Cleveland Browns Make Strides in Win vs. Colts: 4 Improvements from Week 1 to 2

The Cleveland Browns made several improvements in their play which resulted in a win against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2 of the NFL season. 

The Browns showed improved play on both sides of the ball and came away with an impressive road victory.

It was the first NFL win for first-year head coach Pat Shurmur.

4. Offensive Line

The Browns' offensive line played very poorly in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals. They allowed a lot of pressure on quarterback Colt McCoy, who was sacked a couple times and hurried several others.

For the Browns to earn a win against the Indianapolis Colts on the road, improved play from their offensive line was a must.

Against the Colts, the offensive line gave McCoy much more time in the pocket and only allowed one sack. They also only had two penalties the whole game which is impressive for a road game. This game was also against a much more talented defensive line.

The play from the offensive line was a major upgrade over the Bengals game.

3. Play Calling

First-year head coach Pat Shurmur is also doubling as the Browns' offensive coordinator this season. The extra responsibility of calling plays makes Shurmur's job even tougher.

Against the Bengals in Week 1, Shurmur called some plays that seemed out of place. Some fans were worried that his play-calling would drastically affect his team.

However, the play-calling was much improved against the Colts. There was a great balance of rushing and passing attempts and the team worked with a quick tempo.

The only two questionable calls came when running back Montario Hardesty was given the ball twice in the red zone while Peyton Hillis stood on the sidelines. Other than that, Shurmur seemed much more comfortable calling the plays in Indianapolis.

2. Defense

After giving up 27 points at home against the Bengals in Week 1, the Browns needed to improve their defense to win on the road against the Colts.

Although they got two stellar performances in Week 1 from Joe Haden and D'Qwell Jackson, several areas of the defense did not play well.

That all changed in Week 2. The Browns were strong against the run, held the Colts to a 33 percent red zone efficiency, and put good pressure on the quarterback.

Against the Colts, the Browns' defense recorded an interception, two sacks, and one fumble recovery. They also held the Colts to 285 total yards and 109 rushing yards.

Rookies Jabaal Sheard and Phil Taylor stood out and safety T.J. Ward showed great coverage against Dallas Clark. This kind of defensive performance was just what the Browns needed.

1. Fewer Penalties

Against the Colts, the Browns were only penalized three times for a total of 49 yards. After drawing seven penalty flags in the first quarter against the Bengals, that was a huge improvement.

It was especially good to see so few penalties on the road. Crowd noise can often cause players to jump offsides or induce a false start, but the Browns were able to avoid those mental errors.

The first false start happened in the third quarter by rookie offensive lineman Jason Pinkston.

If the Browns want to win more games this season, they must maintain their discipline and keep the number of penalties to a minimum.