
Writer: Brett Ford (@FadeThatMan)
After a dominating 2-0 start in which they’ve looked like one of the best all-around teams in the NFL, the Green Bay Packers found themselves in a classic letdown spot in Week 3 as they traveled to Cleveland to face the Browns. Meanwhile, Cleveland just got trounced by the Ravens last week and returned home with a chip on their collective shoulder — and even turned to a wardrobe change, donning the Alpha Dawg all-brown uniforms.
The first half was a defensive struggle as the Browns outgunned the Packers, 106-90, but Green Bay went into the break with a 3-0 lead. In the second half, it was more ugliness — but at least there were a couple of touchdowns as the Packers went ahead 10-3 before the Browns came storming back in the fourth quarter. On a third down deep in their own territory, Jordan Love threw an interception leading to a Cleveland score to tie the game with under five minutes to play. Love collected himself and led what looked to be a go-ahead drive down into field-goal range, but the Browns blocked the field goal with less than 30 seconds to play. Joe Flacco came back to complete a pair of passes to give the Browns a field-goal chance for the win. With 2 seconds left in regulation, rookie kicker Andre Szmyt drilled the 55-yard attempt to give the Browns an incredible 13-10 victory.
Green Bay Packers
Quarterback
Jordan Love: 18/25, 183 yards, TD, INT | 4 carries, 18 yards
There are people out there who have said, are saying or will say that Jordan Love is a fraud and will point to this game and identify all of his terrible decisions, inaccurate throws and overall poor play. After Sunday’s game, it will be hard to argue. Love played ugly, though his offensive line didn’t help him out much. The Browns’ front four caused havoc, with 10 QB hits including five sacks. There were good throws — he hit Matthew Golden on a great go route. But man, there might not have been a worse throw at a worse time than Love’s interception in the fourth quarter that set up the Browns’ game-tying touchdown. The good news for Love and his fantasy managers is that he gets a chance to work against the Swiss-cheesy Dallas secondary next week. We’ll see if he can bounce back in that mouth-watering matchup.
Jordan Love just threw an interception and got truck sticked on the same play 😭pic.twitter.com/69UpGxO2bK
— Covers (@Covers) September 21, 2025
Running Back
Josh Jacobs: 16 carries, 30 yards | 9 targets, 5 catches, 44 yards
I think it’s time to put some respect on the Browns’ defense. After holding Derrick Henry to just 23 yards rushing on 11 carries, Cleveland followed it up with another outstanding performance, holding Josh Jacobs under 2.0 yards per carry for the first time in his Packers career. Jacobs was heavily involved in the offense as he always is, but the pass-game involvement is encouraging for his managers. Jacobs was targeted nine times — his most in a game since 2023 — and looked like he ought to be able to contribute more in that fashion if the Packers need him to.
Emanuel Wilson: 6 carries, 25 yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Tucker Kraft: 3 catches, 29 yards
Tucker Kraft did his best Mark Andrews impression, blocking at an increased rate from what we’ve seen in the first couple of weeks. After sustaining a lower-leg injury in practice this week, Kraft was cleared to play but didn’t produce in the way that we’re used to. He still managed to run routes on 22 plays, just seven fewer than Romeo Doubs, but the whole offense stalled out for the most part. Kraft ought to be back to form in coming weeks.
Matthew Golden: 4 targets, 4 catches, 52 yards | 3 carries, 9 yards
We’re going up, up, up — it’s our moment. You know together, we’re glowing. Gonna be, gonna be Golden.
It’s about time for the rookie wide receiver to start breaking out. For the third straight week, Matthew Golden was more involved in the offense — serving as what appeared to be the primary wide receiver (finally). Golden’s biggest play came in the fourth quarter on a 34-yard gain where he beat his defender and looked like he could have housed it for a 90-yard touchdown, but inexplicably veered out of bounds for a 34-yard gain instead. Up 10-0, it seemed like complacency. I guess it could have been lack of awareness. Either way, it was just a glimpse of what could be a major breakout for the first-round draft pick.
Lots of other issues in that Packers loss, but it felt like Matthew Golden could’ve just…ran to the endzone here??? pic.twitter.com/v5DQQFgbp0
— Lucas Dolengowski (@LDolengowski) September 21, 2025
Dontayvion Wicks: 4 targets, 2 catches, 21 yards
Romeo Doubs: 2 targets, 2 catches, 25 yards
John FitzPatrick: 2 targets, 2 catches, 12 yards, TD
It was a weird day for the Packers’ pass-catchers as Wicks and Doubs combined for just six targets and four receptions. John FitzPatrick ended up with the lone touchdown reception, which was a vulture score more than anything else. If Golden continues to ascend and separate from the pack, for the Pack, Wicks and Doubs become cut candidates.
Cleveland Browns
Quarterback
Joe Flacco: 21/36, 142 yards, INT
Again with the West Coast, checkdown-heavy throwing style. Where’s the downfield shots that we saw with Indianapolis, Joe? With only two completions of more than 15 yards, Joe Flacco is going to have a hard time being fantasy-relevant unless he reaches incredible levels of volume. And with the way the Browns are starting to lean on the run game, it doesn’t appear that volume is coming. Flacco was an effective game manager, though, keeping his team in contention until the very end and keeping from making mistakes. His interception came on a poor-man’s Hail Mary attempt at the end of the first half. He was fine in real life, but terrible for fantasy.
Running Back
Quinshon Judkins: 18 carries, 94 yards, TD | 1 catch, 1 yard
Quinshon Judkins is the bell cow in this backfield. He should have been drafted higher. He should have been claimed sooner. We all have regrets.
Quinshon was on the field for 36 of 66 offensive snaps and had 19 opportunities, including 18 carries. He ran hard and direct, producing against the Packers after the Lions’ and Commanders’ running backs failed to do so. Until further notice, Judkins is a top-20 running back.
Running Backs vs Green Bay this season:
Week 1 Gibbs & Montgomery 44 rushing yards combined
Week 2 JCM & Ekeler 34 rushing yards combined
Week 3 Quinshon Judkins 94 rushing yards & a TD
The Browns drafted a real one.
Judkins is a Bell Cow RB pic.twitter.com/chgv7ynd77
— Theo Gremminger (@TheOGfantasy) September 21, 2025
Jerome Ford: 4 catches, 10 yards
Dylan Sampson: 1 carry, 2 yards
Well, the decline of Dylan Sampson was swift and sudden. We knew that Judkins would take over the backfield, but didn’t think it would come at the cost of Sampson’s pass-catching role. Sampson was on the field for just five snaps, running three routes with no targets. Ford was targeted four times in his 24 snaps. Not sure what Sampson did to get benched, but it wasn’t the way I thought this would shake out.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
David Njoku: 7 targets 5 catches, 40 yards
Harold Fannin Jr.: 4 targets, 3 catches, 25 yards
The tight end battle in Cleveland continues to be a fascinating balance between old and new. This week, David Njoku led the Browns in targets, catches and yards even though Harold Fannin Jr. actually gained ground on the veteran as far as snap share. Njoku played 50 snaps while Fannin played 42, and, according to Nathan Jahnke of PFF, the Browns played single-tight end formations more often as they trailed, meaning that the two didn’t share the field as much as they had in previous weeks where the Browns played in more 12-personnel alignments. Njoku is still the alpha tight end in this offense, but Fannin continues to nip at his heels.
Cedric Tillman: 3 targets, 3 catches, 26 yards
Jerry Jeudy: 5 targets, 1 catch, 17 yards
With Flacco averaging just 3.9 yards per attempt in this game, Cedric Tillman and Jerry Jeudy both struggled to generate any sort of production. This season, the entire Browns passing attack has been short passes, with a lot of tight end and running back check downs and throws underneath. It makes it difficult for wide receivers to catch and run in space. It’s probably not a bad idea to get whatever you can out of these guys and sell. It’s going to be extremely difficult for them to hit their ceilings when their quarterback ranks 34th in the NFL in yards per attempt (5.4) on the year.
Isaiah Bond: 2 catches, 16 yards
Jamari Thrash: 2 catches, 7 yards