Cleveland Browns: The Good, bad and ugly vs. Jets in Week 3

Once again we look at the good, bad and ugly as, in Week 3 on Thursday Night Football, the Cleveland Browns did the impossible — they won!

My hopes are, eventually, to phase out the ugly category altogether as the 2018 season wears on and we continue to look at the good, bad and ugly from the Cleveland Browns on a weekly basis.

Perhaps the Browns may assist at some point, but for the time being, all three categories remain — even after a game where Cleveland saw their football team win for the first time in 635 days. It’s been far too long. 

Let’s take a look at last week’s performance, starting with the good, which there is plenty of.

The Good

• Baker, Baker, Baker!!! Baker Mayfield stepped in to replace an injured Tyrod Taylor just before the half and proved not only why he was the first overall pick in the draft, but also how the Browns offense should perform.
• Defense, Defense, Defense!!! The Dawgs of Defense continue to create turnovers and big plays at crucial times. From pressuring quarterbacks to forcing fumbles to game-breaking interceptions, the dominance of the Browns defense is here to stay.
• Denzel Ward is the best cornerback the Browns have had is some time. Ward has already shown that he will be an elite cornerback in the NFL, if he isn’t considered one already. I can think of none I’d rather have.
• Carlos Hyde showed why he is here and what he can do. The new father played Thursday while awaiting word of his child’s birth and played well in the process. Although just short of a 100-yard game, his brute-force running is just what the Browns need in order to wear down defenses throughout the game and open opportunities elsewhere on the field. Congrats Carlos Sr., and welcome to the world, Carlos Jr.!

The Bad

• I never like to kick a guy while he is down, and Tyrod Taylor most certainly is down. With that said, his play was worthy of a spot on the bench well before the injury initiated it. His inaccuracy and late decision-making has been prevalent in the first two-and-almost-a-half games. More painfully, for Taylor, is how amplified his faults became the instant Baker Mayfield stepped in. The only reason Taylor is not highlighting my ugly category is that he instantly becomes an elite backup in the event something should happen to Mayfield.
• Another troublesome takeaway was in the ease the Jets came back to take the lead after Cleveland tied it up at 14-14. It seems to be a recurring issue, wherein the Browns fight back to even the score or go ahead, only to give it right back the following drive. I understand the excitement and emotion involved in making a comeback, but the defense needs to find consistency in that area.

The Ugly

• I almost ignored the ugly this week, but unfortunately, the play on special teams fell well within the “ugly”. While Greg Joseph made all of his kicks and the punting unit pinned the Jets back fairly regularly, blocked punts and allowing huge returns are tough to watch. The large return I referenced was called back by a penalty, so the stats do not reflect it. But such plays have been, and continue to be, an enormous thorn in the Cleveland Browns backside.

So, there you have it. The Browns snapped their losing streak and came out victorious. There remains plenty of bad and a little ugly to remedy, but in large, the good stole the show in Week 3 against the New York Jets.

Browns fans now have more faith than ever in its latest regime and the selections of Baker Mayfield and Denzel Ward in the first round of the draft. They can now also focus on the possibility, even likelihood, of good plays, rather than suffer through the heartbreak of bad ones. A new era has begun.