Browns continue to find ways, and players, to fight through adversity | Takeaways
BALTIMORE — The Browns have won multiple games by absolutely suffocating the life out of opponents with their defense. They've lost a game in which the difference proved to be two defensive touchdowns by the opponent.
They've won a game in which they survived an opponent's last-second field goal try, and won one when they scored a fourth-down touchdown with 15 seconds left. They've also lost one when they had a third-down pass bounce off a defender's head for an interception.
The topper may have come Sunday, when they went into a stadium where they have had almost no consistent success and came away with a 33-31 win over the Baltimore Ravens. It was game in which they only led once, at the very end when Dustin Hopkins kicked a game-winning 40-yard field goal as time expired.
The Browns have seemingly had a season's worth of ups-and-down. Yet, at 6-3, they only just crossed the midpoint of the season.
"Sometimes that's how the cookie crumbles early on in the game," Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper said. "Good teams find a way to fight back through all types of adversity. It's easy to say, 'Oh, imagine if we didn't have the first half that we had.' It's easy to say that, but we did, you know what I mean?
"What's more important is the reality of us going out there, fighting back, and finding a way to scratch and claw and get the W."
This, however, wasn't any ordinary win. That's before you actually dive into the actual specifics of the game.
The Browns were playing in Baltimore, which would be a virtual house of horrors if not for the existence of Pittsburgh. Sunday's win was just their sixth in the Ravens' home since 1999, and just their third since 2007.
The win also pushed them a tad closer to first place in the AFC North, just a half-game behind the 7-3 Ravens. The Browns are tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for second place, and the Steelers just happen to be coming to Cleveland next Sunday.
Browns division standings: AFC North gets tighter as Ravens, Bengals lose
Which is why the Browns are trying to temper the celebration.
"I am not going to fall in the trap of saying we're going to win the f****** Super Bowl, man," right guard Wyatt Teller said. "We won one game in November. We got to win a lot more. That being said, it was a big win and I'm thankful for that. But it's one win. You're not going to carry it on to next week.
"We got to win next week and we got to be able to continually go 1-0 if we're that team."
The Browns certainly showed they're capable of being "that team" with Sunday's win. That's because of the emphasis on the word "team" and how they found contributions throughout the roster to beat the Ravens.
That's where the takeaways from the game begin.
Geron Christian, James Hudson III give offensive line a lift at tackles
The Browns were at severe tackle shortage going into the game. With starting tackles Jedrick Wills Jr. and Dawand Jones both injured to certain degrees, they found themselves going with a hope and a prayer.
James Hudson III was a hope, and Geron Christian was a prayer. Both, it turned out, answered well enough.
"We talked all year about being resilient, no matter what the circumstances are," All-Pro left guard Joel Bitonio said. "We had a couple backup tackles, a guy we just picked up, G (Christian), James, they both stepped up and played big. And no one ever gave up."
Hudson was no stranger to these circumstances. The third-year pro was a fourth-round draft pick who has been thrown into the mix fairly regularly.
In this instance, lining up at right tackle required Hudson to go against Ravens outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney, who did get two sacks in the game.
"In my eyes, I feel like this is what I was brought here to do," Hudson said "This is my role on the team. One of those guys goes down, I have to be that guy to step in and we don't miss a beat. Coaches did a great job of preparing me, and I just went out there and just played with effort."
Christian was signed to the Browns practice squad on the final day of October. He was signed to the active roster last Tuesday.
The sixth-year pro, though, didn't let the whirlwind experience overwhelm him. Odafe Oweh did get a sack against him, but that was about all.
"Just take advantage of the opportunity," Christian said. "I mean, I've been waiting to get back on the team, so I finally got the chance. So it's just maximize the situation."
Meet Jordan Elliott, possibly Justin Tucker's kryptonite?
Browns defensive tackle Jordan Elliott is in his fourth season in the league. If there's one thing for which he's certainly made a name for himself, it's blocking field goals.
Specifically, it's blocking field goals attempted by Baltimore's Justin Tucker, arguably the best kicker in the history of the game.
Elliott blocked one of Tucker's kicks during a Week 15 win over the Ravens last season in Cleveland. On that block, he was aided by two Ravens linemen who seemed to almost pick him up.
On Sunday, he got in the act again. This time, Elliott blocked a 55-yard try by Tucker with 2:27 remaining in the second quarter. Teammate Anthony Walker Jr. picked up the loose ball and returned it to the Ravens 38.
"Firstly, it was really a team effort because Dalvin (Tomlinson) and Shelby (Harris), they helped me swim through the — you know what I'm saying? — through the gap or whatever," Elliott said. "When I got through that I was like, 'Yeah, it's over with.' I just put my hands up and blocked it. It was a big play.
"At the time, I didn't realize it would be a big play like this, though. I had one against them last year, so, I mean, it's kind of cool."
Tucker has missed, blocked or not, 42 field goal in his career dating back to 2012.
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns finding new ways to fight through adversity: Takeaways
