Monday leftovers

Well, I guess a very good defense does not always stop a very good -- but sometimes inconsistent -- offense. The Browns certainly proved that Sunday against the not-very-stout Indianapolis Colts defense. At least in the first half.

After pounding the daylights out of the Colts in the first 30 minutes, the Cleveland offense took up residence in what can be generously called a retreat. They became relatively silent relatively quickly, hanging on to -- and threatening to blow  -- a comfortable 17-point lead.

Fortunately, the banged-up defense rose when the offense needed a bailout. Two members of the secondary, heretofore not mentioned as much more than window dressing, stepped up and provided the necessary lift after head coach Kevin Stefanski seemingly forgot how to call plays in the final 30 minutes.

(More about them later.)

Stefanski admitted as much after the 32-23 victory Sunday. "I think I can do a much better job as a playcaller," he said. "There are some calls I really want back." Hmmmm. Where have we heard that before?

Wanting back plays that don't work is a weak excuse many coaches lean on, giving the impression they are self effacing when it comes to second-guessing. Sort of shifting the blame away from the players. Of course Stefanski wanted them back. For all we know, at least a few of them might have been among those he called in the successful first half.

Theoretically, all play calls are designed to work. They certainly aren't designed to fail. The difference lies in the execution. Run plays correctly and the outcome a vast majority of the time is positive. Improper execution is what causes coaches to look stupid.

If the gadget play in Dallas a week ago when Jarvis Landry hooked up with Odell Beckham Jr. had  resulted in an interception instead of a touchdown, would that have qualified as a play Stefanski wanted back? Of course not. Execution.

He was the same playcaller whose unit put up only six first downs, 101 total yards and 15 net yards passing by Baker Mayfield (1-for-8) in the second half. Stefanski took his foot off the pedal when the Browns opened up the 27-10 lead early in the second half.

Rather than keep the pressure on the Colts defense, he resorted to a chains-moving, clock-burning, ground-churning offense minus its best running back. Nick Chubb and his torn MCL could only watch on the sidelines while Kareem Hunt and D/Ernest Johnson ran the football 21 times in 29 plays. The upside there are the 86 yards gained after running for only 38 yards in the first half. 

But it was the defense that saved that game, notably a pair of safeties whose contributions this season were less than minimal. Ronnie Harrison was obtained from the Jacksonville Jaguars for a fifth-round draft next year 10 days before the season opener. Sheldrick Redwine was a fourth-round selection in the 2019 college draft. Both entered the game stale.

Their names were on the lips of just about every Browns fan after the game for their valuable contributions. Each picked off a Philip Rivers pass. Harrison, filling in for injured strong safety Karl Joseph, turned his theft into a 47-yard pick six a half dozen plays into the second half. He left after being concussed after 37 snaps.

That brought on Redwine, who started five games last season as a rookie but was shunted to the bottom of the roster and full-time special teams duty this season. Not good enough apparently to play from scrimmage. After more than 80 snaps on special teams duty, Redwine finally got his chance.

He replaced Harrison late in the third quarter and played 19 snaps. On snap No. 7, he stepped in front of Colts tight end Mo Alie-Cox and pilfered the pigskin (sorry, I couldn't help myself) to end a threat. Sort of makes you wonder why he isn't getting more reps. If Harrison's concussion lingers, Redwine might get the opportunity to show more next Sunday in Pittsburgh.

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Two other contributors last season relegated to the bench, one a starter, also came through against the Colts. 

Offensive lineman Chris Hubbard, who resembled a turnstile in pass protection last season at right tackle, chose to remain with the Browns as a utility lineman this season. He is far better at guard and proved it Sunday with a solid performance after right guard Wyatt Teller went down with a calf injury on the Browns' second possession of the game.

Playing between right tackle Jack Conklin and center JC Tretter didn't hurt, but Hubbard was stout protecting Mayfield and opened holes, mostly in the second half when he teamed with fellow guard Joel Bitonio in the ground game. 

Rashard Higgins, one of Mayfield's favorite targets in his rookie season, fell out of favor last season under Freddie Kitchens and virtually disappeared. And then he lost the third wide receiver job this season to KhaDarel Hodge. The coaches loved him, though, and he patiently awaited his chance.

It arrived when a hamstring injury landed Hodge on injured reserve last week. The fifth-year pro paid immediate dividends as he and Mayfield renewed acquaintances.

On the ninth play of the possession following the Colts tying the game at 10-10 in the second quarter, Higgins ran a perfect seam route and Mayfield found him with a 15-yard scoring strike that put the Browns ahead for good.

It was an afternoon when the bottom part of the roster played like they belonged a lot higher. It had to give comfort to Stefanski and his staff that the depth on this team should not be worrisome from here on out.

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It went completely unnoticed. The following statistic is almost unbelievable. But there it was on the final stats sheet against the Colts. 

The Browns committed only two penalties all afternoon. Yep, two. Both were on the defense and both were called in the first half. In other words, the Browns played cleanly on both sides of the football for the entire second half. Told you it was unbelievable.

Cornerback Terrance Mitchell held Indy wide receiver T. Y. Hilton on the first play of the Colts' second possession of the game and defensive end Olivier Vernon was offsides two possessions later. That's it.

Why is that so important and unbelievable? First of all, it signifies the players are paying attention to the discipline message Stefanski and his staff pound home. Why unbelievable? A positive stat like that isn't usually associated with the Browns.

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The Browns had 11 head coaches (all but two full-time) in their first 50 seasons, including just two in the first 25. In the last 22 seasons, including this one, they have had 12 head coaches, full-time and interim. That's 12 coaches in 22 seasons. No wonder this team has been the laughingstock of the NFL for almost a generation.

Since Chris Palmer was hired as the head coach of the expansion Browns back in 1999, no head coach since has accomplished what Stefanski has in such a short period of time. Five games into a season beset by a global pandemic that has affected the manner in which teams prepare for the season, Stefanski in the early going has emerged as somewhat of a miracle worker.

No one saw four straight victories after an opening-gane embarrassment. Of course, it wasn't against a tough schedule, but considering the new Browns lost many games to a lot of bad football teams since 1999. that doesn't matter. A victory is a victory and Stefanski's name is on four of them after five games. 

That sure makes the rest of the schedule that much more appealing to the fans as the Browns take aim at becoming the NFL's surprise team this season.

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Finally . . . Cody Parkey hasn't missed a kick yet since taking over for Austin Seibert, who was cut after  after the first game, although he came close on the clinching field goal against the Colts when his 46-yarder kissed off the left upright and scooted over the crossbar. He is perfect on 17 extra points and seven field-goal attempts. . . . Outside linebacker Sione Takitaki played only 15 snaps against Indianapolis, but had seven tackles, five solo. . . . Free safety Andrew Sendejo is the only Brown to play every snap on defense with 353. Mitchell, filling in for the oft-injured Greedy Williams, trails Sendejo by one, missing the one snap in game two against Cincinnati. The Browns finally put Williams (shoulder) on injured reserve. . . .  Since scoring only six points in the season opener, the Browns have put 150 points on the board, including four straight games of more than 30 points. . . . Mayfield emerged with bruised ribs late in the Colts game and probably will wear a flak jacket against Pittsburgh Sunday.