Week 14 of the NFL season wasn’t a good one at all for the Cleveland Browns, as they lost to the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-10, while also losing any chance they may have had at qualifying for the playoffs.
But it was a relatively good showing for defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.
His numbers may not reflect as much, as he had just one solo tackle and one pass defended, but according to Pro Football Focus’ rating system, he did rather well.
Jadeveon Clowney had a 90.1 PFF grade vs the Bengals.
His best single-game mark since 2019, and the fourth best by any edge defender in Week 14.
His 6 pressures and 29.1% win rate were also season-highs. pic.twitter.com/WbN0R5TYV7
— PFF CLE Browns (@PFF_Browns) December 13, 2022
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who may be having his best season yet in year three, was lackluster on Sunday versus Cleveland, completing just 18 of 33 passes for 239 yards while throwing an interception.
Clowney had something to do with that, as did his partner in crime, Myles Garrett, who had two sacks and three tackles for loss.
The Browns’ defense has struggled all season, as they rank 16th in passing yards allowed, 18th in passing touchdowns allowed and 27th in points allowed, and although Clowney’s numbers on the season aren’t exactly gaudy, he has helped prevent things from getting worse.
It is very important that their defense pick things up in their final four games in order to build some momentum and resourcefulness for next season.
Will Clowney Stay Or Go?
Clowney signed a one-year deal in May to remain in Cleveland, but he may ultimately be too expensive for the team to keep in the fold beyond this year.
If he leaves, it will have to find a suitable replacement for him so that Garrett will have lots of help and support on the front seven.
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