Browns’ offensive snap counts, stats, and notes: Week 3

Below, we analyze the snap counts and stats on offense for the Cleveland Browns’ Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Rams.

• The Rams have a good defense. But it doesn’t take an expert to see that Mayfield is a bit broken right now. It’s not exclusively him; there is no doubt that he can make all the throws, but he is bailing from the pocket too early, and one of the reasons I think he’s doing that (besides worrying about the protection) is that there is seldom a checkdown receiver available to him if he knows he needs to get rid of it.
• A key turning point in the game yesterday came after T.J. Carrie’s interception. The Browns took over near midfield, but Mayfield and Nick Chubb weren’t on the same page for a handoff. Oddly, Mayfield still tried to hand the ball up to Chubb upfield, amidst traffic. It led to a fumble, which Cleveland recovered, but it just killed all the momentum in a situation where the Browns had the potential to go up by two possessions.

• From a production standpoint, this was a solid game for Nick Chubb. The surprising statistic is to see that he played nearly every snap: 97% of them.
• Don’t get me wrong: I love Chubb, and feel he can handle it. I acknowledged that he could’ve been in on some more third down situations for the first two games. But, for him to jump to 97% while the other two backs see two total snaps? That’s a pretty extreme shift. You want to keep your back somewhat fresh throughout the game, right? Or maybe have Dontrell Hilliard run an arrow route or something?

• The Rams play very good coverage, but Cleveland’s tandem of Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry should be one of the best in the game. When the ball is coming their way, they are doing their job and catching it. But to finish the game with neither of them having a big day on the stat sheet is another slam against the offense: it should be hard not to get production out of these guys, and yet Cleveland is doing just that.
• Damion Ratley played in place of the injured Rashard Higgins again. I don’t know how well Ratley can get himself open with route running, but he deserves credit for catching everything being thrown his way. Despite not playing in camp due to injury, I can see why he was kept around.

• With David Njoku on injured reserve, it looks like the initial plan is to use Demetrius Harris as the team’s primary tight end. He caught the team’s only touchdown of the game, and was targeted in the back of the end zone on the final drive. That is the area of the field where his usage as a receiver is best suited.
• Pharoah Brown was called for a pass interference penalty for blocking downfield way too early on a screen pass. Ricky Seal-Jones only played six snaps, but was targeted twice and is certainly the quickest of the Browns’ tight ends.

• The Browns allowed 3 sacks and 3 quarterback hits. Those numbers don’t show the number of pressures, though, which there were plenty of.
• Per PFF, Aaron Donald “terrorized” right guard Eric Kush:

Donald still terrorized the interior offensive line, most notably right guard Eric Kush. Donald did get the better of center JC Tretter and left guard Joel Bitonio a couple of times, but they played admirably well.