Browns’ offensive snap counts, stats, and notes: Week 8

Below, we analyze the snap counts and stats on offense for the Cleveland Browns’ Week 8 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

• Even though he had one fumble, Jacoby Brissett still graded out to a fantastic day at quarterback, as PFF graded him with a 90.8 score.
• We’ve seen the good and the bad from Brissett, but it really has been a lot more good than bad, and it’s about time that one of his solid performances led to a comfortable win. Brissett incorporated the pump fake a few times this week, which was a bit of a new wrinkle. I sometimes get nervous when Brissett starts getting too comfortable back in the pocket, acting like he has all day to throw. It worked out this week, though, aside from the one play he fumbled on.
• Brissett had one quarterback sneak stopped this week, but the officials, for probably the first time that I can ever remember, let the play continue on, and Cleveland eventually pushed the pile forward for a first down. It was weird; maybe they know how good Brissett is at sneaking and wanted to let him finish the play? Who knows.

• Nick Chubb may have only had 4.4 yards per carry, which is great for most backs but lower than his career average, but it was an effective game for him. He punched it in twice down near the goal line, and also converted a two-point try. I don’t often advise hurdling, but it was still cool to see him hurdle a defender and have no momentum stop.
• Kareem Hunt was more involved in the action this week, having 15 touches and moving the pile with his quick movements and spin moves that he’s so good at. I’m glad the Browns finally threw to him a bit more, having 4 catches for 30 yards.
• D’Ernest Johnson got his first carries of the entire season on the last drive, when Cleveland was basically kneeling the clock out.

• Amari Cooper had a rough start to the game, throwing an ill-advised pass after a couple of reverses. I don’t fault the play call — I think that was en effective tool when Jarvis Landry used to do it. However, Cooper has never thrown a pass in an NFL game, so you really have to throw the ball away or just tuck and run it if the open play isn’t there. Cooper also couldn’t secure a low pass on the next drive. After that, though, it was all Cooper — he made great moves to get open, made a diving deep catch in the fourth quarter, and caught a touchdown pass on the fade.
• Donovan Peoples-Jones was sharp again too, and even did a hurdle of his own for some yards after the catch. It was nice to get to see Peoples-Jones catch the ball with room to run on that play, since it usually seems like a defender is glued to him.

• Without David Njoku in the line-up, the tight ends were not even targeted the whole game.

• What a beast that C Ethan Pocic has been in this system — like, I can’t imagine that C Nick Harris would’ve been performing as good as he has. Pocic was the team’s highest-graded offensive player this week, grading out to a 94.0 by PFF.
• Joel Bitonio was pretty darn close too, grading out to a 93.0 by PFF.
• The Browns allowed 2 sacks and 7 quarterback hits, although some of those numbers this week were instances where Jacoby Brissett was holding onto the ball.
• The Browns utilized Michael Dunn quite a bit this week, likely to serve as an extra blocking tight end. Down near the goal line, Drew Forbes got a crack at playing fullback for a snap.
• PFF also gave a shout out to right guard Hjalte Froholdt, noting that he, Pocic, and Bitonio combined to allow zero total pressures in pass protection.