Browns @ Lions
Final Score: Lions 34, Browns 10
Writer: Matthew Bevins (MattBQbList on Reddit)
The Browns and Lions are two organizations that’ve been mired in woeful pasts. But suffice to say, the Lions are trending very well upwards while the Browns are scrambling to figure out anything that will work. While this game wasn’t close for very long (the Browns scored a fruitful six points and then didn’t find paydirt again for the remainder of the game), it provides us with some much-needed insight into what these two teams look like even more going into Week 5. While the Lions are aptly starting up and humming like a freshly revamped Ford Mustang, the Cleveland Browns are trying to find any way even to get a vehicle on the road and not perpetually in the breakdown lane. Let’s dive in!
Three Up
- Quinshon Judkins — I know, it’s odd to me as well that I started with a Browns player after the course this game took, but Judkins made it very clear he’s the back this team wants to be on the field for the majority of its game plan. The lead back for snaps (39), Judkins is clearly going to be the three-down back for this squad, as the Browns’ next highest rusher, Jerome Ford, saw half the snaps and a fraction of the carries. Folks who played it sly and snagged Judkins in the middle rounds have to be very excited about this finding.
- Jahmyr Gibbs — This man may break the game. Gibbs came out of college and was “overdrafted,” according to draft experts, but the Lions wanted their guy, and it seems like they knew something many didn’t know yet. Gibbs saw 37 snaps and touched the ball on almost half of them. Gibbs is going to be their goal-line guy, but will also find himself available on passing routes, as well as checkdown needs. The arrow just keeps trending up.
- Harold Fannin Jr. — The rookie tight end was a big discussion in the offseason and preseason, as the Browns took him out of Bowling Green after a woeful training camp. The good news for those who saw his potential is that he’s quietly taking David Njoku out of the equation. Fannin saw 57 snaps to Njoku’s 56, but saw four more targets, and is clearly the volume play if the offense could get someone else behind center. While he started hot and has downturned a bit, that’s largely related to the inefficiency at quarterback, not a direct shot at Fannin. Brighter days are ahead for the tight end.
Three Down
- Joe Flacco — The story was cute last year, as the team tried to pull away from the DeShaun Watson debacle and got a spectacular showing from Flacco, but the road has reached its end. Now, this team is just doing its worst by not moving along in a time where Flacco looks passed by, and with three backups waiting in the wings.
- David Montgomery — Montgomery is an absolute hilarity, an all-around great guy, potential handcuff back of the year, but when you’re in a tandem or backup role to Gibbs, you’re the short end of the stick. Montgomery saw 20 snaps to Gibbs’ 37, and didn’t get much run at all. Coming off a season injured, and in an offense now powered with about 80 options, there isn’t much chance Montgomery does anything barring an injury.
- Cedric Tillman — This one hurts as someone who’s been on this guy since his college era. Tillman has been on the brink of a breakout for over a year and has shown signs even just in the first couple of weeks of this season, but the errant quarterback play and constant game of being down are going to lead to even fewer opportunities.
Browns
Quarterback
Joe Flacco: 16/34, 184 Yards, 2 INTs | 3 carries, -1 yard
Joe Flacco is one of the best guys in the game, an absolute treat, but wow, has he had a rapid decline. This game started with a long-form Browns drive, where they ended up needing four downs near the goal line (a sneeze length from paydirt), but we saw just how hilariously uncomfortable it can be watching this offense, as we observed the team form a blob and struggle to reach the end zone until Quinshon Judkins was given the ball. Flacco is going to continue to hold back an offense that actually has some weapons, as he was unable to find anything decent in this game, and with what was available to him, could have potentially put this game in a much closer position. The weapons are starting to pile up as the team now has Judkins, Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, and Harold Fannin Jr. all waiting for targets, but Flacco was inaccurate, unable to make moving from the pocket a thing of possibility, and hampered the offense.
Running Back
Quinshon Judkins: 21 carries, 82 yards, 1 TD | 4 targets, 4 receptions, 33 yards
Jerome Ford: 1 carry, 1 yard | 1 target, 1 reception, 4 yards
Quinshon Judkins, this backfield is yours — run free, my friend. Judkins had a 94-yard rushing output last week and an 82-yard rushing output this week, and actually had more carries this week. It was somewhat surprising, as the only time the Browns had a lead in this game was halfway through the first quarter, but that didn’t stop the team from treating him like a No. 1 weapon, which is just the sign we should be looking for. He was even used in shorter route trees and was able to convert all four of his targets from an erratic Flacco. Judkins took all but one of the carry share and played on multiple levels of the rushing attack, able to push the pile for the lone Browns touchdown, as well as go out of the box for additional yardage at times. This game made me realize he may be one of the talents many of us didn’t really put enough value into.
QUINSHON JUDKINS FOR 618 rushing attempts94 yards1 TDBROWNS TIE IT UP
— NFL Daily News (@fantasynflnews.bsky.social) 2025-09-21T19:49:24.029Z
Wide Receiver
Isaiah Bond: 6 targets, 3 receptions, 58 yards
Jerry Jeudy: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 48 yards
Harold Fannin Jr.: 6 targets, 2 receptions, 24 yards
Cedric Tillman: 2 targets,1 reception, 6 yards
David Njoku: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 11 yards
The receiver room in Cleveland has become a mish-mash of options, and I’m unsure if that’s a good thing for value or something that will be giving us headaches for the remainder of the season. Like Judkins to start the season, Isaiah Bond had some off-the-field issues coming out of college and left him undrafted. Whereas the Browns are no strangers and give no care about anything about bad publicity, both are going to play early and often, now that Bond is back. Bond ended up in the top three of the PFF rankings for the week and has shown in flashes that there could be something here for Cleveland. If issues end up not arising, it’s entirely possible Bond could be the missing piece for this offense, as Cedric Tillman is profiling more as a No. 3 that continues to be squeezed into No. 2 territory.
Harold Fannin Jr. took six targets off the book, and seems to be starting to sneak his way into top-three weapon territory for Cleveland, as he had one more snap than David Njoku, as mentioned before, and is also absorbing more receptions even in difficult matchups. Detroit is arguably the best defense in football, so the lowered production was something to be expected, but we continue to look closely at the descent of Flacco and now Njoku in this offense, as the team is notably taking a precedence in the youth movement they are drafting.
Lions
Quarterback
Jared Goff: 16/27, 168 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Jared Goff has had quite the career, where at one point he was almost carrying bench weight before he was ceremoniously traded to get Matthew Stafford out to the Rams. Just a few years in, and it seems as if everyone is mutually happy with this decision. Goff ended up needing less than 30 passes and under 200 yards passing to dismantle a Browns team that was hoping to garner some goodwill with its youth brigade. Goff ended up needing to find Amon-Ra St. Brown at any turn, and while this may seem to hamper some offenses, teams can’t sit on their heels and double off St. Brown when Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, or Jameson Williams can end up beating them anywhere else on the field. Just look at this back-shoulder specimen Goff ends up putting right into St. Brown’s wheelhouse.
Amon-Ra St. Brown now up to6 targets6 receptions57 yards1 TD
— NFL Daily News (@fantasynflnews.bsky.social) 2025-09-23T02:13:14.612Z
Running Back
Jahmyr Gibbs: 15 carries, 91 yards, 1 TD | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 6 yards
David Montgomery: 9 carries, 12 yards
The Lions have the best 1-2 punch in the backfield in the NFL, and while that’s something they can lean on, the only one leaned on Sunday was Jahmyr Gibbs, as he was able to almost get over 5 yards per carry, while also hauling in two receptions. Gibbs is an absolute maniac on the field, and even watching the game, it’s impressive to see how easily a broken play or line breakdown in front of him can go from 3 yards to 8 from sheer footwork or ability to tell where defenders and the sidelines are in almost any given moment. While Gibbs let some eager owners down a bit by not hauling in an anticipated amount of catches, his yards per carry and ability to get a touchdown saved an offensive game where the Lions purely played keep away and pitch and catch from Goff to St. Brown.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Amon-Ra St. Brown: 7 targets, 7 receptions, 2 TD’s
Sam LaPorta: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 39 yards
Jameson Williams: 8 targets, 2 receptions, 40 yards
This offense is too dense. There’s almost no end to weapons, and the team decided this week that Amon-Ra St. Brown would be the weapon of choice. Whereas St. Brown can be seen above hauling in an amazing over-the-shoulder pass, he also was able to skirt numerous defenders on a short pass close to the line, where he was able to dig out a few yards to paydirt. In a year with so many injuries and inconsistencies, it’s looking tempting to make him the No. 1 wide receiver. Sam LaPorta has unfortunately become a midtier tight end due to the usage of Gibbs and St. Brown, and Jameson Williams didn’t get to show off much, despite his high target amount.