CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Browns put on another defensive show on Sunday as they shut down the Titans in a 27-3 rout at Cleveland Browns Stadium. But there was more going on in Week 3 in the NFL than the matchup in Cleveland.
Every week, we’ll go through the biggest storylines and examine potential narratives from around the NFL.
To help us examine these storylines and narratives, we’re following in the footsteps of the 1990s show, “Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction,” which you may know better from the memes of host Jonathan Frakes.
Just like Frakes, we will decide every week whether several of the top storylines from around the league are fact or fiction. Here are this week’s seven biggest storylines.
Recommended Browns stories
- Deshaun Watson and Myles Garrett come up big as Browns rout Titans, 27-3, to improve to 2-1
- Browns fans, here is a team with a defense you can learn to love – Terry Pluto
- Browns defense dominates against Titans, keeps them off ‘I-71′: Ashley Bastock
1. The Browns have the NFL’s No. 1 defense
Verdict: Fiction
The Browns were sensational on defense once again on Sunday as they shut down the Titans, 27-3. They held the Titans to just 92 yards of total offense and sacked Ryan Tannehill five times. Myles Garrett had 3.5 of those sacks.
The Browns came into Sunday’s game third in the NFL in scoring defense (14.5 points per game), although 14 of the points they allowed were on defensive touchdowns by the Steelers, and second in total defense (198.5 yards per game). They really have only given up one big play all season, and it was the 71-yard touchdown pass from Kenny Pickett to George Pickens in the Week 2 loss in Pittsburgh.
While they look like they can certainly be the NFL’s best defense, it’s probably too early to say they are the NFL’s best. Their schedule so far hasn’t been filled with offensive juggernauts as they faced a Bengals team with a banged up Joe Burrow in the rain, the Steelers and the Titans.
The 49ers still stand out to me as the best defense in football for now. They entered Sunday second in scoring defense (14.0 ppg) and have allowed just 225 yards per game while playing the Steelers, Rams and Giants. Dallas’ defense is also elite, although the loss of Trevon Diggs was clearly felt against the Cardinals. However, it is only one game and we’ll need to wait to see if that’s a trend going forward.
The Browns play the Ravens and 49ers next, and both teams have very good quarterbacks. If the Browns slow both teams down, then you can really start to look at the Browns having the NFL’s best defense. But they’re in the discussion, which says something about the job Jim Schwartz has done so far.
2. Deshaun Watson is back after his big game vs. the Titans
Verdict: Fiction
In the ninth game of Deshaun Watson’s time with the Browns, he finally put together a complete performance. Watson was 27 of 33 passing for 289 yards and two touchdowns in the 27-3 win.
The performance came after Watson spent the last six days receiving heavy criticism after committing three turnovers in a loss in Pittsburgh. He had yet to look like the Houston version of Watson eight games into his time in Cleveland and there were some concerns whether he ever would.
Sunday showed that it’s still there and maybe, he’s figuring things out. However, it’s not time to declare that he’s back.
This is not to diminish Watson’s performance. He needed it desperately and so did the Browns. However, the Titans came into the game with the fifth-worst pass defense (281.5 ypg) and Watson’s performance is one a quarterback should have against that secondary. The fact that he did, however, is a positive step.
With the Ravens and 49ers coming up next, if Watson plays like he did on Sunday or even better, it’s a different story.
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3. The Ravens will have to put too much on Lamar Jackson
Verdict: Fact
Baltimore is no longer unbeaten after the Colts surprised the Ravens in overtime, 22-19. It’s hard to take much from the result itself as the Colts won with four Matt Gay field goals of at least 53 yards. But the bigger question comes from something that happened in the game.
Gus Edwards was placed in the concussion protocol, per Melissa Y. Kim of 105.7 The Fan in Baltimore, after he rushed 11 times for 51 yards. That came while the Ravens didn’t have Justice Hill available due to injury, not to mention they lost J.K. Dobbins to a torn Achilles in Week 1.
If Edwards can’t play for a week or longer, that leaves the Ravens with Melvin Gordon III, who had 10 carries for 32 yards, and Kenyan Drake, who had only one carry and lost a fumble. Lamar Jackson is a great runner, but the Ravens can’t succeed long term if Jackson is their main rusher week in and week out.
That’s a lot to put on Jackson, who has missed time at the end of the last two seasons with injuries. They can’t afford to put him in harm’s way, but they may have no choice against the Browns in Week 4.
4. A healthy Tua Tagovailoa gives the Dolphins the NFL’s best offense
Verdict: Fact
Tua Tagovailoa is going out of his way to prove that his hot start from last season was no fluke. He and the Dolphins were just unstoppable on Sunday as they blasted the Broncos, 70-20. The 70 points Miami scored were the most by an NFL team in a game since 1966.
Tagovailoa completed 23 of 26 passes for 308 yards and three TDs, coming up just short of a perfect quarterback rating with 155.8. Tyreek Hill is still as dangerous as ever. He caught nine passes for 157 yards and a TD.
The Dolphins look like the most explosive offense in football right now. To make things even more terrifying for teams who will face Miami soon, the Dolphins didn’t even have their second-best receiver in Jaylen Waddle, who was out because of a concussion.
We saw the Dolphins play like this last season. But the Dolphins were a completely different team without Tagovailoa, just 1-3 when he didn’t start. They need a healthy Tua, and a healthy Tua makes Miami’s offense the most fearsome in football.
5. Russell Wilson is no longer the biggest problem in Denver
Verdict: Fact
The Broncos were a major disappointment last season due in large part to the poor play of Russell Wilson, who threw just 16 touchdown passes to 11 interceptions in 15 games.
Denver fell to 0-3 after losing by 50 in Miami on Sunday. But unlike last season, Wilson is not the problem in Denver. He entered the day fourth in the NFL in quarterback rating (108.5). He didn’t have the greatest game but was far from terrible as he completed 23 of 38 passes for 306 yards, a TD and an interception.
The issue with the Broncos is on defense. After allowing just 16 points and 261 yards in a loss to the Raiders, they gave up nearly 400 yards to Sam Howell and the Commanders in a 35-33 loss.
The damage on Sunday in Miami: 726 yards of total offense, 350 of which were on the ground and 10.2 yards of offense per play.
If the defense doesn’t get cleaned up and fast, Wilson’s improved play won’t be enough to salvage this season in Denver.
6. The Vikings are suddenly a top contender to get Caleb Williams
Verdict: Fiction
The Vikings were historically great in one-score games last season on their way to a surprising NFC North title. So it’s not surprising that they weren’t nearly as good in those situations this season.
But Minnesota is now 0-3 after losing to the Chargers, 28-24. The Vikings had a chance to win the game in the final seconds after Brandon Staley’s gutsy decision to try and get a first down on fourth-and-1 at Minnesota’s 24-yard line came up short. But Kirk Cousins’ throw into the end zone was intercepted by Kenneth Murray Jr.
That kind of loss feels like the one a team going for the top pick usually has. And in this case, the top pick is a chance to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams. But it’s hard right now to envision a team with Justin Jefferson finishing with the worst record in football.
They’ve had to play an Eagles team on the road on Monday night and then faced a desperate Chargers team on Sunday. While they can certainly finish with a top-five pick, they also have to play the Bears twice, the Raiders and the Panthers among other teams. That’s a vulnerable schedule and it’s hard to imagine Cousins and Jefferson having the worst record in football despite a disappointing start.
7. Dallas’ defense is in deep, deep trouble without Trevon Diggs
Verdict: Fiction
Dallas is no longer unbeaten, and the Cowboys defense looked shockingly vulnerable without injured Trevon Diggs in a 28-16 loss to the Cardinals. Diggs suffered a torn ACL in practice and won’t play the rest of the season.
However, a defense isn’t suddenly terrible after one game. We have to remember that the Cardinals put up 28 points a week ago vs. the Giants. The Cardinals lost because the defense gave up 439 points and blew a 21-point lead vs. New York.
Sunday, Arizona’s defense helped win the game. The Cardinals held the Cowboys to just one touchdown in five trips to the red zone. Also, losing a corner as talented as Diggs doesn’t explain allowing the Cardinals to rush for 222 yards on 30 carries (7.4 yards per carry).
Jonathan Gannon’s team deserves credit for playing well in the last two games and winning one in pretty impressive fashion.
Defenses will have bad games, and the Cowboys should respond well against the Patriots in Week 4.
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