The (5-2) Cleveland Browns took on their division rival the (1-5-1) Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in an early-window shoot-out. Heisman winner and Bengals rookie, Joe Burrow, had his most explosive game yet, scoring a total of 4 touchdowns and racking up 406 passing yards. Despite the solid performance, he was outshined by Browns Quarterback Baker Mayfield, who put on a show tossing 5 touchdowns and nearly 300 passing yards. Mayfield capped off the game with the go-ahead score on a dagger to Donovan Peoples-Jones in the back of the endzone with :11 seconds on the clock. The Browns left with an impressive road win, having proved themselves as Ohio’s better NFL team.
But this win proved to be a costly one. On the first drive of the game, star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. went down with a devastating knee injury after attempting to tackle a defender who had intercepted Mayfield’s underthrown pass. As of Monday morning, it was announced that he had torn his ACL and will not return in the 2020-21 season, joining star running back Nick Chubb and wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge on injury reserve.
This latest addition to Cleveland’s inactives is a devastating blow to an offense that is just beginning to find their rhythm. Since entering the league in 2014, OBJ has been widely recognized as one of the most athletic and dynamic threats in the league. Last year, he secured 74 receptions for 1,035 yards for Cleveland, making it his fifth year notching over 1,000 receiving yards since entering the NFL. This season, while his statistics did not appear as explosive on paper, he made big plays in big moments. In a nail-biter against Dallas, Beckham finished with 3 touchdowns and 154 yards, leading his team to a 49-38 victory.
If Baker Mayfield and the Browns want to secure a playoff spot, players will have to step up to fill the shoes of OBJ. Jarvis Landry, a close friend to Beckham and fellow LSU Tiger, will likely become the Browns #1 wideout, and the rookie Donovan Peoples-Jones, who proved on Sunday to have the potential to be a key offensive player, will need to be hungry for more targets. Cleveland will need to look to make some major offensive changes as they look to face a tough Las Vegas team on Sunday and ultimately aim for an AFC playoff run.
For more NFL coverage, click here.
