BEREA, Ohio - Three leftover and/or interesting things in the aftermath of Browns 26, Saints 24...
1. The NFL is always unpredictable. The Browns having scored 53 points through two games -- second most in the AFC, fourth most in the league pending Monday night's result -- is one of the biggest early surprises. The Browns didn't get a touchdown in the preseason from their first-team offense until the fourth preseason game against the Bears third-team defense, and after a slow start in Pittsburgh it's like we're seeing a brand-new team. We're seeing a faster team (even though the winning drive Sunday was head-scratchingly methodical, it worked) that's run 136 plays through two games, tied for seventh-most in the league, and has the seventh-best rushing attack at 136 yards per game. The Browns mixed in Johnny Manziel for three plays against the Saints. Brian Hoyer acknowledged that made him "mad," and after Manziel's last play Hoyer went 15-of-19 the rest of the way. Hoyer hasn't thrown an interception, and for whatever his limitations are the limitations of this receiving crew put on him, most times a team that doesn't turn the ball over in an NFL game will have a chance to win at the end.
2. The Browns got outgained by 73 yards and outrushed by 52 Sunday and still won. That's credit to timely defense, like Tashaun Gipson's interception return touchdown, Karlos Dansby's late sack to knock the Saints out of field goal range, and the early strong defense that led to good field position and a 10-0 lead. The Saints outgain lots of teams, and Jimmy Graham is uncoverable against lots of teams, but the Browns found a way to win the game, anyway. It's still early, but Dansby has been an A-plus player and his fellow 2014 free-agent classmate Andrew Hawkins isn't a world-beater but has made plays to put the Browns in position to win two games. If these rookies keep coming along, maybe these Browns can better sooner than most of us thought. Maybe. It's a long way to December.
3. Eighteen of the NFL's 32 teams are 1-1 through two weeks before 1-0 Philadelphia plays 0-1 Indianapolis Monday night. The Saints, the league's highest-scoring team, are 0-2, and if the Colts lose Monday night three playoff teams from 2013 will be 0-2. The point isn't just that there's a long way to go. It's that winning close games and developing your own formula are the only ways to survive and thrive. Next up for the Browns are the Ravens, who will be playing their third straight division game and have only allowed one touchdown all season, yet are 1-1. It's not about style points. It's just about having more points when the clock shows 0:00.
