At one point during Sunday’s win against the Chicago Bears, the Cleveland Browns were down to a solitary starter and a single second-stringer on their offensive line. Taking the snaps was a quarterback who wasn’t with the team a month ago. Behind him was a second-string running back and two others who weren’t with the team in camp.
The Cleveland Browns Keep Winning Despite an Apocalyptic Series of Injuries
The Cleveland Browns are somehow managing to win despite what is, by any measure, an apocalyptic string of injuries. As the commentators on Sunday’s game noted, 26% of the team’s salary cap is out for the season. 13 players missed most of the week’s practice. When joined by the 11 on injured reserve, there’s a full team’s worth of players out for the Browns.
Yet, the Cleveland Browns somehow eeked out a come-from-behind 20-17 win over the Bears. The win moves the Browns to 9-5. They also continue to hold the top wildcard spot in the AFC.
Joe Flacco and David Njoku’s Budding Bromance
Joe Flacco was once known as the Cleveland Browns killer. He holds an 18-3 record against his current team. But now he’s QB1 for the Browns and has led them to two straight wins. “Joe Cool” led his first fourth-quarter comeback as a member of the brown and orange on Sunday. Flacco led his team to 13 points in the final frame, capped by a go-ahead field goal with just 32 seconds to play.
As Flacco settles in with the team, his chemistry with tight end David Njoku has dramatically increased. Flacco and Njoku have hooked up 16 times for 195 yards and three touchdowns in the last two games. Njoku has shown flash ever since he was selected in the first round six years ago. He’s been plagued by drops throughout 2023. But under Flacco, he’s come into his own.
Last week, Njoku had his first multi-touchdown game of his career. This week, Njoku set a career mark of 10 receptions, besting his nine in Week 3 last season. With the offensive line as banged up as it is, look for a lot more quick passes from Flacco to Njoku as the team comes down the stretch.
Dustin Hopkins for Cleveland Browns MVP
Coming out of the preseason, the Cleveland Browns kicking situation was horrific. 2022 fourth-round choice Cade York looked great to start, but somewhere in the middle of his rookie year, he developed the yips. An offseason and a four-game preseason wasn’t enough to cure him of them. A last-minute trade brought Dustin Hopkins to the team.
In a year ravaged by injuries and inconsistency, Hopkins has been near automatic for the Cleveland Browns. He leads the league with 33 field goals made and has made nearly 92% of his kicks. He also delivered the game-winning field goal against the Chicago Bears, his fourth of the season.
Will Dustin Hopkins be named the MVP of the Cleveland Browns? Seems like he should.
Weird Cleveland Browns Records
The Cleveland Browns have played 14 games and won nine of them. When they play at home at 1 pm ET, they’re near-perfect at 7-1. The problem for the team is that those games this season are over. There are two more games on the road and one Thursday night matchup in Cleveland. The team must pick up at least one of these games, and perhaps two, to make the playoffs.
The good news is all three remaining teams are currently behind the Browns, and all played Week 15 without their starting quarterbacks. Though the Browns struggle on the road, they are 2-0 playing on the road at 1 pm ET, and both away games start at that time. The night game is against the sinking Jets, who were blanked by the Dolphins on Sunday.
Next up in the team’s home stretch: a trip to play the Houston Texans on Christmas Eve.
Main Photo: [Ken Blaze] – USA Today Sports
