Defense owns the day, Browns playing tough vs. Packers – Terry Pluto’s Halftime Scribbles

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Scribbles in my Browns halftime notebook as Green Bay led, 3-0.

1. Defense dominated the first half as neither team came close to scoring a touchdown. The only points came on a 39-yard field goal by Green Bay’s Brandon McManus.
2. The Browns defense was superb, holding the Packers to 91 total yards. They sacked Jordan Love three times.
3. The Browns offense could do little with Green Bay. Quinshon Judkins carried the ball eight times for 24 yards. Joe Flacco was 11 of 16 passing for 87 yards.
4. The Browns decided to put Dawand Jones at right tackle, his natural position at Ohio State. That strategy lasted only four plays before Jones left with a knee injury. The Browns also were without Jack Conklin, who is dealing with an elbow injury.
5. That left the Browns with KT Leveston at right tackle and Cornelius Lucas at left tackle. This was not the plan for Game 3 when the season opened. This was Leveston’s second career NFL game. Lucas is a 12-year veteran who has made 55 starts.
6. The Browns’ problems at tackle on the offensive line have made life tough for Joe Flacco. The Packers came into the game with eight sacks, 21 QB hits and 33 pressures.
7. The Browns sacked Green QB Jordan Love in the first quarter, by Mason Graham and Maliek Collins. The Browns would have had another sack on Love in the second quarter when rookie Carson Schwesinger nailed the QB on a blitz. But the Browns were flagged for too many men on the field. Linebacker Devin Bush took too long getting off the field when the Browns substituted.
8. Later in the second quarter, the Browns pressured Love again. This time, it was Alex Wright with sack for the Browns. And this time, no penalty on Cleveland.