{"id":407143,"date":"2025-09-29T20:51:15","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T20:51:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/407143\/"},"modified":"2025-09-29T20:51:15","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T20:51:15","slug":"winners-and-losers-from-the-browns-34-10-loss-to-the-lions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/407143\/","title":{"rendered":"Winners and losers from the Browns\u2019 34-10 loss to the Lions"},"content":{"rendered":"

DETROIT \u2014 The Browns<\/a> suffered a 34-10 loss to the Lions<\/a> on Sunday, but that\u2019s just what the scoreboard said. <\/p>\n

Here are the real winners and losers from the game:<\/p>\n

Loser: Facing reality<\/p>\n

Ever had ribs drowning in barbecue sauce to cover the bland taste? That\u2019s how Cleveland\u2019s Week 3 win over Green Bay felt. <\/p>\n

Cleveland\u2019s defense covered up quarterback Joe Flacco\u2019s underwhelming play, and that only lasts for so long until you have to face reality. <\/p>\n

Flacco\u2019s performance in the Week 4 loss to Detroit reminded us of the reality that he isn\u2019t best fit to lead this team to wins. <\/p>\n

Along with 184 yards on a 47.1% completion rate, Flacco accounted for all of the team\u2019s three turnovers: two first-half interceptions and one fumble. <\/p>\n

Half of Detroit\u2019s 34 points came off of these giveaways.<\/p>\n

A miscue with Cedric Tillman led to a pass toward no-man\u2019s land, resulting in his first interception<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Early in the second quarter, Flacco had an open Dylan Sampson to his left for a possible swing pass, but was sacked by Aidan Hutchinson<\/a> for a loss of six yards.<\/p>\n

One can become fatigued pointing out the turnover bug that\u2019s led the Browns to leading the NFL in both interceptions and giveaways the last two seasons.<\/p>\n

After Sunday\u2019s conclusion, they\u2019re in a four-way tie for first place in that category (eight), six of which are Flacco\u2019s interceptions.<\/p>\n

And for those who still miss the franchise\u2019s previous prodigal son, Flacco\u2019s six picks are the most by a Browns quarterback through a season\u2019s opening four games since Baker Mayfield, per ESPN Research<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to watch the 40-year-old endure struggles in the orange and brown. <\/p>\n

Jobs are on the line, yet Kevin Stefanski elects to continue with Flacco, who hasn\u2019t started a full first half of the season since 2019.<\/p>\n

And this is happening during a similar stretch to last season. <\/p>\n

The 2024 Browns were 2-7 ahead of their Week 10 bye. At this rate ahead of their Week 9 bye, they might match that win total. <\/p>\n

Winner: John Morton <\/p>\n

Going into Sunday, Lions offensive coordinator John Morton had a lot of good to say about Cleveland\u2019s defense.<\/p>\n

However, 11 words shined among the rest of his quotes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think they\u2019ve seen a run game like ours yet,\u201d Morton said on Thursday.<\/p>\n

That was in reference to Detroit\u2019s run game, which entered Sunday fourth in rushing yards (149.0). While Cleveland\u2019s defense\u2019s ranked first in rushing yards allowed (57.3).<\/p>\n

Jim Schwartz didn\u2019t play into it, but Myles Garrett added a little something.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Morton) hasn\u2019t seen a defensive front like ours,\u201d Garrett said last week. \u201cWe have to be the ones to put it into action and so we have to meet and see who\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the end, Morton stood corrected.<\/p>\n

Detroit\u2019s run game (109 yards) outdid Cleveland\u2019s rushing performance (79 yards).<\/p>\n

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs finished with 91 yards on 15 carries (6.1 per carry) and scored Detroit\u2019s first touchdown<\/a>, while single-handedly outrushing Cleveland\u2019s run game (79 yards).<\/p>\n

Cleveland\u2019s run defense is better than that.<\/p>\n

But on Sunday, they were bested.<\/p>\n

Winner: Denzel Ward\u2019s word<\/p>\n

A big highlight from the Week 3 win was Grant Delpit\u2019s pivotal interception.<\/p>\n

Denzel Ward was asked about this during the week, stating Delpit cracked the seal for them in terms of takeaways, but how he also wanted to add to that.<\/p>\n

\u201c(I\u2019m) hoping that I\u2019m that number two guy to get (an) interception. I got to catch Grant now, so I\u2019m looking forward to it,\u201d Ward said on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Ward manifested that Sunday.<\/p>\n

Jared Goff\u2019s pass was intended for Jameson Williams, but didn\u2019t have enough air under it.<\/p>\n

Ward was in the right place at the right time, and picked it off. <\/p>\n

This Browns defense finished 2024 with the fewest interceptions (four), and Ward had two of them.<\/p>\n

Through the first four weeks of this season, they\u2019ve already recorded half of last year\u2019s total.<\/p>\n

Loser: Browns pass rush<\/p>\n

For as good as the Browns defense was through Week 3, they were unable to sack quarterback Jared Goff.<\/p>\n

Not even half a sack. <\/p>\n

However, they\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n

Both Chicago and Baltimore were unable to sack Goff in Weeks 2-3.<\/p>\n

Goff\u2019s been sacked four times this season, all coming in the season opening loss to Green Bay.<\/p>\n

His Detroit offensive line, transitioning from the offseason retirement of All-Pro center Frank Ragnow, locked in after Week 1 and kept Goff untouched.<\/p>\n

To the Browns\u2019 detriment, it helped keep them on the losing side.<\/p>\n

Winner: Winning the 4th-down battle<\/p>\n

Sometimes, you got to find the little wins in the haystack.<\/p>\n

Stefanski and Dan Campbell are two of the most aggressive coaches when it comes to going for it on fourth down. Cleveland led the NFL in fourth-down conversions in 2024 (24), while Detroit wasn\u2019t far behind and ranked third (22), per StatMuse<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, both teams attempted one fourth down and ended with different results.<\/p>\n

Cleveland\u2019s fourth-down conversion came during its opening series, and overlapped with being the team\u2019s only touchdown on the day.<\/p>\n

They were on the 1-yard line with a fresh set of downs after a defensive penalty on Detroit. Despite this, Detroit\u2019s defense nearly pulled off a goal-line stand, after stopping a Quinshon Judkins\u2019 run and back-to-back Flacco quarterback sneaks.<\/p>\n

For Judkins to score on the fourth-and-goal, the Browns utilized Adin Huntington as the fullback, and motioned Harold Fannin Jr. around to block Alex Anzalone.<\/p>\n

As for Detroit, which entered Sunday with a league-high seven fourth-down conversions, it didn\u2019t convert its only attempt.<\/p>\n

It was the final play of the Lions\u2019 first series of the fourth quarter. <\/p>\n

Approaching a fourth-and-2, Goff faked a handoff to Jameson Williams coming off the pre-snap motion, before pitching it to Gibbs who ran right end.<\/p>\n

The Browns\u2019 defense did the best they could to get to Gibbs, and kept him to a 1-yard gain and a turnover on downs. <\/p>\n

Take that for the data.<\/p>\n

Loser: Protection unit <\/p>\n

Continuing from the previous section, Detroit didn\u2019t convert their fourth-down attempt and it resulted in a turnover.<\/p>\n

Cleveland\u2019s offense didn\u2019t capitalize off the turnover either and was forced to punt after three plays.<\/p>\n

Then came Kalif Raymond.<\/p>\n

The nine-year veteran stuck a fork in Cleveland in the early part of the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n

Corey Bojorquez\u2019s lower-than-usual punt was caught by Raymond near the sideline. He pulled a couple jukes, then ran northwest from his original position to the end zone for the 65-yard score to put the Lions up 27-10.<\/p>\n

Not only did Raymond bring Ford Field to its feet, but through a pool of 64,494 fans, he searched his wife, Julia Baker.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was out, I was like, \u2018Where\u2019s my wife? Where is she?\u2019 But all I see is her,\u201d Raymond said.<\/p>\n

Raymond celebrated with his teammates, then went into the stands to give the ball and a kiss to Baker, who\u2019s pregnant with their child<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve always kind of wanted to have a moment to ourselves and as soon as I was out I was like,\u201d Raymond said. \u201c(Baker\u2019s) got a bun in the oven right now so to see them too, I was in one place at that time. I just texted her like, \u2018Hey, all three of us were there for that moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for Cleveland\u2019s protection unit, it\u2019s not a good look.<\/p>\n

It gave up the second-most punt return yards<\/a> (530) in 2024, and were the only unit in the NFL to allow both a kickoff and return touchdown.<\/p>\n

Raymond is a well-known threat to opposing protection units, leading the NFL last year in total punt return yards (413), ranking third in average yards (13.8), and earning one touchdown.<\/p>\n

Raymond ran diagonal, but pretty much ran a straight line from where he caught the ball.<\/p>\n

Do better. <\/p>\n

Loser: Allowing a 2k gamer to dominate <\/p>\n

A popular feature in the video game NBA 2K26 allows you to play in the \u201cMyPark\u201d mode online. You get to use players you\u2019ve unlocked and rack up wins in a pick-up game environment. <\/p>\n

In the early hours of Sunday, however, a 2k player noticed Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown\u2019s user online around 4:30 in the morning, and had to capture the moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This is six and a half hours before the Lions-Browns 1 p.m. kickoff.<\/p>\n

The video went viral and people added commentary to the All-Pro wideout getting caught playing online ahead of the sunrise.<\/p>\n

Well, St. Brown must be a vampire.<\/p>\n

Because Cleveland allowed him to achieve the best stat line of all receivers on Sunday, catching all seven targets for 70 yards and two touchdowns. <\/p>\n

St. Brown was wide open for his first touchdown<\/a> thanks to Cleveland\u2019s busted coverage. His speed was displayed during his second touchdown<\/a>, and despite being inches near him, neither Myles Harden nor Alex Wright could catch him.<\/p>\n

St. Brown\u2019s performance put him in a small club with franchise standouts Calvin Johnson and Leonard Thompson<\/a>, as the only Lions to record five or more touchdown receptions through a season\u2019s first four games.<\/p>\n

And after the blowout win? <\/p>\n

He took to his Instagram story<\/a> to joke about his time on 2k: \u201cCan finally get back on 2k now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Football Insider newsletter free trial: Take a minute and sign up for a free trial<\/a> of our Football Insider newsletter, featuring exclusive content from cleveland.com’s Browns reporters.<\/p>\n

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