Browns vs. Buccaneers
Browns
Hello again, everybody, and welcome to the Browns vs Bucs recap. This week was yet another overtime game for the Browns, who appear on track to break the season record for overtime games (record is 5, they currently have 4), and yet another heartbreaker loss. This loss came from a stunning 59-yard field goal from Chandler Catanzaro after he missed an extra point and a field goal attempt from much closer. The Bucs got a free touchdown (Ronald Jones’ first in the NFL) by snapping the ball after the play clock was at zero, but mistakes from officials that go against the Browns are nothing new, and it was followed in the 4th quarter by the referees allowing Mayfield to be hit in the head on a run with no penalty... because that’s ever allowed. Bad officiating isn’t just for the Browns, but I wish it didn’t cost them so many games- this and the game against the Raiders makes two potential losses due to officiating out of just 7 games.
There’s no pause at the start of the gif, it’s just super clear that the play clock was at zero before the ball was snapped…
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But I digress; On to the breakdown!
Extra! Extra! Baker Mayfield Just a Rookie!
I hate to say it because QB Baker Mayfield looks so polished at times, but the rookie mistakes are just piling up now and becoming very costly. Mayfield took 5 sacks on the day, but several were due to holding the ball for too long in the pocket. For that matter, Mayfield’s line offered terrible protection through most of the day, but shot-caller OC Todd Haley has not featured designed runs for Mayfield. I wish Haley would because that would create more room for the backs to run, but also take some of the pressure off the line. Mayfield clearly can rush, as he has 43 yards on 4 carries, but those were scrambles. Baker’s biggest mistake was a lack of ball security near the end of the 2nd quarter that allowed a forced fumble out of bounds behind the first down marker and giving up the ball on downs. It was looking like a pretty darn good play up to that point, too…
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Mayfield still managed to put up a solid 20-ish points depending on our league’s scoring, so it wasn’t a terrible day fantasy-wise. There was also a very near-miss for a rushing TD where Mayfield was stuffed at the 1 on a QB sneak. Pretty sure a screen or a play fake would have been much better against a generally stout rush defense, but I can’t argue too much with the call, I suppose. Toward the end of the season when the mistakes are fewer and there’s even more cohesion between the offense, Mayfield will be truly awesome to behold. Until then, he’s really not a bad weekly streamer and has a slate of juicy matchups that I will personally be taking advantage of. Beware tough matchups, he is definitely not matchup proof as shows by week 6 against the Chargers.
Extra! Extra! Browns Receivers Catch Passes!
I wish this didn’t need to be as much of a headline as it was, and the day was not without drops completely, but it was a much better performance for the Browns’ receivers. WR Antonio Callaway caught 50% of his passes, even, up from 18% overall heading into this week’s game!
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That translates into just that one catch there, since he only got 2 targets, but it was a pretty decent catch-and-run. He also drew a PI call in the end zone setting up the Browns’ rushing touchdown. I still operate under the assumption that Callaway’s drops will, well, drop, but in the meantime, he is still very useful as a field stretcher and for keeping defenses downfield. If you want to stash him, I guess I can’t blame you, but he’s not worth playing until he has at least two good performances in a row. WR Jarvis Landry had a pretty good day fantasy-wise. He took 15 targets and turned that into 10 catches for 97 yards and one amazing touchdown.
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That is just an incredible play.
Now I do have to eat some crow. I was predicting that WR Damion Ratley was going to have himself a nice little day, but that turned out to be very, very false. He did manage to catch all 3 of this passes, but Mayfield only threw 34 times, and somehow the Bucs played pretty good defense. It wasn’t actually until LB Kwon Alexander exited the game with injury (now known to be a torn ACL) that the Browns were able to start moving the ball through the air. Ratley will probably go back to the bench whenever WR Rashard Higgins is back, and will not likely have much value unless the Browns can simply play better overall. I do not currently have a date for his (Higgins’) return, but when he does come back, hopefully the Browns will be improved enough for him to have flex consideration.
Extra! Extra! Nick Chubb Gets Start!
Somehow with the surprise news of RB Carlos Hyde’s sudden trade to the Jaguars, RB Duke Johnson, Jr. was listed as the Browns’ starting running back. I’m pretty sure that HC Hue Jackson also said that Duke would be the starter, but I believed that to be just coachspeak (anything a coach says to the press about game plans and depth charts is hogwash and gobbledygook, in case you didn’t know), and was proven right when RB Nick Chubb was in on the first snap. Now don’t get me wrong, it is criminal how the Browns are using Duke right now, as he deserves way more than his meager 4 targets (all of which he caught), but Chubb was clearly the back who profiled to take over for Hyde based on their running styles. Duke deserves at least 8 targets a game and would be great for maybe 8 carries a game as well. He is a playmaker, the likes of which are sorely needed, but just like Callaway, I need to see consistent usage for Duke before I would put him in lineups outside of desperation. Chubb performed admirably, rushing for 80 yards against a pretty solid run defense on 18 carries while also scoring a touchdown.
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He earned his touchdown, and he looked really good all day fighting for as much yardage as possible.
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Congratulations if you were able to pick up this monster. Chubb will likely be a solid RB 2 with upside for the remainder of the season.
Extra! Extra! David Njoku Scores Second Touchdown!
This item isn’t, perhaps, as newsworthy as some of the others, but TE David Njoku now has touchdowns in back-to-back games. That shouldn’t surprise anyone who reads my work regularly, and many analysts also called the emergence of Njoku given the poor TE defenses he is facing for the next several weeks. But it’s still nice to see it actually happening.
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I have no cautions about starting Njoku weekly, even if he only got 6 targets this week because he’s a great red zone option and the Browns are starting to use him that way on the regular. Njoku will be a mid-range TE1 for the remainder of the season.
Extra! Extra! Defense Performs Despite Loss!
So I was pretty down on the Browns’ defense after the truly pitiful performance against the Chargers, but the Browns only allowed Winston 365 passing yards and zero touchdowns. That’s not too shabby against a team without much of a run game and with aerial weapons to spare (please trade us Evans!). Winston did have a truly fantastic diving TD on a rush, so it wasn’t a terrible day. With 4 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 2 fumbles recovered, the Browns were making plays all over the field. I’m probably still not interested in the Browns defense until after their bye, but if there’s nothing else particularly great, you could do worse than slotting Cleveland into your defense position.
See you all this weekend with the preview against the Steelers.
-Sam Turrubiartes
Buccaneers
Jameis Winston Overcame
Despite two interceptions, a lost fumble, and zero passing touchdowns, Jameis Winston finished tied as the eighth best quarterback in Week Seven. Winston threw for 365 yards and rushed 10 times (one less than rushing leader Peyton Barber (11)) for 55 yards and a touchdown. This marks the third straight week in a row that Winston has let up two interceptions and he will need to cut down on that number if he is to continue to produce consistently positive results. He has the talent, but his poor offensive line will continue to keep him under pressure. Once again, Winston targeted 11 different players throughout the game with Mike Evans reasserting himself with 11 of those targets. Having made it out through this tough matchup, Week Eight presents a cushy matchup against a poor Cincinnati pass defense.
No running game, mostly
Given these articles are about fantasy relevance, I continue to question whether I should even bring up Tampa Bay’s run game as it is all but non-existent. Peyton Barber received 11 carries for which he managed 30 yards. Ronald Jones had six rushes which he parlayed into 13 yards and a touchdown. Tampa Bay was up for most of the game, indicating how little the team will rely on their running backs. Week-to-Week either Barber or Jones should be last minute desperation plays – even if they manage a good week, they are not consistent enough to predict a good match, even in against a poor defense.
Chris Godwin, Consistency
Mike Evans was once again the team leader in most categories, O.J. Howard had his first real look at a game this season, and once again Chris Godwin managed to capitalize on his targets, although not quite to fantasy relevance. Adam Humphries had more targets (8) than Godwin (6), but Godwin finished 59 yards and would have been more if he had brought in an intended pass that was intercepted. No receivers brought in a touchdown this week and DeSean Jackson only managed 25 yards on two receptions. Godwin’s floor is the highest of any but Evans and should be in consideration most weeks.
I still can’t
O.J. Howard saw a season high target share (9) and converted five for 67 yards. This week he managed that amount with only one 20+ yardage play. Howard was the intended recipient of Jameis Winston’s other interception. To date QB List’s biggest concern with Howard was his lack of targets despite how much he was doing with what he was given. While it is unreasonable to expect nine again, if Howard’s share can stay up in Week Eight, he would rank at the top most weeks in this thin position.
-Brennen Gorman