Monday leftovers

For those disappointed in Jacoby Brissett's performance in Sunday's nail-biting victory over the Carolina Panthers, deal with it. What you saw is what you are going to get for the next 10 games.

Brissett is a very average talent placed in the difficult position of guiding an offense that is arguably one of the strongest in the National Football League, one that requires a quarterback who can deliver the football on time and on target.

Brissett is not that quarterback. He is a game manager leading an explosive team, ill-equipped to maximize all that talent. At his best, he is a mediocre talent. Browns fans are stuck with him. General Manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski have made that quite clear. Not the stuck part.

The quality of Brissett's passing in the victory Sunday came into question when he turned what should have been a rout into a drama-filled contest in the second half. He clearly missed at least three wide-open receivers with poor throws.

His most egregious throw, though, was a wounded duck to wide receiver Amari Cooper in the Panthers' end zone early in the second quarter of a scoreless game. Cooper sneaked behind cornerback CJ Henderson, but Brissett delivered the ball late, floating it instead into the arms of safety Xavier Woods.

Henderson bailed him out by amusingly dragging Cooper to the ground, drawing a bouquet of yellow flags and wiping out the pick. Brissett connected with Kareem Hunt on a much easier throw from a yard out on the next play for the first touchdown of the afternoon.

Brissett has been a 60% passer throughout his entire career in college and the NFL. For the unwashed, that's a number that usually rewards the owner with a clipboard, headphones and a seat on the bench next to the starting quarterback when the opposition has the ball.

It sure appeared as though he was not executing the game plan Stefanski was calling. He completed just 53% of his passes (for a measly 147 yards) against a Panthers secondary that doesn't frighten many teams. Leaving points on the field didn't hurt this time, due mainly to a 58-yard field goal by a rookie kicker that rescued his hind flanks.

The same can't be said about the other 10 games he'll shepherd this offense through while Deshaun Watson serves out his suspension. You can also count on defensive coordinators who will face him during that time have taken note of how easy he is to game plan against.

It will be interesting to watch -- and try to figure out -- how Stefanski maneuvers his way through the next 10 games, adjusting his gameplans to maximize what he can get out of Brissett. Hint: He needs to call more screen passes and misdirection plays.

***

One of the main reasons, maybe the main reason, the offense booked a turnover-free afternoon was the performance of the line. When I saw Jack Conklin's name on the inactive list for the game, all kinds of nasty thoughts coursed through my mind. And when I saw James Hudson III would start at right tackle, I was overcome by pending doom in the passing game.

The biggest surprise of the afternoon not related to the kicking game was how strong and resolute the plug uglies up front were in both phases of the game. Brissett was sacked only once in 38 dropbacks. And that was on a well-designed blitz by linebacker Damien Wilson midway through the second quarter.

Center Ethan Pocic, guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller and tackles Jedrick Wills Jr and Hudson played all 80 snaps about as flawlessly as you can shy of perfection. The running game thrived with Nick Chubb churning out 141 yards on 22 carries and Hunt adding 46 more in addition to 24 yards receiving and both touchdowns.

Conklin was a game-time decision, a case of the club being very careful not to bring the All-Pro back too soon from major surgery. Hudson had a lot of help, though, with tight ends David Njoku and Harrison Bryant frequently lining up just outside the second-year pro.

Wills seems to have gotten a little quicker off the snap and stronger at the point of attack, while Pocic appeared comfortable making line calls and not once delivering anything that resembled a bad snap from the shotgun.

***

Blown coverages are killers and drive defensive coordinators crazy. Head coaches, too. You can include Joe Woods and Stefanski in that group after that malady almost cost the Browns the season opener.

The secondary, which otherwise played well against the Panthers, blew two coverages that took a pleasant afternoon and turned into an incipient nightmare. Thus far, no explanation has emerged from 76 Lou Groza Blvd in Berea.

Without pointing fingers of guilt at any player, only because we have no idea what defense was called at the time, here's what I saw in the television tape of the game on CBS-TV.

On the first late in the second quarter with the Panthers struggling mightily to solve the Cleveland defense, Mayfield connected with wide open tight end Ian Smith on a 50-yard play that led to a touchdown.

Smith lined up split a few yards from offensive left tackle Ikem Okwonu at the Carolina 48 on first down. He began his seam route running straight ahead between strong safety Grant Delpit, lined up in the box, and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Both ignored him. 

Free safety John Johnson III was lined up about 20 yards deep on the opposite side of the Carolina formation as Smith, maybe to help Denzel Ward in the event he needed over-the-top help.  No other defender in sight.

Mayfield spotted Smith immediately and delivered a perfect strike in stride as the tight end ran toward the Cleveland goal line. Johnson had to run all the way across the field to push Smith out of bounds at the Browns two. Christian McCaffrey scored two plays later and the Panthers were back in the game.

Someone blew an assignment. Delpit and JOK are the only suspects. Or maybe Johnson lined up on the wrong side. I guess we'll never know.

On the second, a 75-yard scoring dart from Mayfield to Robbie Anderson on the first play after the Browns took a 23-14 lead with 6:13 left in regulation, Delpit again was in the vicinity of the deep post move.

This time, Anderson was flanked left and began his route by curling around Greg Newsome II and cut between the cornerback and Delpit at around the Carolina 40. Newsome did not pick him up, indicating it was some sort of zone defense. 

Mayfield again hit the receiver perfectly in full stride while Delpit, who appeared go be looking back for help, could only spread his arms wide wondering what the hell just happened. Someone blew the assignment. In this case, it was either Delpit or Newsome.

***

Based solely on the statistics from the opener, it would appear Brissett's favorite target by far is wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, who was targeted 11 times. He caught six for only 60 yards, but several were of the clutch variety on third down. Because of his inconsistency from game to game over the last two seasons, that means DPJ will be a non-factor in Sunday's home opener against the New York Jets.

Cooper, the acknowledged WR1, was targeted just six times, grabbing half of them for -- this is not a typo -- 17 yards. The last nine of those yards were much more important than the other eight. The short Brissett-Cooper connection in the final 30 seconds of regulation placed the football at the Carolina 40-yard line.

And you know who then did you know what from there to light up a football community as no one has since Mayfield led the Browns to the postseason for the first time in nearly two decades.