Biggest Takeaways from Cleveland Browns' Week 2 Win

The Cleveland Browns bounced back from their Week 1 loss to the New York Jets by defeating the Tennessee Titans in their Week 2 home opener, 28-14. 

The Browns did so with quarterback Johnny Manziel getting the starting nod while Josh McCown remained in the NFL's concussion protocol. And the defense was tasked with stopping rookie Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota after his hot start to the season.

Here are the five biggest takeaways of the Browns' Week 2 win over the Titans.

Johnny Manziel Looked Better

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Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel had a disastrous start to his 2015 season in Week 1 when he stepped on the field in relief of the injured Josh McCown against the New York Jets.

Manziel completed 13 of his 24 pass attempts, for 182 yards, one touchdown, one interception and took three sacks. He also fumbled the ball away twice and myriad penalties committed by the offensive players around him helped to kill drives and put Manziel in third-and-long situations.

Things were better for Manziel against the Titans. He only threw 15 passes, but completed eight for 172 yards and two scores. He took two sacks but wasn't constantly looking to scramble when under pressure, running only three times for a total of one yard. And, most importantly, he didn't turn the ball over.

Manziel's low pass attempts were not a way for the Browns to protect an elbow that is prone to soreness, according to head coach Mike Pettine. Rather, it was a strategy the team employed to maintain their lead over the Titans, which was 21-0 at halftime and 28-14 when the game had wrapped. 

What matters most is that Manziel is showing improvement, and he did so from Week 1 this season to Week 2. Sure, we don't yet know if he's the true quarterback of the future in Cleveland, but he at least could take better care of the football on Sunday and help lead the Browns to a decisive win.

Travis Benjamin Is a Playmaker

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Browns receiver and returner Travis Benjamin is having a good start to this young season, particularly when he's on the field with quarterback Johnny Manziel. Through two games, he has 204 receiving yards; add in his returns and he's up to 368 all-purpose yards already this year.

His strong showing continued against the Titans in Week 2, catching three of four passes thrown his way, for 115 yards and two touchdowns—one for 50 yards, another for 60. Now healthy, his speed is evident—he had a 78-yard punt return for a touchdown against the Jets in Week 1.

If and when Josh McCown makes his return under center for the Browns, it will be worth watching whether the rapport Benjamin has built with Manziel can translate to the elder statesman. And, as head coach Mike Pettine pointed out on Monday, opposing defenses are now going to take note of Benjamin and game plan around ways to stop him.

But at least for now, Benjamin is a true playmaker for the Browns.

Run Defense Still Needs Work

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On the heels of the Browns defense giving up 154 rushing yards to the Jets in Week 1, they struggled just the same against the Titans—albeit for different reasons. 

Tennessee racked up 166 yards of rushing offense on 30 carries, including a 44-yard run by Dexter McCluster that helped bring his total to 98 yards on the day and 42 yards to Bishop Sankey on his 12 rushing attempts. 

Head coach Mike Pettine characterized the run defense as "not good enough," in his Monday press conference.

But he did note that the team's approach on defense was partially the cause: "We got to the point in the game with the lead where we were more pass conscience than we were run so we were willing to concede some yards later." Pettine added, "but early in the game there were several plays that need to be better."

Still, the Browns are giving up more yards on a weekly basis to opponents' run games than they did on average in 2014, when they fielded the NFL's worst run defense. At some point, this aspect of the defense needs to show improvement.

Pass-Rush Handled Marcus Mariota

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No wonder the Titans wanted to lean on their run game as much as possible—the Browns defense was harassing rookie Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota throughout the whole game.

Just one week after totaling zero sacks and one quarterback hit against the Jets' Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Browns earned seven sacks and 11 quarterback hits on Mariota on Sunday. Why? It's simple: Mariota is a rookie.

Agressive defensive-minded coaches like Mike Pettine and coordinator Jim O'Neil relish the opportunities they get to take on inexperienced or rookie passers like Mariota. Young quarterbacks can be confused by defensive coverages and don't know where the pressure is coming from.

Unfortunately, the Browns won't be seeing rookie quarterbacks all season long. But it is good to know that when faced with one, they know how to stop him and how to do so with authority.

What's Going on with Joe Haden?

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It's been a rough start to the season for Browns cornerback Joe Haden, often considered one of the premier players at his position.

Last week against the Jets, he gave up six receptions on seven targets, for 99 yards, 22 yards after the catch, one touchdown and one pass defensed, according to Pro Football Focus.

He fared better against the Titans, but it still wasn't a great performance, allowing three catches on eight targets, 34 yards, three yards after the catch, one pass defensed and, most importantly, giving up one touchdown.

So far, quarterbacks targeting Haden have collectively posted a 128.6 passer rating. And though he did a better job in coverage against the Titans, giving up one touchdown per week is not characteristic of Haden's body of work.

Perhaps physical receivers are getting the better of Haden, or perhaps man-to-man coverage isn't his forte right now. But something doesn't look the same with Haden right now.