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 Pittsburgh Steelers.

• Dropped passes plagued the Browns early in the game, but it still wasn’t a good look when Baker Mayfield started the game 1-of-10 and also threw an interception in the first half when David Njoku was open underneath the receiver he was throwing to.
• I can only hope that Mayfield’s injury was a huge limiting factor in him being “dangerous” in 2021. There were a lot of faults with the offense this year, so you can chalk it up to a combination of Mayfield, the injury to Jack Conklin, playcalling from Kevin Stefanski, execution of the receivers, etc. The offense was broken almost all season, and whatever threads were barely hanging on have now come loose in a major way. We’ll see Case Keenum get the start next week as Mayfield prepares for shoulder surgery.

• Nick Chubb supposedly had a rib injury, and that’s why he saw limited action in the first half against Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, the Steelers’ top back ran it 28 times for 188 yards. We’ll see if Chubb plays in the finale, given that Stefanski said only healthy players will play.
• D’Ernest Johnson played more snaps than Chubb, but was limited in his production. He is likely out for the finale with COVID-19.
• All of those issues in pass protection, and Andy Janovich only had one snap.

• Is it time to start re-thinking the wide receiver room? While I still like Rashard Higgins, this offseason certainly feels like one in which he won’t be offered another deal.
• Donovan Peoples-Jones, the camp darling, had the biggest play of the day on offense to get Cleveland into range for their first touchdown.
• Nonetheless, the receivers were guarded in tight man coverage by Pittsburgh, and Mayfield didn’t trust himself or the receivers in those situations, deferring to sacks instead.

• Statistically, this is the second-best season of David Njoku’s career, who out-snapped Austin Hooper for the second straight week.
• Speaking of Hooper, he had two dropped passes early on, a false start, and then basically a drop to end the game (leading to an interception). Hooper’s production as a receiver has been very disappointing. This is a guy who never dropped any passes in Atlanta, but this year has been pretty bad.
• Harrison Bryant has touchdown receptions in each of his past three games.

• Wyatt Teller was the highest-graded player on the Browns’ offense by PFF, but that was only for a grade of 74.4.
• Per PFF, three of fives pressures allowed by right tackle James Hudson led to a sack, and one led to a hit on Mayfield. How does Kevin Stefanski sit and watch 9 sacks happen with zero in-game adjustments? That has by far been his weakest point as a head coach — there are never any in-game adjustments.
• Jedrick Wills returned at left tackle, so Joel Bitonio slid back over to left guard.