Meh deadlock

A tie in football, someone once said, is like kissing your sister. Thursday night's exhibition deadlock between the Browns and host Philadelphia Eagles was a little more interesting than that. 

The Browns scored their 18 points every conceivable way, posting a safety for the second straight game; Austin Watkins Jr. hauling in another touchdown pass; rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson displaying  inconsistency for the first time. in his first start; and Cade York booting three straight field goals.

York could have won the game with a fourth with two minutes left in regulation. But then he reverted to form, missing two attempts -- he gained a reprieve from the 47 (wide right) when the Eagles were flagged for an illegal formation on the first -- and was wide left with the second from the 42.

It kind of spoiled a dominating -- nearly 39 minutes of ball control -- and yet frustrating all-round effort on both sides of the football from those battling to make the final 53-man roster. The final definitely does not reflect how dominant this one was.

From the outset, it became obvious head coach Kevin Stefanski wanted to see if DRT could handle a heavy passing load. He called 30 passes in the first 44 plays in the first 30 minutes and the young kid was not the sharp quarterback of the first two meaningless games.

He threaded the needle several times to Watkins, but completed only 13 of his 25 throws for 164 yards. The closest he came to the end zone was the opening possession, which was aborted when running back John Kelly Jr. was stripped of the ball at the Eagles' two.

The poise was there, though. He did not panic when cornered, frequently escaping just when it seemed he would be sacked. He even threw a key block on a late first-quarter 11-yard run by Demetric Felton Jr., but overzealously delivered a second at the tailend of the play and was nailed for an illegal blind-side block.

You've got to admire his willingness to do anything to help a play succeed, but I wouldn't be surprised if Stefanski strongly suggests he stick to running and throwing the football. Remember what happened when Baker Mayfield attempted a tackle after a pick a couple of years ago?

Yep, it was the beginning of the end for him in Cleveland and turned him into a professional football vagabond at a very young age.  

Stefanski dialed Watkins' number eight more times after a six-target first half. It included a spectacular one-hand grab and a juggling reception on a 32-yard scoring hookup with Kellen Mond in the third quarter. He finished the evening with seven catches for 139 yards.

Considering what he has done in three games, I'll be stunned if the Browns release Watkins. He's the kind of playmaker this club needs. Granted he's doing this against backups, but no one else is. He has clearly played his way onto this roster.

The swarming and very active Cleveland defense, meanwhile, limited the Eagles to just 27 plays and 102 yards in the first 30 minutes, making life miserable for veteran Marcus Mariota, creating two turnovers along the way, including another Ronnie Hickman Jr. interception. 

A strong eight-tackle (seven solo) effort by outside linebacker Mohamoud Diabate in just a little over a half surely had to catch Jim Schwartz's attention. The 6-3, 225-pounder was seemingly all over the field, making play after play.

Midway through the second quarter, Diabate alertly punched the football out of hands of Eagles running back Trey Sermon deep in Philadelphia territory, setting up York's second field goal en route to an 8-3 halftime lead.

Also catching Schwartz's attention were the six sacks as the pass rush relentlessly hammered Mariota and backup Tanner McKee, seemingly coming from every direction on the field. They were spread among seven players, just two with a chance of sticking around.

McKee revived the Eagles' offense in the second half against the Browns' third stringers hoping to catch the eye of scouts from other teams around the National Football League. Sermon popped a 33-yard scoring dash up the middle to give the Eagles a 10-8 lead on the first series of the second half.

The Mond-Watkins connection regained the lead two series later and York made it an eight-point game in the opening moment of the fourth quarter with field goal number three. McKee knotted it with six minutes left, hooking up with Brady Russell from 22 yards, adding a successful two-point try.

Two ways of looking at York so far: He is getting better. Three in a row definitely substantiates that. But  he lacks the clutch gene so important to those who aspire to be among the best. In the land of woulda, coulda and shoulda, York didn't.