The Cleveland Browns are going to be fun team to watch this season. They got off to a terrific start last night in Jacksonville as they defeated the Jags 23-13 in their week one preseason opener. Obviously, preseason games don’t count in the record books but nonetheless, it was a good way to generate newfound excitement for a team that has legitimate chances at getting to and winning a Super Bowl.
Many starters for the Browns offense sat this game out but there were several nice contributions by the backups that just show the new depth that this team has moving forward. That also goes for the revamped defense and their new aggressive style. There were also several impressive performances by Browns defenders. Let’s dig a little deeper on some specific players that stood out in the game:
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (JOK)
The rookie linebacker from Notre Dame was awesome in his debut. Drafted by the Browns in the 2nd round of the NFL draft at #52. After last night’s performance, it’s hard to imagine how so many other teams passed on him until the Browns got him. He will go down as one of several players that the Browns front office selected in their tenure that will have become stars in the league for years to come. JOK seemed like he was everywhere on the field last night. He recorded eight tackles, three for losses. He also had a sack on the Jags quarterback in one of his opening plays on the field.
His undersized stature as a linebacker means little to JOK as his speed and knack for targeting the ball were on full display in the game. He was in on special teams as well during the contest and nearly had a blocked punt to add to his resume on the night. The linebacking situation is certainly up in the air. The Browns veteran linebacker Mack Wilson suffered an injury in the game as well so that just muddies the waters too.
But JOK was outstanding in the game and is the talk of the town today. His Browns jersey will certainly be a hot commodity in the coming days, and he certainly has his eyes set on being a regular starter for the Browns defense.
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