The Cleveland Browns hoped to have a great 2024 season with the return of quarterback Deshaun Watson and a franchise full of healthy optimism.
That all came crashing down in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys..
Watson had 169 passing yards, one touchdown pass, and two interceptions and looked less than stellar to say the least.
As Browns fans continue to worry about the team’s investment in Watson, Sunday’s game provided some positive takeaways.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) gave five Cleveland players 67% or better grades against the Cowboys.
The highest-graded Browns in Week 1 vs the Cowboys:
🥇 Myles Garrett – 91.2
🥈 Juan Thornhill – 82.2
🥉 Wyatt Teller – 78.9
🏅 Greg Newsome II – 78.0
🏅 Grant Delpit – 67.5(min. 25 snaps) pic.twitter.com/C9AJYKTxAo
— PFF CLE Browns (@PFF_Browns) September 9, 2024
At the top of the list is defensive end Myles Garrett with 91.2.
During the game, the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year had two solo tackles including a strip sack of Dak Prescott.
Safety Juan Thornhill received an 82.2 grade from PFF for his nine total tackles including eight solo stops and a tackle for loss.
Guard Wyatt Teller did his best to keep Cowboys defenders from harassing Watson and got a 78.9 mark from PFF.
Rounding out the list were Cleveland defenders Greg Newsome and Grant Delpit.
Newsome, who GM Andrew Berry briefly considered trading before the 2024 NFL Draft, had one tackle and one pass defended for a 78.0 mark.
Delpit received a 67.5 grade with four solo tackles.
The Browns will look to get back to winning football this Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jacksonville led the Miami Dolphins in Week 1, 17-7, at halftime before getting shut out in the second half for a 20-17 loss.
Both teams met in Cleveland in Week 14 last year with the Browns prevailing, 31-27.
NEXT: Everyone's Asking The Same Thing About Browns' Offense
