Cleveland Browns: Studs and duds vs. Patriots in Week 8
By Randy Gurzi
![FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 27: Running back Nick Chubb #24 of the Cleveland Browns fumbles as he is hit by defensive tackle Lawrence Guy #93 of the New England Patriots in the first quarter of the game at Gillette Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images) FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 27: Running back Nick Chubb #24 of the Cleveland Browns fumbles as he is hit by defensive tackle Lawrence Guy #93 of the New England Patriots in the first quarter of the game at Gillette Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/4b0e48a16f94762a048967a41741581503ecd30df021c01ca92c5e8e9994ee9e.jpg)
Stud: Demetrius Harris
Signed in the offseason to replace Darren Fells as the No. 2 tight end, Demetrius Harris hasn’t had the impact this season he had hoped. The former Kansas City Chiefs back up had only three receptions on six targets despite the team losing David Njoku in Week 2.
On Sunday, he got rolling and had a solid game. He grabbed two catches for a total of 33 yards and caught the only touchdown of the game when he went 21-yards for a score in the second quarter. He also beat Patrick Chung in the third quarter for what would have been another long play but the ball was underthrown by Baker Mayfield and hit Chung in the head.
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Harris has been outplayed by Rick Seals-Jones but this was a positive step for him as he tries to make an impact for his new team.
Dud: Joel Bitonio
The Cleveland Browns offensive line has been a mess this season. They tried to shake things up during the bye as they benched left tackle Greg Robinson and replaced him with Justin McCray. They also started to get Wyatt Teller involved at right guard.
With that going on, they found themselves with an unexpected problem — Joel Bitonio having a bad game. Easily the best offensive lineman on the team, Bitonio started this one out by accidentally kicking the ball out of Nick Chubb‘s hands — and then he had to watch the Patriots celebrate as Dont’a Hightower took the fumble back for a touchdown.
From there, Bitonio had a few issues in protection, which again is completely uncharacteristic. The good news is, this won’t be the case because we all know he can get the job done. It was just an unfortunate game for one of the best on the team.