CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Pigs are not flying.
Cats and dogs might be living together, but the Browns are 1-0 for the first time since 2004.
After controlling three and a half quarters of the football game, they were able to do just enough to give their rookie kicker a chance – and he didn’t disappoint.
Here are our Top Takeaways from the Baker bowl in Charlotte that saw the Browns prevail 26-24 in a thriller.
1. Whew. Hallelujah. Somewhere choirs of angels are singing in relief after the Browns nearly blew another opener.
2. That was exactly why the Browns drafted Cade York in the fourth round and made him the highest drafted kicker in years. York crushed a 58-yard field goal that sailed easily through the uprights with just 8 seconds on the clock to put the Browns back on top and win them the game. York scored the final 13 points for Cleveland, and he made all four field goals on the afternoon, also hitting from 26, 34 and 36. You could not write the script any better for him and the Browns have a weapon in York.
3. Baker Mayfield almost go the last laugh by rallying the Panthers from a 20-6 deficit to a 24-23 lead with 1:13 remaining. Mayfield started out awful, throwing for seven yards in the first quarter. He was 10-19 for 101 yards and an interception at halftime. Over the final 30 minutes, Mayfield was 6-of-8 for 134 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown off busted coverage in the secondary to Robbie Anderson. He drove Carolina into position for a 34-yard field goal late that gave them their one and only lead of the afternoon.
4. The Browns defensive pressure kept Mayfield in check most of the afternoon. Five passes were batted at the line, including two by Jadeveon Clowney. He was sacked four times and hit six more. Mayfield also had at least four bad snap exchanges with his center, including on the go-ahead field goal drive that saw him fall on the ball to preserve possession on second down.
5. Myles Garrett recorded back-to-back sacks in the third quarter to blow up a Panthers drive. He’s now 1.5 sacks shy of tying Clay Matthews Jr.’s franchise record of 62.0. According to the Browns, his 60.5 career sacks not only rank first among all active players and No. 1 overall picks in their first 69 games, but are also fifth among all players in history in the same timeframe.
6. Cleveland controlled the game thanks to their two dynamic running backs, and this is how they are going to have to win until Deshaun Watson is allowed to play.
7. Nick Chubb carried 22 times for 141 yards. He averaged 6.4 yards per carry and punished the Panthers with runs of 25, 20 and 16 yards.
8. Kareem Hunt’s free agency audition is underway. With the Browns not inclined to give him a new deal, Hunt torched the Panthers Sunday afternoon. The first two touchdowns of the season went to Hunt – a one yard catch in which he was left wide open after lining up at fullback in front of Chubb on a pass from Brissett to make it 7-0. Hunt doubled the lead by ripping off a 24-yard touchdown run, also in the second quarter.
9. The Browns should’ve run the Panthers out of their own stadium, but Jacoby Brissett was not good. That said, he did exactly what the Browns expect him to do – position them to win games and not make critical mistakes that lose them. Brissett missed multiple throws early in the game that would’ve given them a commanding lead. Brissett missed a wide-open Amari Cooper up the far sideline on third-and-3 on their opening series and then misfired on fourth down with a throw low and wide to Donovan Peoples-Jones. He missed a wide-open Hunt on the next series but got bailed out by a defensive holding penalty before almost being intercepted on a third down throw to Cooper. That was his afternoon in a nutshell. His final numbers: 18-of-34 for 147 yards with a touchdown and a rating of 74.0.
10. The Browns found their second receiver next to Amari Cooper. Donovan Peoples-Jones was sensational. All six of his catches, which went for 60 yards, were tightly contested by Panther defenders.
11. Kevin Stefanski didn’t kick a 53-yard field goal on the opening drive, electing to go for it on fourth down instead. Even with York, the Browns' head coach showed that he will remain aggressive on fourth down.
12. Matt Rhule may have saved Stefanski from himself by calling a timeout late in the first half after Stefanski left the offense on the field to line up on fourth-and-goal from the 8. It might have been gamesmanship on the part of Stefanski, who woke up and took the easy 3 – a 26-yard field goal from York to lead 17-7 at half.
13. Rhule’s game plan was to put the ball in Mayfield’s hands instead of his best offensive player – Christian McCaffrey. Thank you cards from the Browns should be in the mail or a bouquet of roses or something. McCaffrey finished with just 33 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
14. The special teams rebuild review: a sigh of relief. York is a home run. Punter Corey Bojorquez’s first punt pinned the Panthers at their own 5 then the 8 on his second kick. He averaged 46.8 per punt and 39.3 net with a long of 56 yards and a touchback. Demetric Felton muffed his second punt return, but Herb Miller was in the right spot to recover it. Felton, who made his early returns adventurous, settled in and later returned one for 15 yards. Jerome Ford had a 29-yard kickoff return. There was also an illegal formation on a kickoff at the end of the first half that coordinator Mike Priefer won’t be happy about.
15. James Hudson III got the start at right tackle over Chris Hubbard in place of Jack Conklin, who wasn’t ready to return just yet from that repaired patellar tendon. Hubbard served as the swing tackle last year but is dealing with an elbow injury.
16. D’Ernest Johnson being inactive raised eyebrows as well but with Felton handling returns, they couldn’t have all five backs active. Sunday, Ford got the nod. This will be something to watch week-to-week.