The Cleveland Browns suffered another tough loss early in the 2022 NFL season in Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons.
An argument can be made that the Browns should have been 4-0 if not for a few breaks that went the other team’s way.
The Browns dropped their Week 2 showdown against the New York Jets in the final two minutes.
Meanwhile, they had a chance to send the Falcons game to overtime or score a game-winning touchdown, if not for an interception by Dee Alford.
Therefore, the Browns are picking the right spots on offense most of the time, leading to favorable results.
It does help to have an effective run attack courtesy of Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, and the Browns offensive line.
But the team is also enjoying modest success by knowing when to go for it on fourth down.
How often each team has gone for 4th downs when they "should" (according to my model)
Most of the teams at the top are the same ones that are there every year (Bills, Browns, Eagles, Packers, Ravens, and Doug Pederson) pic.twitter.com/4aGXZEUUOC
— Computer Cowboy (@benbbaldwin) October 4, 2022
The Athletic contributor Ben Baldwin shared a graph showing the teams that went aggressive on fourth down when needed.
Baldwin tweeted, “How often each team has gone for 4th downs when they “should” (according to my model) Most of the teams at the top are the same ones that are there every year (Bills, Browns, Eagles, Packers, Ravens, and Doug Pederson).”
Timing Is Of The Essence
The Browns ranked second through four games with an 80 percent go rate.
Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills went for fourth downs when needed, helping them carve a 3-1 record.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is choosing the right opportunities to use all four downs on offense to help out their injury-laden defense.
Extending their drives lessens the time their defense needs to play, keeping them fresher throughout the game.
It also shows that the Browns are not afraid to commit a turnover on downs, especially when their opponents are far away from their end zone.
The Browns will continue to employ this mentality to get more victories.
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