Story by
Cleveland Browns clearly want to know what Dawand Jones can do at left tackle | Takeaways
- Story by
- Cleveland Browns clearly want to know what Dawand Jones can do at left tackle | Takeaways
CLEVELAND — One time and it can be seen as a injury fill-in. Two times, with the original starter active for the game, and it can be seen as a potentially long-term decision .
That's where the Browns appear to be with Dawand Jones as far as left tackle is concerned. Whatever evidence may have been presented while Jedrick Wills Jr. was out because of a knee injury for a Week 9 win over the Baltimore Ravens , the fact Jones started Sunday's 27-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers even with Wills healthy enough to play spoke loudly.
Advertisement
Then, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski spoke in the postgame press conference and removed just about all doubt.
"Well, we moved him over there in that first week, first time over there," Stefanski said. "I thought he did OK and would do better, so I wanted to keep him over there, keep that development going."
Stefanski would normally in a situation like that add some kind of disclaimer that at least would give him some kind of out so you couldn't completely pin him down. Take how he finished last week's question about Jameis Winston being the starter for the rest of the season when he added, "But, as you know, in football we're all day-to-day," in reference mostly to a potential injury.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (5) scrambles away from Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Morgan Fox (56) during the first half Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Cleveland.
There was none of that with Sunday's answer, which indicates the Browns (2-7) need to find out what Jones really can provide at left tackle in order to make other decisions. Specifically, they need to make a decision on Wills, who's a free agent at the end of this season.
Advertisement
Wills did come in for two plays at the start of the fourth quarter after Jones suffered a shoulder injury. However, at the start of the Browns' next position, Jones was back in at left tackle.
Jones, though, considers Wills to be a valuable mentor as he transitions from right tackle to left. He had last played the position was in 2020, when he started a game at Michigan State while in college at Ohio State.
"Yes, the man right here helps me all week," Jones said as he motioned toward Wills. "I just watch his sets, and I watch other left tackle sets, and honestly it just translates over to the game practice. Like I said, practice habits translate over to the game."
The truth of it is Jones has held his own over his first two left tackle starts in the NFL. He didn't allow a sack and only allowed three pressures in the Ravens game a week ago.
Advertisement
Jones, despite the loss and the four sacks the Chargers had of Winston, didn't permit either Khalil Mack or Joey Bosa to make life completely miserable for him.
"I thought it was pretty good overall," left guard Joel Bitonio said of Jones. "I mean, we passed ball like 50 times, so it's hard to know exactly what happened every rep. I thought he was pretty good. I think he got nicked up there for a second, came out for a couple plays, but fought back and came back in. We had a couple good double teams in the run game, so there were some definitely positive signs."
Cedric Tillman continues to go through personal growth with Cleveland Browns
Second-year wide receiver Cedric Tillman wasn't about to say the previous two weeks were a sign he had made it in the NFL. Sunday's loss was a reminder of what he still needs to work on to keep growing.
Advertisement
"Man, I feel like I could do better," Tillman said after a day on which he had six catches for 75 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets. "I just got to be more, I just feel like little things maybe I could have done better. Always my toughest critic, but I got to help the team win."
Two separate throws showed the difference. The first was his final catch, a 17-yard touchdown with 44 seconds remaining on which he was able to tap down both feet before falling out of bounds on the left side of the end zone.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - NOVEMBER 03: Jameis Winston (5) of the Cleveland Browns passes the ball to Cedric Tillman (19) in the third quarter of a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Huntington Bank Field on November 03, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The other was a drop on a slant route at the goal line in the third quarter. The next play turned into a Winston interception.
Advertisement
"The slant?" Tillman said. "Oh, man, I got to make the play, simple. To win these games, we've got to have that."
Part of it was an adjustment Tillman said the Chargers made on him. The Browns have used him in a lot of slants and dig routes over the last couple of weeks, and Los Angeles tried to play on the inside of Tillman more Sunday than previous opponents had done.
Part of his own maturation as a football player, Tillman said, is adjusting to that.
"I'm taking it one game at a time," he said, "so I'm just trying to get used to it. But no excuses. Got to keep going and I got to keep doing my job."
Advertisement
Cleveland Browns struggle to get run game going against Los Angeles Chargers
The Browns haven't run the ball well at any point during the first eight games. However, they were effective enough running the ball last week against the Ravens to open up some play-action passes.
The Chargers were having none of that Sunday. Cleveland ran 24 times for 79 yards against the league's 11th-ranked rush defense, averaging 3.3 yards per rush.
Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (24) runs for yards during the first half against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Running back Nick Chubb led the Browns with 39 yards on 15 carries, an average of 2.6 yards per carry.
"We obviously got in a little bit of a hole there," Bitonio said. "We didn't have the run game going great, so we tried to pass our way out of it. They have some good pass rushers on their side. It seemed like they, it felt like when we ran the ball a few times, they had some pressure off the edges coming that was kind of unaccounted for a few times. We had a chance."
Advertisement
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns ready to find out what Dawand Jones can do at LT: Takeaways
