Browns' Offensive Snap Counts and Stats vs. Falcons

Below, we analyze the snap counts on offense for the Cleveland Browns' first preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Quarterback

Even though the Browns' offense had more success, they only ran 40 plays on offense, which is even less than last week's low number. Robert Griffin III looked very comfortable throwing the deep ball again, and his touch pass to Gary Barnidge was great to see too because that was the type of pass he kept trying to complete the one day I went to camp, and he kept overshooting it. Griffin looked very fast when he took off, and made the right decision to slide even though he had some more room. If it were a regular season game, I wonder if he would've tried to take a hit?

Running Back

If the Browns are able to get teams respecting the receivers and the threat of Griffin running, then Isaiah Crowell is going to have a breakout season. I'm glad we got to see Terrell Watson showcase some of his power, but I'm not sure how much value he has on the roster when Crowell and Duke Johnson are the clear top-two backs. I don't think we're going to carry a fullback this year.

Wide Receiver

With so few offensive plays, these receivers on the back-end of the depth chart aren't getting a chance to shine. Jordan Payton did show off his hands on a sideline catch, but he didn't have both feet in bounds (not his fault). Knowing that Corey Coleman, Josh Gordon, and Andrew Hawkins are on their way back, it can't feel good if you finished the game with "no stats registered" in a game that should've been a chance for you to shine.

Tight End

Once upon a time, before the first preseason game, Connor Hamlett was the talk of camp. Since then, he caught a nullified touchdown in the first game (no one was near him, so it's not like it was a fantastic play), and against Atlanta, he dropped a pass in the red zone and then wasn't close to catching a Josh McCown fade route on fourth down. Meanwhile, Randall Telfer caught a 30-yard pass downfield and received a good amount of reps. I can't explain why E.J. Bibbs is getting so little playing time; all I can surmise is that I'm just in love with the guy but the coaching staff just isn't interested.

Offensive Line

Browns quarterbacks were sacked two times and hit five times. We're going to have a lot of discussions about Cameron Erving. I think he's been pretty stable from a blocking perspective at center, and that's all we can really hope for when trying to replace a guy like Alex Mack. The question is that if Garth Gerhart is only a little less talented of a blocker as Erving but doesn't snap the ball way over the QB's head, does that warrant a change in the lineup? A snap like that can flip a game from a win to a loss in an instant, not to mention risking an injury to your quarterback. Dan France started at left tackle for Joe Thomas and suffered an early hand injury.