Browns Cap Preseason with Win Over Rams, 19-17: Game Notes
Strong first half and just enough in the final minutes to secure the win.
Another warm afternoon in Cleveland, another preseason win for the Browns. This one came down to the final minutes, as Andre Szmyt drilled a 37-yard field goal to seal the victory and cap off a perfect preseason. An “undefeated August” can sometimes be seen as a curse, but the Browns head into a daunting six-game opening stretch of the regular season with momentum and plenty of positive vibes.
The defense carried the day, holding the Rams to just 1-for-12 on third downs and coming up with enough stops to set up the decisive final drive. On offense, Jamari Thrash paced the receiving corps with 42 yards, while Ahmani Marshall led the backfield with 31 rushing yards. Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel steered the offense to 16 first-half points before things bogged down after halftime.
While the Rams didn’t bring much of the top two on their depth chart for action, the Browns got their starting units some time together throughout the first half and the offense found a rhythm against some of the Rams more important names.
Overall, both teams fought throughout as the Browns won the first half and the Rams dominated most of the second half. We have elements of the game that will need to be throughly broken down over the next few days as decisions loom on the 53-man roster, but for now, here are the thoughts on what went down at Huntington Bank Field this afternoon with your Week 2 Game Notes.
Joe Flacco had a nice showing with comfortable rhtyhm throws from under-center and in the gun. Some work in both play-action and staright drops as well. His dart to Harold Fannin Jr. for the first quarter touchdown, and his gun play-action dart to David Njoku on the crosser stood out most. Solid day and good preseason work.
Gabriel’s stepping for the second quarter and led two successful drives with a mixture of fast processing, accuracy, and efficiency. There were a few mishaps on timing and pinpoint accuracy but overall it was a strong showing. His four 3rd down conversions stood out. He worked left, right, and middle and found answers within structure. He will want the scramble ball back from the first drive but, again, strong showing.
Shedeur Sanders had a rough go in his four drives. He took five sacks and some of them were the rough variety from college where he would drift vertically and make poor decisions. He refused to step into the pocket or throw the ball quickly. This was much different than the version we saw in Week 1 but it’s inaccurate to blame others for all of the issues. We will see if the All-22 helps clear up the picture but it was poor. The body language was also something to be concerned with as well.
Dylan Sampson had some strong moments in his first extensive preseason work. He did well create after the catch on a key 3rd down on the Browns second drive. He also had a few promising runs that saw him make defenders miss and create yards over expected. Things you want to see. Jerome Ford also flashed some speed in open space. Neither Pierre Strong, who left injury, and Ahmani Marshall did much to separate themselves in the final tuneup.
Quiet day for the receiver group as only one target was found for Jerry Jeudy and Diontae Johnson but both Jamari Thrash, who led all receivers in yards, and Gage Larvadain, who had the lone touchdown, stood out well in the first half. Larvadain needs to make the roster and Thrash should have a healthy role this season.
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