Browns Hold Off Cowboys Comeback, Win in Shootout
In 2020, the Cleveland Browns have gotten off to a great start, while the Dallas Cowboys have struggled out the gate. The two faced off in a Week 4 matchup, a game that Dallas hosted. Cleveland came out on top 49-38 in a thriller. Let us take a dive into the details of this matchup.
Game Details
The game played out as expected, a shootout, but not in the way you would think. Cleveland started the scoring with a creative play-call when Odell Beckham Jr. caught a 37-yard touchdown from WR Jarvis Landry. Dallas answered, scoring two touchdowns to make the score 14-7 after the first quarter. After this, Cleveland exploded as a team, scoring 34 unanswered points going up 41-14 after the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Dallas came roaring back cutting the lead to 41-38, until Cleveland answered with a touchdown from Beckham Jr. and sealing the game with an interception with a score of 49-38.
Cleveland Offense Proves its Worth
Coming into the game, many were unsure if the Browns were built to stay with a high-powered offense like Dallas. This game proved they can put points on the board, dropping 49 points in an efficient effort by the offense.
The story of the game was WR Odell Beckham Jr. exploded against Dallas, catching 5 balls for 81 yards and rushing for 73 yards, totaling three touchdowns. This includes a 50-yard end-around that put the dagger in Dallas’ comeback. QB Baker Mayfield played an efficient game once again, completing 19/30 for 165 yards and two touchdowns, sporting a passer rating of 100.
Once again, the Browns dominated on the ground, running for an insane 307 yards, led by RB D’Ernest Johnson who had 95 yards. RB Kareem Hunt had 71 yards and two touchdowns in limited action due to a groin injury. RB Nick Chubb had six carries for 43 yards before going out with an injury. Cleveland was able to do this with their top two backs not available for a large portion of the game, which is a very encouraging sign for the Cleveland offense for the future.
Browns Keep Forcing Turnovers
One of the more underrated aspects of the Browns is their defense. While they gave up 38 points, a lot of it was in garbage time when Dallas was coming back. Nonetheless, Cleveland has taken the ball away at an impressive rate through four games, including today. DE Myles Garrett came up with his third strip-sack in as many games, while S Andrew Sendejo also forced a fumble. CB Denzel Ward, who was questionable coming into the game, came up with the game-sealing interception late in the fourth quarter. Cleveland has taken the ball away 10 times in four games, giving the offense a short field where they are cashing in, a recipe for success.
Dallas Offense Stays Hot, Defense Struggles
The Dallas offense was not the question mark coming into 2020, and they have lived up to the expectations. QB Dak Prescott threw for 502 yards and 4 touchdowns. RB Ezekiel Elliott totaled 125 yards, while wide receivers Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb totaled for 213 yards and 3 touchdowns. TE Dalton Schultz also chipped in a touchdown on 72 yards.
The biggest reason why the Cowboys are 1-3 is their defense. After giving up at least 35 points two weeks in a row, Dallas gave up 49 this week on over 300 rushing yards allowed. Cleveland dominated at the line of scrimmage and was having their way with Dallas. This is a glaring issue for Dallas and one that needs to be fixed if Dallas wants to be considered serious contenders. You cannot rely on the offense to score 35 points a game to win games and that is the way it has been so far this season.
Nick Chubb
Even in a win, Cleveland left the game without their star running back Nick Chubb. Early in the game, Chubb got his leg rolled up and was forced to leave the game with a knee injury. When asked in an interview, head coach Kevin Stefanski said Chubb is going for an MRI on his knee and they do not know the severity of if yet. The Browns will hope for the best, but nobody really knows the status of the star running back until the results come back.
Looking Ahead
In Week 5, Cleveland will head back home to take on the Indianapolis Colts (3-1), where they will look to extend their three-game winning streak. As for Dallas, their schedule starts to soften up as they take on the New York Giants (0-4) and look to start rattling off some wins.
Info from profootballreference.com
Kevin Stefanski interview from clevelandbrowns.com
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