NFL Week 11 Game Recap: Cleveland Browns 13, Detroit Lions 10

The hunt for Detroit’s first win of the 2021 season continues, as the Cleveland Browns rolled over the Lions 13-10 in Week 11 of the 2021 NFL season.

The 0-9-1 Lions’ losing streak now stretches to 350 days. They will look to finally get in the win column next week in their annual Thanksgiving game — this year against the Chicago Bears. The Browns will travel to Baltimore next week to take on the Ravens for Sunday Night Football.

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Cleveland Browns

Quarterback

Baker Mayfield has had a tumultuous year. Between injury and poor play, 2021 hasn’t been his best. Today, he completed 16 of his 35 attempts for 186 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, earning a 49.1 PFF passing grade upon first review.

Running Back

After a week of rumors surrounding Nick Chubb’s playing status, it appeared as though the rusher was on a snap count. Still, his efforts didn’t go unnoticed. He finished the day with 24 attempts for 146 yards — an average of 6.1 yards per carry. Additionally, Chub caught both of his targets for 14 yards and a receiving touchdown.

Filling in for the starter, D'Ernest Johnson received a good share of carries and rushed for 26 yards on five attempts. 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Jarvis Landry was the first Browns player to score today, though it didn't come through the air. In the first half, Landry took a snap in the Wildcat formation, faked a pass and ran it into the end zone for the touchdown.

.@God_Son80 the ultimate dual-threat!

????: #DETvsCLE on FOX
????: Browns mobile app pic.twitter.com/VmKQ24QU5R

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) November 21, 2021

Landry looked average as a receiver, catching four of his 10 targets for 26 yards.

The receiving star of the day, however, was Austin Hooper. The tight end caught four of his six targets for 53 yards, 31 of which came after the catch.

Fellow tight end David Njoku also got some valuable looks from Mayfield and snagged three receptions for 30 yards.

Offensive Line

The offensive line played well enough for Mayfield, with three of the five linemen grading above 67.0. The unit allowed just four pressures and only a single sack.

Cleveland Offensive Line vs. Detroit

Defensive Line

Myles Garrett is one of the league's premier defenders for a reason. On his way to a 70.0-plus pass-rushing grade, he recorded four total pressures.

Malik McDowell also looked great, with three pressures and a 70.6 pass-rushing grade on PFF's first review.

Jadeveon Clowney was king when it came to stopping the Lions’ rushing attack. He didn’t have a single negatively graded play, which resulted in a 77.8 run-defense grade on first review.

Linebacker

Anthony Walker was the clear leader of the linebacker corps when they had to stop the run. He tackled the ball carrier four times and also had an assist.

Meanwhile, Malcolm Smith looked excellent in coverage. He allowed only 12 yards on three receptions and caught an interception from Lions quarterback Tim Boyle.

Secondary

Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams had excellent days in coverage for the Browns’ secondary. Ward allowed two receptions but no yards. He also caught a Boyle interception and dropped another.

Williams allowed only one reception on three targets for no gain.

Detroit Lions

Quarterback

Jared Goff, who was dealing with an injury, sat today’s game out. Filling in for him was Tim Boyle, a fourth-year quarterback from Eastern Kentucky University. To be short, Boyle didn’t look great in his first NFL start.

In all, he went 16-for-25 for 91 yards and two interceptions and will likely end PFF's grading review with a sub-50.0 PFF grade.

Running Back

D'Andre Swift was arguably the best performer for the Lions today. He rushed 14 times for 136 yards and the team’s only touchdown. He forced three missed tackles, had five explosive rushes of 10 or more yards and averaged 9.7 yards per carry.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

T.J. Hockenson is another big bright spot on an otherwise bleak Detroit team. Today, he proved why he should be in the conversation for the top tight end in the league, catching six passes for 51 yards. He was Boyle’s most-targeted pass-catcher, with seven total targets. 

Fellow tight end Brock Wright and Amon-Ra St. Brown also looked solid in today’s loss. They collectively caught all six of their combined targets for 44 yards.

Offensive Line

Penei Sewell was the Lions’ best offensive lineman today. The first-round pick didn't allow a single pressure and is on course for a 70.0-plus pass-blocking grade. Still, the unit as a whole allowed seven total pressures.

Defensive Line

Charles Harris led the Lions’ defensive line today. Grading at 69.3 on first review, Harris recorded four tackles, two quarterback hits and a hurry.

Michael Brockers also had himself a day, with three tackles. Austin Bryant found Mayfield for the only sack of the day.

All in all, the defensive line didn’t look great in run defense, allowing 200 total rushing yards, but they heavily contributed to Mayfield’s poor performance. 

Linebacker

Jalen Reeves-Maybin looked decent in coverage, earning a coverage grade of 76.2, but the rest of the unit was disappointing.

Alex Anzalone put up an overall grade of 28.7, while Derrick Barnes got busted in coverage for 29 yards on two receptions. In total, the linebackers allowed 42 receiving yards and five receptions from nine targets.

Secondary

The Lions’ secondary wasn’t great either. The six players who played 16 or more coverage snaps gave up 22 receptions for 144 yards. The worst offender was by far Amani Oruwariye, who allowed three receptions for 50 yards. It wasn’t all bad for Oruwariye, though, as he caught one of Mayfield’s two picks.

A.J. Parker caught the other pick and didn’t give up any receiving yardage on two receptions.