3 Takeaways from Cleveland Browns' Week 7 Win

The Cleveland Browns picked up their fifth win of the 2020 season in thrilling fashion Sunday. They engaged in a second-half shootout with the AFC North-rival Cincinnati Bengals that saw five fourth-quarter lead changes, two go-ahead touchdowns inside the final 90 seconds and a nearly perfect three quarters from quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Was this an ideal performance by the Browns? No. The defense surrendered 468 yards of offense and made rookie Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow look like vintage Peyton Manning in the process. They have also lost wideout Odell Beckham Jr. for the season to what he says is an ACL tear.

However, Mayfield and the Browns got the final word and the points while erasing the bitter taste of Week 6's blowout loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Here we will examine three other positives from Cleveland's important bounce-back win.

Myles Garrett Is a Game-Wrecker

Associated Press

While the Cleveland defense as a whole left plenty to be desired, defensive end Myles Garrett once again showed he's one of the most dominant defenders in the game today. He consistently pressured Burrow, forced his fourth fumble of the season and notched another two sacks.

Garrett now has a sack in six straight games, the longest active streak in the NFL.

Sunday's strip-sack of Burrow helped the Browns gain some early momentum while Mayfield and the offense were struggling, and it helped to keep Cleveland within striking distance. Garrett's two sacks give him 9.0 on the season, but his impact can't be measured on sacks alone.

According to Pro Football Focus, Garrett came into the game ranked behind only T.J. Watt in pass-rush win rate at 23 percent.

While the Browns defense is going to give up yardage, it can generate turnovers—it forced two from Burrow on Sunday—and Garrett is a big reason why. He's a game-changer who can shift a contest in an instant, even when the rest of the defense is playing poorly.

Baker Mayfield Can Still Take Over Games

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Baker Mayfield

Quarterback Baker Mayfield has taken a fair amount of criticism over the past 18 months. He regressed under former head coach Freddie Kitchens last year, was a disaster in losses to Pittsburgh and the Baltimore Ravens this year and has largely been treated as a game-manager by head coach Kevin Stefanski.

On Sunday, Mayfield was again off to a poor start, going 0-for-5 in the first quarter with an interception.

Over the next three quarters, though, Stefanski put the ball in Mayfield's hands, and the former Heisman winner delivered in a big way. He was perfect the rest of the way, going 22-of-23 with five touchdown passes. Mayfield's only incompletion came on a spike to stop the clock before the game-winning touchdown pass. His 21 consecutive completions set a new Browns franchise record.

The takeaway here is that Mayfield can still be the impressive gunslinger we saw as a rookie. It's been a rocky road, but he has dealt with four head coaches and is a little more than two years into his pro career.

The criticism of Mayfield has been fair, but it needs to be balanced with the reality that he still has the potential to be Cleveland's long-coveted franchise quarterback. Right now, the Browns are 5-2 because of him.

Cleveland Is Deep at Receiver

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Rashard Higgins

Of course, Mayfield's heroics wouldn't have been possible but for some tremendous performances by his pass-catchers—and Cleveland was not at full strength. Starting tight end Austin Hooper was out after undergoing an appendectomy, and Beckham was lost in the first quarter while trying to make a tackle after Mayfield's interception.

According to NFL reporter Josina Anderson, Beckham is out for the year with a torn ACL.

However, the Browns showed that they have plenty of firepower in the passing game without him. Jarvis Landry is a Pro Bowl talent, but guys like Rashard Higgins, rookie tight end Harrison Bryant and rookie wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones stepped up in a big way.

Bryant caught two touchdown passes, while Peoples-Jones racked up 56 yards and the game-winning touchdown. Higgins, meanwhile, rekindled the chemistry he showed with Mayfield during the quarterback's rookie season, finishing with six catches and 110 yards.

"It is wine poured in a cup," Higgins said of his rapport with Mayfield, per Dan Labbe of Cleveland.com. "Smooth."

While the Browns offense will undoubtedly miss the big-play ability of Beckham, there's enough depth in the receiving corps to continue winning in 2020.