The Browns keep piling up wins, but Week 8 is going to ask a different question: are they actually built to keep this going?
Cleveland’s 5-2 start has come with plenty of proof that this team can rescue itself late. It has also come with a reminder that living on the edge every week is no way to survive a long season. With a road trip to face the 5-2 Steelers coming next, Todd Monken and his staff have bigger concerns than celebrating another comeback.
One of the biggest is how the offense is being run. Against the Titans, the Browns finally leaned more on plays under center, and the ground game responded with its best showing of the year.
Cleveland had entered Week 7 with the lowest percentage of snaps under center, but it used that alignment 21 times against Tennessee, matching its season high. Those snaps produced 8 yards per carry and a 62.5% success rate on designed runs, both season-best numbers.
The challenge now is figuring out how to keep that balance without creating problems for Deshaun Watson, who clearly prefers the shotgun. The question for Monken is whether he can keep the running game humming while still protecting the quarterback and the ball.
Another major storyline is who should be getting the football most often. KC Concepcion was the Browns’ most dangerous weapon against the Titans, finishing with team highs in targets and production.
He was targeted 10 times, caught eight passes for 129 yards, and came within one bad drop of adding a huge play and his first career touchdown. He looked like the most explosive option on the field.
That doesn’t mean Denzel Boston disappears from the picture. Boston remains a strong target and a legitimate ball-winner, and he should still see plenty of volume. But Concepcion showed a different kind of versatility and quickness, and he made a real case for a bigger role.
Special teams has suddenly become worth watching, too. Andre Szmyt had looked like one issue the Browns didn’t need to worry about anymore, but now he’s missed field goal attempts in back-to-back weeks. He did answer with clutch makes late in the fourth quarter, yet the pattern is enough to raise an eyebrow.
The Browns can’t keep giving points away and expect that to be harmless. Their offense still has room to grow, but routine misses are a problem any team can feel.
And then there’s the part that keeps putting Cleveland in danger in the first place: the slow starts. The Browns were down 14-0 against the Titans, and things could have gotten worse when Tennessee was one stop away from making it 21-7 in the second quarter before the defense held firm at the goal line. Watson threw an early interception, and the defense allowed easy rushing touchdowns on consecutive possessions.
Monken has to clean up the opening script and the overall game plan. The Browns have shown they can finish, but they can’t keep giving away early points and assume the second half will bail them out every time, no matter how well Watson has played late.
In Other News...
Browns Could Find Two Crucial Defensive Upgrades In Colts Sell-Off
The Colts decision to start unloading veteran talent has created a ripple effect around the league, and its the kind of move that naturally puts the Browns on alert. Indianapolis has already sent out Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner as part of a broader rebuild, which opens the door for other names on that roster to surface in trade chatter as teams look for help before the season gets much deeper.
For Cleveland, the appeal is obvious. The Browns could use upgrades up front and in the secondary, and players such as Stewart and Charvarius Ward fit the kind of profile that would make sense if the Colts keep listening on veterans. Nothing there is confirmed, of course, but once a team begins a sell-off, the next question for contenders is which pieces might be worth chasing. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Rookie Receiver Is Becoming A Bigger Part Of This 5-2 Start
Through seven weeks, Clevelands 5-2 start has been built on more than just the usual veteran voices, and one of the quieter reasons for it has been the emergence of rookie receiver Boston. In a league-wide look at first-year players making real impacts, he stands out not just for his raw production, but for the way his role has grown inside a team that has found ways to win while still working through the usual early-season growing pains.
For the Browns, that kind of development matters because every added layer to the passing game makes the whole operation harder to defend. Boston is part of a rookie class around the league that is already shaping games for teams with very different goals, and his steady rise gives Cleveland another element to lean on as the season moves deeper into October and the questions get tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Could Still Add The Missing Piece To A Dangerous Defense
The Browns are still doing what contenders do in October and November: keeping one eye on the standings and another on the trade market. Even with a defensive line that has played well overall, Cleveland knows the edge group could use another piece if it wants to keep pace in the AFC North and squeeze even more out of a unit that has already been a strength.
That is why defensive end has become such a logical area to monitor ahead of the trade deadline, with names like Khalil Mack, Jermaine Johnson and YaYa Diaby surfacing as possible fits depending on performance and contract status. The appeal is straightforward for Cleveland - a stronger outside pass rush and sturdier run defense could make a good front even harder to deal with, and the Browns do not seem ready to let a chance like that pass without exploring every option. [Read more 🡒]