The Browns entered week 10 with a four game losing streak that they were hoping to break. Interim head coach, Gregg Williams wanted to put a win under his belt after a hard loss to the Chiefs last week. The Atlanta Falcons also came into the game hoping they could gain some momentum for a playoff push this year.  It was a must-win game for both teams.

Williams again played aggressively on both sides of the ball. He did this early by drawing up plays for both Nick Chubb and Duke Johnson Jr., in both the running and passing game. Baker Mayfield has stated how he wants to turn the Browns into a winning team and proved it by completing every pass he threw until the third quarter.

I enjoyed watching the Browns commit to using their best weapons on the offensive side of the ball. I was excited when they lined up in three back sets, and could run misdirection plays. The strong run game also makes Mayfield’s life much easier.

I’m more “old school” when it comes to offensive mindsets. This means having a strong emphasis on the run, but also having an efficient quarterback who will not turn the ball over. When you have a young quarterback like Mayfield, you don’t want to have to lean on him too much.  

Mayfield played that “old school” offense by completing 17 of his 20 passes for 216 yards and throwing three touchdowns. Those stats also went along with 196 rushing yards from Chubb. It’s easy to see why the Browns parted with Carlos Hyde, when Chubb ran 92 yards for a touchdown. Johnson Jr. added his share having four catches for 30 yards and a TD.

On the defensive side of the ball, there were some tough matchups. The most obvious being superstar Julio Jones, who eclipsed 100 yards and had a touchdown. Besides Jones, the Browns did a great job keeping the rest of the Falcons’ wide receivers in check. What was even better to see was the run defense hold Atlanta to just over 70 rushing yards.

Another positive sign was the great goal line stance from the defense. It started with Jabrill Peppers knocking Tevin Coleman backwards before he could reach the endzone. Then, Joe Schobert wasted no time coming back from injury, having excellent coverage that caused the Falcons to fail on their fourth down attempt. Two recovered fumbles were the icing on the cake for an exceptional defensive outing.

I always talk about the Browns never being able to play a full game, but Sunday was the opposite of that. They thrived on both sides of the ball and showed signs of motivation to win. To me, the motivation has been one of the best qualities of the team. Leaders are emerging from guys that suffered from losing the past two seasons.

You can see how guys like Johnson Jr., Myles Garrett and Schobert want this organization to be successful. They are also making themselves accountable; and not just blaming the front office, coaches and lack of talent (all which are easy scapegoats.)The Browns have a bye week next, and hopefully can heal up to win some more games.

Jake Adams is a columnist. Contact him at [email protected].