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Browns' Offensive Snap Counts and Stats vs. Steelers

Looking at the offensive snap counts in the Browns' 24-9 loss to the Steelers.

This is not the matrix.
This is not the matrix.
Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Below, we analyze the snap counts and stats on offense for the Cleveland Browns' Week 11 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Quarterback

Pos Player Plays % Stats
QB Josh McCown
37 56% 14-of-27 (51.9%) for 118 yards, 1 TD. 2 rushes, 11 yards. 1 fumble lost.
QB Cody Kessler 29 44% 7-of-14 (50.0%) for 128 yards, 1 INT. 1 rush, 2 yards.

It was clear that Cody Kessler made the effort to go deeper with his passes after the benching in last week's game against the Ravens. He had mixed results with his deep passes -- two of them were complete, but one was intercepted. It's difficult to evaluate his first "downfield attempting" game when the wind was blowing as much as it was. Ben Roethlisberger is usually a great deep ball thrower, and he couldn't get that part of his game going. Kessler also threw up a prayer (which was somehow caught) on the play he was injured. In previous games, Kessler would've just thrown that away. That's the fine line a head coach walks when they bench a guy for not being aggressive -- you'll get some moments like that, where your quarterback got killed because he's trying to do what he's been told to do.

Running Back

Pos Player Plays % Stats
RB Isaiah Crowell 35 53% 8 carries, 10 yards, 1.3 avg. 5 catches, 13 yards (5 targets).
RB Duke Johnson 32 48% 2 carries, 10 yards, 5.0 avg. 3 catches, 46 yards (4 targets).
RB Dan Vitale
3 5% No stats registered.

I thought this would be a game in which the Browns' running backs could turn things around, but I was dead wrong. Cleveland's offensive line could get no push, and Isaiah Crowell's success relies on the line's success. Duke Johnson made some nice plays as a receiving back.

Wide Receiver

Pos Player Plays % Stats
WR Terrelle Pryor 58 88% 5 catches, 97 yards (10 targets).
WR Corey Coleman 57 86% 4 catches, 39 yards (12 targets).
WR Andrew Hawkins 40 61% 1 catch, 20 yards (1 target).
WR Rashard Higgins
17 26% 0 catches (1 target).
WR Ricardo Louis
5 8% 0 catches (1 target).

Terrelle Pryor made two downfield catches in which he came back for the ball. In one-on-one situations, is there any doubt that either Pryor will catch it or it'll be incomplete (i.e. he won't allow the defender to intercept it)? We finally saw Pryor run a route across the middle, but the pass was high and he was laid out for it. If the pass is on the money, though, I'd love to see Pryor be able to work some magic in the open field. Corey Coleman failed to haul in several catchable passes. Andrew Hawkins broke a tackle for his only target of the day.

Tight End

Pos Player Plays % Stats
TE Gary Barnidge 60 91% 2 catches, 23 yards (5 targets). 1 TD.
TE Randall Telfer 13 20% No stats registered.
TE Seth DeValve
6 9% 1 catch, 8 yards (1 target).

At least we can say that Gary Barnidge caught a touchdown pass in 2016 (shrugs).

Offensive Line

Pos Player Plays % Stats
OL Joe Thomas 66 100%
OL Spencer Drango
66 100%
OL Cameron Erving 66 100%
OL John Greco 66 100%
OL Austin Pasztor 66 100%
OL Shon Coleman 4 6%

The offensive line allowed 8 sacks and 14 quarterback hits. The pressure came in a variety of manners: linemen losing one-on-one battles, running backs being blown up, scheme confusion (defender coming free), or just the quarterback holding the ball too long. Part of it is on Hue Jackson too, because Cleveland may have ran the ball twice in the second half. Now we know what it looks like when a below average offensive line is forced to pass protect on every play -- eventually, the defense figures it out and just tees off.