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CLEVELAND, Ohio – Scribbles in my Browns halftime diary with the score of 14-14 against Houston.
1. When Baker Mayfield threw an interception in the second quarter, it looks like rookie wide receiver Anthony Schwartz messed up his route. It came out this way during the replay, and it was also clear that coach Kevin Stefanski had a few direct words with Auburn’s third round after the play.
2. Jarvis Landry started early with a knee injury and was out for the remainder of the game. No details of the injury were available. It was a shaky first half for the young receivers. In addition to Schwartz’s interception error, Donovan Peoples-Jones caught a 14-yard pass, was hit hard and lost a fumble.
3. The Browns spreaders caught just three passes in the half. Landry was injured on a nine-yard strike. Peoples-Jones had a fumble from 14 yards. Rashard Higgins caught a 14-yard pass.
4. The defense looked confused for much of the first half against Houston, especially in the face of some of the misdirection and knockoffs unleashed by QB Tyrod Taylor. Taylor, 32, was doing his best to emulate Lamar Jackson, throwing running and throwing off the defense.
5. The Browns’ 2018 opening day QB, Taylor was 10 for 11 for 125 yards. He ran for a 15-yard touchdown and threw a 22-yard touchdown screen pass for Phillip Lindsay. The pass to Lindsay stunned the defense with the wrong direction and was wide open.
6. The Browns’ first touchdown was scored by … Andy Janovich? Yes, a rear on a run of one meter. Janovich only had two races all last season.
7. The fans were in their seats early and were making noise when Houston got the ball. During this time, they were silent when the Browns were on offense. Fans have proven they can get coached by Stefanski, who has asked the local crowd to do just that.
8. The defense was still playing much of the soft cover used in KC Houston’s best receiver is Brandin Cooks, who was typically covered by Denzel Ward. But Ward was playing about eight yards away from him. The Cooks easily caught two passes for 18 yards in the first quarter.
9. Mayfield was 11 of 13 for 125 yards. He also ran for a 5-yard touchdown. He was sometimes under pressure, dismissed twice. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt combined to carry the ball 13 times for 72 yards.
10. Mayfield was effective in throwing towards the tight ends. David Njoku, Austin Hooper and Harrison Bryant combined to catch seven of eight passes for 85 yards. It seemed they were still open.
11. Taylor did not play in the second half due to a hamstring injury.
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