Winning Ugly Is Huge Part of Maturation Process for Playoff-Contending Browns

If the Cleveland Browns have a signature winning style this season, it would be "ugly." Their 26-24 win over the Atlanta Falcons was their fifth game this season decided by three or fewer points. And it was a win that almost did not happen.

There was a lot of excitement surrounding the Browns this week with the return of wide receiver Josh Gordon from his suspension. Clearly, his quarterback, Brian Hoyer, was excited to see Gordon back on the field. However, that didn't always result in a positive play.

Hoyer threw three interceptions in the win on Sunday, two of which were errant passes forced to Gordon. Hoyer ended the day completing just 23 of his 40 pass attempts for 322 yards, no scores and the three interceptions. It was his second straight poor outing. 

Opp.	Atts.	Comp.	Comp.%	Yds.	TD	INT	Sack	Rating
vs. HOU	50	20	40.0%	330	1	1	0	61.2
@ ATL	40	23	57.5%	322	0	3	1	52.3
Total	90	43	47.8%	652	1	4	1	56.8%

Gordon did have a fairly strong showing in his first game back. Hoyer targeted him 16 times, resulting in eight catches for 120 yards. But he wasn't one of the most reliable receivers on the day.

That honor fell to Andrew Hawkins, with five catches on five targets for 93 yards, and Miles Austin, with six catches on eight targets for 64 yards. Austin also had a crucial 20-yard catch on the Browns' final drive to set up Billy Cundiff's game-winning 37-yard field goal.

What's most frustrating about the win is the high volume of passes Hoyer was throwing, though the Browns were both running well and also held the lead into the fourth quarter. The Browns rushed a collective 29 times compared to Hoyer's 40 pass attempts, netting them 162 rushing yards and a 5.6 yards-per-rush average.

Leading the way was rookie Isaiah Crowell with 12 rushes for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Terrance West had 14 carries for 62 yards with a long of 20 yards. The Browns were gaining chunks of yardage when handing the ball to either Crowell or West, and with Hoyer's accuracy inconsistent, a heavier dose of the run may have given the Browns control of the win before the game's waning seconds.

The Browns defense, however, needs to be given credit for its performance. The Browns sacked Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan three times, including a sack-fumble by linebacker Paul Kruger that was recovered by Desmond Bryant.

No Falcons receiver breached 100 yards, while the Falcons managed only 63 yards on 23 rushes—a 2.7 yards-per-carry average against a defense that had been giving up 142.1 rushing yards per game.

However, it will be interesting to see what happens with the Browns defense going forward. Safety Tashaun Gipson left the game at the end of the third quarter carted off with a knee injury suffered in a collision with Browns cornerback Joe Haden. He was almost immediately ruled out for the rest of the game, according to the Browns' Twitter account:

Gipson is the league's interception leader with six, including one for a touchdown. He was also the Browns' fifth-leading tackler and had eight passes defensed on the season. 

Cleveland's defense is no stranger to injury this year. Defensive end Phil Taylor is done for the year with a knee injury. Linebacker Karlos Dansby's return date from his knee injury is still unknown. Jabaal Sheard played through his foot injury on Sunday, but it's doubtful he'll be 100 percent healthy for the remainder of the season.

Team	Record	Div. Record
Cincinnati Bengals	7-3-1	2-1
Pittsburgh Steelers	7-4	2-2
Cleveland Browns	7-4	2-2
Baltimore Ravens*	6-4	2-3

Gipson's injury, if long-term, will mean the Browns have lost their most crucial player on offense—center Alex Mack—and their best defender. And with the homestretch ahead and a playoff berth at stake, it couldn't have come at a worse time.

For the Browns to remain in the playoff hunt, Hoyer and the offense will have to play better. The fact that the Browns ran so well while dividing time with their two rookie backs is a good sign, but they have to stay dedicated to the run.

There's no reason why a run game averaging over five yards per carry—and Crowell averaging 7.3 yards himself—should be employed less than the passing game, especially when leading. 

Still, head coach Mike Pettine understood that there were going to be some "glitches," as he worded it, between Hoyer and Gordon in Gordon's first game back. He also noted that said glitches were worth it to get to the positive plays, as reported by The Canton Repository's Steve Doerschuk:

Gordon also stuck by his quarterback after the game, via CBS Cleveland's Dustin Fox:

Hoyer did have a degree of redemption with the kind of late-game heroics he's been known for in the Browns' many ugly victories.

Though the Browns' win was assisted by terrible Falcons clock awareness, Hoyer's 4-of-6, 61-yard final drive that led to Cundiff's game-winner was easily his best series of the game. He was able to put it all together when it mattered most, which counts for something.

Granted, the Browns are lucky to escape with a win. Three interceptions on the road is rarely part of a formula for a victory. However, the fact that this Browns team could actually win after dealing with such demoralizing circumstances is a sign that this year's iteration of the roster and coaching staff is actually much better than in years past. It's not a mirage.

The Browns have won two consecutive road games. That had not been a strength of this team. Cleveland battled back from the quarterback's mistakes, and the quarterback himself was not buried by his negative plays. That's certainly new. And a seven-win record with five games left to play? The team is now guaranteed to have its third-best record since coming back to the NFL in 1999, according to Doerschuk:

Still, the Browns do have a tough schedule remaining. Presently, they are scheduled to play only one team with a losing record, the Carolina Panthers. They also have two divisional contests, one at home against the Cincinnati Bengals and another on the road against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 17.

Week 17 should prove crucial not just for the Browns, but for the entire AFC North, who play only in-division matchups in the final week and who all currently possess winning records. The Browns will need to grind out wins against the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts in the next two weeks, not just against the Ravens and Bengals in Weeks 15 and 17 respectively.

For all their flaws and injuries, the Browns have managed to stay playoff-relevant through 11 games. That's something not said about this team since its 10-6 finish in 2007. Ugly wins may not feel great, but it is a win—and a sign that the Browns can close out games when the chips are down.