Chargers at Browns: Winners and Losers from Week 8

The Browns defeated, or perhaps outlasted, the San Diego Chargers in a wet, often grueling Week 8 matchup. 

What's the opposite of a barnburner? In any case, that's what we saw early Sunday afternoon in a game that mainly tested the tenacity of the defense. When the final whistle sounded, it was the Browns who made bigger plays when it mattered most. 

Both teams indicated early that this would be a battle fought mostly on the ground. With Ryan Mathews and Trent Richardson trading the weight of their respective offenses, the difference came in their notable plays. For Mathews, it was an early fumble. For Richardson, it was a 26-yard touchdown run that was ultimately enough to pull off the win. 

In a less-than-flashy game, it can be difficult to identify blatant winners and losers. However, a few Browns came up big at crucial moments. Others made questionable decisions that could have proven costly if luck had shifted in the wrong direction. In no particular order, here were the for-better-or-worse difference-makers. 

Winner: Trent Richardson

This one's a no-brainer, but Trent Richardson showed today that he's the real deal. Coming off a recent injury, Richardson rebounded and carried the ball 24 times for 122 yards and a game-changing touchdown. 

What's not reflected on the stat sheet, however, is the unbelievable determination behind seemingly every one of his runs. The power in his lower half can move a lineman one-and-a-half times his size, and he uses that momentum to pick up an extra yard or two when nine out of 10 NFL running backs would have been stuffed. 

In such a low-scoring game, every yard on offense counts. Richardson showed today that he's aware of his impact, and no injury will stand in his way.

Loser: Josh Cribbs

Josh Cribbs is an immensely talented player, but today, he made a couple questionable decisions which led to a total of seven yards on two punt returns. 

Cribbs' only major gain was called back on a holding call, and he failed to make much of an impact beyond that. He may have been tentative because of the weather, which had already been a factor in causing Mathews to lose a fumble in the first quarter. 

And perhaps, his timidity was a good thing; a botched return inside the 20-yard line is a game-killer when both teams are quiet on offense. But by the end of the game, he wasn't even posing a threat, allowing the Chargers to essentially determine the line of scrimmage and pin the Browns offense against the goal line. 

That type of decision wouldn't surprise me from a rookie, but Cribbs has been around for awhile. Hopefully, he'll be back to his old, threatening self next week.

Winner: Buster Skrine

Buster Skrine was a blast to watch today. He batted down Rivers' final pass to give the Browns the "W," showing that he's capable of coming up big when it matters.

But, there was something else to it. Skrine played like he really wanted to win. At one point, he could be seen yelling in the face of the Chargers' punt returner, which led to (though may not have caused) an ugly and bumbled return. The Charters ultimately retained possession, but it was a creative tactic and showed that he recognized the fragility of their one-point lead. 

I rewound the clip several times and made up audio in my head; it was that funny to me. Cleveland fans, particularly ones living outside of Ohio, are used to being the kicked puppies of the football world. It was nice to see a player taking control of the situation and showing some real stones. Hats off and fumbles down to you, Skrine.

Loser: Montario Hardesty

Oof. Given the way Richardson was playing, admittedly, we didn't really need him. But, three touches for three yards is rough either way.

In addition, Hardesty fumbled in a game where a single turnover could be fatal. The Browns somehow managed to recover, but it didn't say much for his poise and control under difficult circumstances. 

It's not necessarily indicative of his larger play this season, and everyone can have an off-game. But in the enormous shadow cast by Richardson, this isn't the type of impression Hardesty can afford to make if he likes his job. 

Winner: T.J. Ward

He dodged a bullet when Robert Meachem dropped that wide-open pass that is sure to haunt his dreams and cause fantasy owners to lose a year of their lives. However, T.J. Ward played intelligently and didn't let the Chargers get away with much, which helped to set a tone early for a defense that came in ranked deep in the bottom half of the league in rushing yards allowed. 

Weather aside, the Chargers were undoubtedly looking to run on this Browns defense. Ward and company had something different in mind. He stuffed Jackie Battle on an early 4th-and-1, forcing the turnover. 

Beyond the tangible advantage in yardage, this also showed the Chargers that it might not be as easy as they thought to run through the Browns defense. It set the stage for a hard-fought game, and that's exactly what we got. 

Bonus Winner: The Weather

Dear Mother Nature,

Thank you for choosing to dump copious amounts of cold rain on a team visiting from San Diego. You are a cheeky lady. 

Sincerely, 

Cleveland