Browns’ offensive snap counts, stats, and notes: Week 12

Below, we analyze the snap counts and stats on offense for the Cleveland Browns’ Week 12 game against the Miami Dolphins.

• It took 11 games, but Baker Mayfield is finally on the + side of the touchdown to interception ratio, with 14 touchdowns on the season to 13 interceptions. His 3 touchdowns in a single game were a season high.
• Mayfield was lights out in the first half, before his accuracy went down a bit in the second half. In the second half, that led to an interception on a quick slant behind Odell Beckham, and missed touchdown opportunities to Ricky Seals-Jones or Rashard Higgins on passes that needed better ball placement. Still, he was the highest-grade QB of Week 12, which he should have been against a terrible Dolphins defense.

• The one-two punch of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt worked like a charm again, as each running back logged a touchdown. This wasn’t a day where either back had a huge hole to sprint through at the second level, but they were consistently churning away 4-5 yards on each carry; off the top of my head, the median value of the runs would have to be pretty solid.
• The passes that Mayfield threw to Chubb on the wheel route were picture perfect, allowing him to catch it in stride and take off. No team in the NFL has such a luxury of having both Chubb and Hunt on offense, and it’s incredible to think that Cleveland should get a full season of both players in 2020.

• Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry had their way with the Dolphins’ secondary, although it was Landry who had the electrifying game against his former team. He is on a roll right now with making contested catches and has the best chemistry with Baker Mayfield. We’re seeing things develop still between Beckham and Mayfield, but the flow of the offense succeeding in general is helping get Beckham more involved.
• Rashard Higgins was also wide open on a blown coverage by the Dolphins on Beckham’s touchdown catch. Higgins also would’ve had a touchdown catch in the second half on a corner route, but Mayfield’s pass was tipped by a member of the secondary. Higgins out-snapped KhaDarel Hodge 25 to 9, but neither player had a catch.

• Although Stephen Carlson had an early reception, Demetrius Harris saw more overall snaps. Ricky Seals-Jones got open for a touchdown, but the pass was a bit overthrown. Noteworthy for this week is that Pharoah Brown was a healthy scratch, which would make one think that he could be sent down if David Njoku is activated this week.

• The Browns allowed 1 sack and 2 quarterback hits to the Dolphins.
• Overall, it was another solid day for Cleveland’s offensive line, although there were some timing issues on a few plays that led to ineligible linemen down field (not all of that was on the OL; it might have been the RB getting caught up in a block).
• Prop go to Joel Bitonio, who reportedly stepped up as a locker room leader when things started to fracture a bit after the Myles Garrett situation following the last Steelers game. Players universally praised Bitonio for his rallying speech.
• Justin McCray saw 5 snaps as a sixth lineman.