3 Browns Players Who Need to Bounce Back Following Another Troubling Week

The Cleveland Browns were able to scratch and claw their way to a victory in week two down in Tampa Bay against the Buccaneers.

After braving the storm and securing a 23-19 win, the Browns now head back to Cleveland for their home opener in week three. Even after their first win of the season, there are some notes to be made regarding a few Browns players who had underwhelming performances.

It’s difficult to complain after a big win on the road, but these three Browns players were alarmingly quiet and need to get right this week in practice to turn things around when they host the Carolina Panthers this Sunday.

Here are the players that need to turn their attention to week three and put together a better game to contribute on the field.

Jared Verse

After being acquired in the blockbuster Myles Garrett trade earlier in the summer, the expectations for Verse were astronomically high, not to mention the shoes he’d be filling on defense. So far, Verse hasn’t done much damage on the defensive line.

Through two games this season, Verse has four solo tackles and one assisted tackle with a tackle for loss, and that’s it. No sacks, no forced fumbles; Verse has yet to really break through on this Cleveland defense.

However, it’s only been two weeks. There’s still plenty of time for Verse to make an impact, and nobody is asking for him to rival Garrett’s record-breaking year last season. The sacks will come, and tackles aren’t as plentiful for defensive lineman as they are for linebackers.

The most important thing for Verse is staying healthy, as his presence on a very thin defensive line for the Browns is very crucial for defensive sustainability. There’s no rush for Verse to have a massive game, but it would be nice to see him record a sack or two in week three.

Quinshon Judkins

Judkins is coming off of a pretty serious fibula and ankle injury he suffered in the later stages of last season, so he’s given somewhat of a grace period to ramp up his production. The biggest thing with Judkins is that he’s their feature running back, which demands much more.

After backup running back Dylan Sampson went down with an injury and is out for an undisclosed period of time, Judkins needs to contribute weekly to their run game.

Through two games this season, Judkins has 24 carries for 54 yards and zero touchdowns. He was even out gained by quarterback Deshaun Watson on Sunday, who had a real turn-back-the-clock game against Tampa Bay.

While Cleveland’s offensive line is still a work in progress with injuries forcing some early changes to the line, Judkins has the talent to make do with what he’s given. He’ll be expected to produce more moving forward, which should be a heavy focus in practice this week.

Jerry Jeudy

Jeudy has had a real up-and-down tenure in Cleveland since being acquired back in 2024 and is having his worst start to a season of his career. Through the first two weeks, Jeudy has two receptions for 24 yards and zero touchdowns; being invisible in the Browns’ passing game.

It’s seeming more and more like Jeudy’s time in Cleveland could be coming to an end sooner rather than later, especially after the breakout games of rookie Denzel Boston and the uprising of fellow rookie KC Concepcion.

There’s nothing wrong with the Browns embracing their youth in the wide receiver room, especially with Isaiah Bond involved in their offense as well. However, that could mean a trade is on the horizon to send Jeudy to a receiver-needy team. The Browns did just add wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. last week, a former teammate of quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

Only time will tell as to when Jeudy could make an impact in Cleveland’s offense, or if he even will. Regardless, the Browns will look to keep their momentum rolling into week three at home against the Carolina Panthers.

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