CLEVELAND, Ohio — When Jameis Winston dropped back to pass six weeks ago, the future looked bleak. Forget this season, during which hope died long before Deshaun Watson tore his Achilles during a Week 7 loss against the Bengals. And think bigger than quarterback, where the Browns have more salary cap questions than on-field answers for the foreseeable future.
Before Winston threw a pass, we didn’t even know if his teammates could catch one reliably.
Not-so-fun fact: The Browns lead the NFL in dropped passes (33) through 14 weeks, a stat you may have overlooked since Jerry Jeudy became the NFL’s hottest receiver, Elijah Moore began the best stretch of his career and Cedric Tillman started moving NFL first-down markers for the first time.
Back when Cleveland couldn’t muster 200 passing yards, every completion seemed difficult, so every drop hurt deep. But when the Browns drop a pass now, as they’ve done 11 times since Watson got hurt, no sweat.
Thanks to Winston — and Cleveland’s Amari Cooper trade — we know they’ll catch another one.
Disregard your priors concerning Jeudy, who tallied just 21 catches for 266 yards (646-yard pace) and one touchdown in his first seven games as a Brown. Overpaid? Take his 38 catches for 678 yards over the last six games to the bank. Double check his 1,921-yard pace since Winston became his quarterback (it’s real). Then count the 26 (!) receivers who earn more money per season, and thank the Denver Broncos, plus Jeudy’s agent, for the sweet offseason discounts.
Moore’s contract year started sour with 22 catches, 136 yards and zero touchdowns through seven weeks. No negotiation necessary. But since Winston started throwing, Moore is making plays (31 catches, 345 yards, one touchdown) at a 977.5-yard pace. He’s producing as many 60-yard games (three) since Oct. 27 as he did during his first 24 Browns games. And he’s building a stronger financial case for himself in the process.
Tillman? Browns fans had barely heard from him before Cleveland changed quarterbacks this season. The former 74th overall pick averaged 14.9 yards per game (21 games) entering Winston’s first start. In four games since — Tillman missed two with injury — the second-year receiver has 18 catches for 249 yards (13.8 per catch) and all three of his career touchdowns.
Two months ago, Tillman’s NFL future felt uncertain. Now, with two years left on a cheap rookie contract, I can’t picture Cleveland’s without him.
Sorry. I’m sure the f-word causes angst among fans of a 3-10 franchise with no feasible quarterback plan. When Winston drops back to pass now, you still don’t see a path to contention or a long-term solution to Cleveland’s mess under center. Honestly, you can’t even predict which team will catch the ball. But at least you can spot the pieces of the next dynamic Browns passing attack.
Sign a top-flight receiver to a reasonable contract (Jeudy), give a top-75 pick space to prove his potential (Tillman), then add a slot receiver hungry to fight for his next contract (Moore), and what do you get?
We didn’t know until Winston threw a pass.
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