First take on the Cleveland Browns 35-10 win over the Green Bay Packers.

It’s too bad that the NFL preseason doesn’t count. The Browns are 2-0 in the preseason for the first time since 2005 with their 35-10 shellacking of the 2011 NFC North Champion Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field Thursday night.

There is always a big difference in rookie performances (for the most part) between their first and second games in the preseason and Thursday was no different as the Browns executed and in many ways improved on nearly everything they needed to from the first preseason game against the Lions. And once again as I did in regards to that 1st preseason game, it is important to not get overly excited or depressed over what you see in preseason play. So with that in mind, let us take a closer look at the Browns positive and negative performances in their 2nd preseason game of the season.

THE POSITIVES:

Brandon Weeden:

For those who jumped the gun after a 3-9 performance in his NFL debut, QB Brandon Weeden had a much more “even handed” performance Thursday going 12-20 for 118 yards and a QB rating of just under 78.0. Despite some poor route running and a depleted WR corps (both Massaquoi and Benjamin inactive for the game) Weeden took a step forward in his development. He appeared to sense pressure much better this week along with demonstrating his ability to move around enough to avoid pressure. Although he still forced a few passes that were not “wise” Weeden still had a good night and should quiet down the critics just a little.

Offensive Line:

Despite Green Bay’s complicated 3-4 defensive blitz scheme the Browns offensive line did much better in their 2nd outing of the preseason. In particular Mitchell Schwartz (who struggled against Detroit) looked much more comfortable. The offensive line kept the Cleveland QB’s clean (for the most part) and opened up some nice holes for the run game giving the Browns a nice balance of offense as they jumped out to a 16-7 lead by halftime.

Montario Hardesty:

Running back Montario Hardesty had a productive night despite coughing up his first carry of the night. Hardesty carried the rock 12 times for 45 yards and a TD. It appears he is now fully healthy from his ACL injury from 2 years ago which wiped out his rookie year. He appears to have his confidence and is playing well. Hardesty has had a great camp and it was nice to see it translate onto the field Thursday.

Phil Dawson:

We as Browns fans sometimes take for granted we have one of the best kickers in the game in Phil Dawson. Dawson was 3-4 on the night (4-5 if you count the FG made on a holding penalty) including 2 from 50+ yards. Dawson constantly meets expectations by simply making it look easy. It is no wonder he is one of the highest paid kickers in the league. Dawson’s only miss of the night was a somewhat unrealistic 56 yard attempt that would probably not have been attempted in the regular season.

Moving the chains:

The first team offense only punched the ball into the end zone once but moved the chains well going 5-10 in 3rd down situations by the half. This is a pleasant sight to Browns fans as the team finished near the bottom of the league last year in 3rd down conversions. There were still some missed opportunities but a positive step in the right direction.

Defense:

The entire defense looked excellent against last year’s offensive MVP Aaron Rodgers. Everyone stepped up despite a number of key starters not on the field and played the first team Packer offense tough. Craig Robertson, Billy Winn, and Trevin Wade inparticular all shined once again as the Browns held the Packer offense to only 10 points the entire night including a strong performance in the run game keeping the Packers under 100 yards rushing. Add to that 2 interceptions, a fumble recovery, a safety, and defensive TD and the Browns defense almost scored enough points to beat the Packers on their own.

THE NEGATIVES:

Josh Gordon:

Josh Gordon snagged a few nice passes in Thursday’s game both from Weeden and McCoy; however he is still showing his rustiness on the field in terms of route running. He is still very sloppy in his hook, and comeback route running as pointed out by Browns great Bernie Kosar who has done color commentary during the Browns preseason games for years now. Gordon is in the middle of a crash course in the WCO (West Coast Offense) and the NFL. Since he was picked up in the supplemental draft, he did not have the benefit of the team’s mini camps as other rookies did. He will become a great asset at WR, but it may take longer than expected.

Penalties:

Penalties are still a thorn in the paw of the Browns. Although the game was much cleaner than the 1st preseason game, at least two drives were killed off and a field goal was almost erased due to penalties. Look for Pat Shurmur to once again focus on this issue in practice, particularly pre-snap penalties.

Dropped passes:

A killer for the Browns last season was dropped passes (Led the NFL with 43). The dropped-pass-monster once again reared its ugly head in Green Bay on Thursday. Although not official, I counted at least four passes that should have been caught. Some of these could have kept drives alive and could have lead to more offensive TD’s. It looks like the “jugs” machine in Berea will get extra work this week.

Final Thoughts:

All-in-All this game was a big positive and boost for the team. It is important for this franchise to get into the habit of winning whether it counts or not. This win against a good Green Bay team will go a long way in building that winning culture that Holmgren, Heckert, and Shurmur are trying so hard to create.

As a side note, Green Bay Packers backup QB Graham Harrell had quite simply an embarrassing performance against the Browns. There has already been a great deal of speculation about Colt McCoy and Seneca Wallace and the fact that one of them will likely be gone by week one. But Harrell’s performance definitely put Green Bay at the top of the list of teams looking for a quality backup. An added bonus for Green Bay is the fact that both McCoy and Wallace have WCO experience. It would likely be McCoy to be involved in a trade but don’t count out the possibility of Wallace being the one to go. Wallace has already hinted that he would demand a trade if he were to become the third QB in Cleveland.

So there is the game in a nutshell. Please give us your thoughts the Browns performance against the Packers.

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