BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – When Odell Beckham Jr. suffered a torn ACL in Week 7 last season the Browns offense lost a critical element – speed.
This offseason Browns EVP/GM Andrew Berry addressed it by drafting Anthony Schwartz in the third round and head coach Kevin Stefanski put him right to work in Kansas City.
“Week to week, we are going to call on different guys in different situations,” Stefanski said. “I thought Anthony had his opportunities in this last game and did a nice job for his first game. That is not an easy place to go have your first NFL game. He was dependable when we called on him.”
Schwartz caught three passes for 69 yards, including a juggling 44-yard catch in the 33-29 loss to the Chiefs.
“His speed on that long ball that he caught and able to stretch the field [was impressive],” quarterback Baker Mayfield said, “especially for a rookie stepping into that environment like that for his first professional game, not exactly the typical road game and such a hostile crowd, I am proud of how he did, and I know he is going to want to continue to improve and get back out there.”
Schwartz also added a 17-yard run with Mayfield serving as one of the lead blockers.
“Just doing anything we can to win. That has always been my mentality,” Mayfield said of his block to help clear the way for the rookie. “If I can help the team win in any way, I am going to do it, no matter if it is an unorthodox play of a quarterback making a block. That is just the nature of this game, and I am going to do whatever is required.”
Beckham was ruled out this week against Houston on Wednesday by Stefanski meaning they’ll likely do what they did last week and lean on the rookie Schwartz, provided he’s healthy after being limited due to a knee injury in practice Wednesday.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T – Texans quarterback Tyrod Taylor forever has Mayfield’s respect and gratitude.
“I think people took Tyrod for granted. I think he’s an extremely good leader,” Mayfield said. “I think his work ethic alone, just his routine and being the same guy every day for every single person in the building is a tremendous way of showing his leadership. Obviously great athlete and he’s a great quarterback.”
Taylor started the 2018 season as the Browns’ starter after Cleveland acquired him in an offseason trade with Buffalo.
A concussion in Week 3 against the Jets in the first half ended Taylor’s night and ultimately opened the door for Mayfield to take over and end the Browns' winless streak on national TV. The 2018 No. 1 overall pick hasn’t looked back.
“Everything that he taught me, leading by example and doing different things,” Mayfield said, “not that we lead the same way, but there’s always different ways to learn and I’m very thankful to have stepped in a QB room with Drew Stanton and Tyrod that I was able to learn from those guys. It’s something I’m obviously very grateful for.”
Familiar faces – Taylor isn’t the only former Brown returning to Cleveland Sunday. As running back Nick Chubb pointed out Wednesday morning, the Texans defense is loaded with them.
“I see a lot of guys who played here, for one,” Chubb responded when asked what he sees in the Texans D.
Linebacker Christian Kirksey, cornerbacks Tavierre Thomas and Terrance Mitchell, defensive tackle Vincent Taylor and defensive back Eric Murray all are Browns alumni.
“I guess that is how the NFL goes. It is part of the business,” Chubb said. “This is my first time actually seeing it happen like that – guys I have played with being across from me on the other team. I am excited to see some of the guys for one thing. I am excited to play against them, too. We have a great challenge ahead of us.”
Beat up line – The offensive line was a bit shorthanded at practice Wednesday with four guys out.
“With all of those guys, we are just trying to be smart,” Stefanski said. “Part of it is yes, they are veterans and want to make sure that we have them for the long haul.”
Left tackle Jedrick Wills, day-to-day with an ankle injury; Chris Hubbard, who replaced Wills but suffered a triceps injury; right tackle Jack Conklin, dealing with a knee injury and center J.C. Tretter did not practice.
The biggest issue is at left tackle with the top two guys banged up, but Stefanski did not sound overly concerned.
“We will make it work,” Stefanski said. “That is certainly something we are up on the whiteboard figuring out of who is going to be where.
We will be just fine for practice.”
Bottom line biz – The days or moral victories are clearly over for the Browns.
Everyone is looking at Sunday’s 33-29 loss to the Chiefs through the same lens – a loss. Just hanging with the two-time defending AFC champions isn’t good enough.
A point veteran linebacker Anthony Walker drove home wen asked if their defensive performance that saw them allow just under 400 yards of offense and allow a 12-point lead slip away in the second half could be graded on a curve because of KC’s offensive firepower.
“No, at the end of the day, we are all at the NFL level. We have to grade ourselves at that level,” Walker said. “We can’t water it down because obviously, you are playing against a MVP-caliber quarterback and a Super Bowl-caliber team. We want to win. To be the best, you have to beat the best. We had an opportunity, and we did not get it done. That is what we are grading ourselves on. At the end of the day, we did not execute. We had times where we did and times where we did not. The times where we did not came back to beat us at the end.”
Injury report – DNP: RT Jack Conklin (knee), LT Chris Hubbard (triceps), DT Tommy Togiai (illness), C J.C. Tretter (knee), LT Jedrick Wills (ankle); LIMITED: WR Odell Beckham Jr. (knee-OUT), S Grant Delpit (hamstring), G Michael Dunn (back), CB Greg Newsome (biceps), WR Anthony Schwartz (knee), LB Mack Wilson (quad); FULL: CB Troy Hill (hamstring)
Up next – Practice Thursday.
