Rookie WRs Highlight Surging Cleveland Browns Offense
The quarterback position has been at the forefront of every conversation regarding the Cleveland Browns for so long that the amount of young talent currently found on the roster has been overshadowed. After Thursday’s victory and Deshaun Watson playing well for three straight games, everyone else is going to get far more attention.
General manager Andrew Berry drafted wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston 15 selections apart from one another. They’ve already showed they’re high-end targets in their first year. So much so, Jerry Jeudy has become an afterthought.
Concepcion and Boston combined for 153 yards Thursday as Cleveland’s top two receivers. Concepcion provides significant juice to create after the catch, while Boston, who led all rookies in receiving yardage entering Week 4, is a legitimate big-bodied target as an X-receiver.
Watson may be playing better than expected, but he’s getting a lot of help from two talented, young pass-catchers.
Injury Derails Mason Graham’s Ascent to Superstardom
Last year’s fifth overall draft pick had been nearly unblockable during the first three weeks of play. Unfortunately, he left Thursday’s contest after getting his left leg rolled up and didn’t return.
Graham’s potential loss for any period of time will revamp Cleveland’s defensive front. With Myles Garrett no longer in the lineup, the second-year interior tackle has been a consistently disruptive presence. Maliek Collins and Mike Hall Jr. both made plays throughout the night, but Graham had performed at an elite level to start the campaign.
Any absence will also place a brighter spotlight on Jared Verse, who has yet to record a sack and failed to settle in as the squad’s defensive tone-setter.
Aaron Rodgers Needs Help From His WRs
The wide receivers’ inability to create easy throws for 42-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been common theme through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first four games. Almost everything in their passing game has been difficult to generate, because the team’s targets lack explosive traits.
Outside of DK Metcalf, whom opponents are keying to limit his options, the Steelers are searching for anyone to make a play. Pittsburgh’s offense had the same problem last season. General manager Omar Khan added veteran Michael Pittman Jr. and drafted Germie Bernard to rectify the situation. Those two produced a combined 26 yards against Cleveland.
As Sumer Sports’ Sam Bruchhaus noted after three quarters of play, the Steelers’ receivers created separation on only 14.7 percent of their routes. Rodgers is basically asked to make a perfect throw every time he drops back to pass.
RB Jaylen Warren Remains a Bright Spot
As bad as the Steelers’ passing game is at times, Pittsburgh’s running game has been impressive, particularly over the last two games.
Jaylen Warren always had spring in his step, with the ability to create after contact and produce chunk plays. The 27-year-old ball-carrier followed last weekend’s 127-yard outing with 93 against the Browns’ stingy defense. Warren averaged 5.5 yards per carry.
The Steelers couldn’t really stick to their run game, because they trailed for most of the second half. Even so, Warren should clearly be the team’s offensive focal point as the season progresses.