Sometimes games do go pretty much how you expect, and this was one of them. Low-scoring ugly, not a lot in the way of drama or excitement. But those games count too, and when they happen on Thursday, they're the ones we have to live with for the next three days until they get washed away by Sunday.
QUARTERBACKS
The fact that Drew Lock was looking like an enticing possibility at halftime of this one says a lot about how Teddy Bridgewater played. Dealing with a couple of injuries and questionable for the game, Bridgewater couldn't get much of anything going in the first half. He threw for 58 yards, with basically one good throw, which he quickly negated with an awful interception into the end zone where he apparently didn't see the safety easily coming over to do his job. Hard to say if Bridgewater was affected by injury or just having a poor game, but a pitiful first half.
Things got better after halftime, with Bridgewater patching together a couple of scoring drives by actually throwing to his main wide receivers, who he targeted just once in the entire first half. He still frustratingly dumps it off short to players just 2 yards past the line of scrimmage on 3rd and 7 and 3rd and 8 with two defenders between the receiver and the sticks, but it also looked like he might lead the team to a late win -- had his defense got the necessary stop. It didn't.
Case Keenum, as expected, didn't look like a significant downgrade from Baker Mayfield. Which is not to say he looked good, but he started out the night by hitting a couple of throws on a touchdown drive that gave Cleveland the lead it never relinquished. Details of Mayfield's shoulder injury came out that make it look really likely that Keenum will be starting for at least the next month if not longer. Somewhere it's been speculated that since the Browns haven't placed Mayfield on IR yet, they must think he can return within three games. I think it's more likely they know he'll miss more than three, so there was no rush to do so before last night's game. A fractured bone that holds his arm in place in its socket needs time to heal. My prediction: Mayfield lands on IR before the next game.
Keenum finished 21 of 33 for 199 yards, throwing his lone touchdown to fullback Johnny Stanton, who I had to look up to even figure out who he was. Why you gotta do those with D'Ernest Johnson in their lineups like that, a touchdown pass on first and goal from the 1? Anyway, he should be able to manage this offense and defense fairly well, although note that the upcoming schedule is all credible defenses (Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, New England).
RUNNING BACKS
In the single-game competition I was playing in last night, the winning lineups started both quarterbacks and all three running backs, which is understandable since those guys scored. Firstly, I hope you started D'Ernest Johnson. I have a soft rule that holds that if I actually manage to win the best waiver claim of the week (I didn't), I put that guy in my lineup right away. Johnson looked great all night and could easily have scored 3 TDs -- the 1-yard pass to a fullback, and then late in the game where Cleveland was running out the clock but could have punched in another touchdown. Johnson's play strengthened the idea that Cleveland probably should have traded Kareem Hunt before now and maybe finally will in the offseason. It also could have Cleveland willing to not rush Nick Chubb back; they can get by with Johnson for another week.
Demetric Felton had 2 runs and 3 receptions, playing about 30 percent of the snaps. Played a little more as a running back than previously, but not a huge role. Hope nobody started him. At best a third-down back; maybe he'll play more if Cleveland is trailing in one of the upcoming games.
Both of Denver's running backs scored, and both were impressive plays: Melvin Gordon diving for the end zone, Javonte Williams taking a short pass through a sea of defenders for a score. If you started either one, and I did, no complaints. Beyond the fact that they could have a really good fantasy back if they weren't splitting production right down the middle. Denver's actual running game went nowhere, but that wasn't a huge surprise, with Cleveland tough on the run and Teddy Bridgewater not challenging anyone downfield for most of the night (when he did, it ended badly more often than not).
WIDE RECEIVERS
Courtland Sutton looks really good, and I'm glad for him -- nice to see players bounce back from well from serious injuries. You've got to think that Denver is looking at its receiving corps and saying, if we can put a quarterback in place who's better than what we have, we'll have a nice offense. Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers might be available next March and Denver will/should be buyers. Sutton would have had a bigger night had he been targeted more. That also applies to Tim Patrick, who had a disappointing game but he can't throw the ball to himself. He played nearly every snap but didn't have a pass thrown his way in the first half, which doesn't seem possible. Next week Denver might have Jerry Jeudy back, and Patrick will slide back into a No. 3 role and be even less desirable. But the biggest issue is the quarterback play and the offense itself, which settled for a whole lot of short completions to running backs and tight ends last night.
Denver's No. 3 last night was Kendall Hinton, which I mention only because I see on MyFantasyLeague he's listed as a quarterback. Are these designations compiled by a robot, strictly based on where a player played his most snaps the previous season? Many times that works out OK, but everyone knows why Hinton had to play quarterback in one of his two games on the active roster a year ago, and everyone also knows it ain't gonna happen again.
There was a lot of fantasy community consternation about the absence of Donovan Peoples-Jones last night. Apparently he got hurt in pregame warmups, and the sideline didn't report it until it was too late for anyone who'd put him in a lineup to do anything about it. We ranked Peoples-Jones 72nd in PPR this week, mindful of the fact that last week's big game included a 57-yard Hail Mary; without which he would have finished with a modest 3-44-1 stat line. Plus Jarvis Landry didn't play in that one. And the Browns in general don't throw a ton to their wide receivers or at all, if they can help it. Not that people didn't have a reason to be annoyed, especially because it certainly could have been reported earlier by the media covering things. But I don't fully understand why so many people were starting the guy, especially knowing that Odell Beckham and Landry were both playing, relegating him to No. 3 status at best in a low-scoring affair.
Landry finished with the best numbers, looking pretty good on his catches. Beckham didn't, dropping one pass, slipping and falling on a red-zone target and seeming to get injured on a hard sideline play, though he returned. I don't know what to say beyond if you don't have low expectations for Browns wide receivers on a good day, you haven't been paying attention. If I could have one the rest of the way it would be Landry, and only Landry.
TIGHT ENDS
Austin Hooper opened the game with a 34-yard reception. He and David Njoku combined to catch 3 passes for 26 yards the rest of the way. That's all that really needs to be said about these players. Lesser options who will rise up with a good game once in a blue moon and then disappear for the next few weeks.
Noah Fant seems misused. He could be a red-zone target and get downfield, and instead he's catching these stupid little dumpoffs near the line of scrimmage. Does somebody connected with Denver's coaching staff recognize that 2-yard completions on 2nd and 10 and 3rd and 8 aren't good plays? If it's not on them it's on Bridgewater; whatever the case, it's empty, useless production that's painful to watch.
MISCELLANEOUS
Denver's defense looked good to start the year, but it doesn't right now. It lost its starting inside linebackers, so its early-season performance against the run is a distant memory -- teams are going to run on them a lot the rest of the way. Von Miller got hurt during last night's game; initial indications are he should play next week, but we'll see. Patrick Surtain has looked a little lost out there whenever I've seen him; not yet up to speed. Nothing scary about Denver's defense right now.
Cleveland's, in contrast, looks very good, and it's going to be good going forward -- between it and the running game, should keep the Browns competitive for a while. Not sure they hang with the Ravens, but they'll be in the mix for one of the AFC's seven playoff spots.