Browns vs. Eagles notes and standout players!
The second week of the preseason kicked off with the Browns taking on the Eagles. It was an interesting game, as it ended 18-18. There are numerous advantages for both parties. Let’s take a look at what I noticed about the Browns.
Positives:
DTR. Surprised? I assume you’re not by now. DTR has been killing it so far through his three preseason games played. Against a deep Eagles defense, despite mostly backups playing, he looked good yet again. DTR passed for 164 yards on 13/25 passing, while rushing four times for 18 yards. He is very elusive both in and out of the pocket, and his accuracy has been on point. QB2 incoming!
Austin Watkins exploded. That is the only way I can put it. He had an impressive outing last week, and he looked even better this week. This guy, to me, has earned himself a roster spot. Get rid of Schwartz (which should’ve been done long ago) and keep Watkins. Watkins is tall, has a wide catch radius, and fights for the ball. He grabbed seven receptions for 139 yards and one TD. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying he’s going to be a breakout star in the NFL because he’s playing this well in the preseason. But as a rotational WR, a guy lower down on the depth chart with this much potential? I love it.
Ronnie Hickman is another guy coming on really strong early this preseason. He’s snagged three INTs already and has been solid in coverage.
Lastly, let’s talk about Dawand Jones. The big RT out of Ohio State has quietly been one of the best players in the NFL during this preseason. He’s given up 0 sacks, only 2 pressures, and has folded multiple defenders… All this while playing a very large portion of the snaps. He had a good battle yesterday against Nolan Jones, but I’d say ultimately Dawand handled himself more than well and handled business as usual, as you can see by his miniscule 2 pressures allowed over the course of 100+ preseason snaps.
All stats provided courtesy of NFL.com
John Zimmerman
