Browns’ offensive snap counts, stats, and notes: Week 17

Below, we analyze the snap counts and stats on offense for the Cleveland Browns’ Week 17 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

• The day started great for Baker Mayfield, who threw a deep touchdown pass on his first attempt of the game. Later in the game, Mayfield also found Jarvis Landry on a deep ball touchdown, something I think we wish we would’ve seen more of from Cleveland this year (run the ball, and then stretch the field deep).
• With the good also comes the bad. There were a lot of inaccurate passes, more passes tipped, and plenty of sacks taken due to poor offensive line play. One thing that I know pumped some fans up but made me just laugh is how excited Mayfield was after running for a first down. Why was I laughing? Because I kept thinking, “watch us get sacked on the next play.” Sure enough, two of the next three plays were sacks — and then Mayfield and Beckham connected on the great touchdown pass to salvage things.

• Nick Chubb didn’t win the rushing title in 2019, thanks to Derrick Henry surpassing him with a 200+ yard effort in the afternoon game. The run blocking was not there against a Bengals team that doesn’t defend the run well, and I can only attribute that to a lack of motivation by several members of the team (not the running backs).
• Kareem Hunt out-snapped Chubb, as has been the case when Cleveland is playing from behind. He really wasn’t involved too much in the offense though either.

• The Browns had three receivers catch touchdown passes, and Odell Beckham surpassed 1,000 yards receiving on the season.
• Jarvis Landry had a bit of a weird day on the field from a body language standpoint. I have no doubt that he cares and has great passion, but on a few of his routes, it seemed like he wasn’t finishing the play as if it mattered.
• Despite Damion Ratley catching an early touchdown pass, he only played 11 snaps in the game. It was the first touchdown catch of his NFL career.

• The Browns activated four tight ends, but they were targeted only once all game, and that was a bailout dumpoff thrown to Demetrius Harris after a poor block.
• David Njoku was active but only played four snaps.

• I didn’t even realize this, but unless there was an unknown injury, Wyatt Teller was benched early in the game in favor of Justin McCray. McCray played 87% of the snaps.
• The Browns allowed 6 sacks and 9 quarterback hits.