Eagles' AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith make big plays as Browns lose fourth straight: Key takeaways

By Brooks Kubena, Zac Jackson and Amos Morale III

The Philadelphia Eagles welcomed back their top receivers, AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, both of whom had been out with injuries in recent weeks, and both made key plays in Sunday's 20-16 win over the Cleveland Browns.

Brown, who hadn't played since the season opener, caught a 22-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jalen Hurts and a 40-yard bomb late in the game to help Philadelphia run out the clock. Smith caught a 45-yard touchdown pass that gave the Eagles a 20-13 lead in the fourth quarter.

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The Browns lost their fourth straight game and their offense failed to score a touchdown, although quarterback Deshaun Watson posted a passer rating of 90.5, a season-best.

Eagles are far from perfect

The box score will show that Hurts was 16 of 25 passing for 264 yards and those touchdown passes to Brown and Smith. But Philadelphia once again looked disjointed offensively. The Eagles are the only NFL team not to score in the first quarter. Two consecutive false starts limited them to a field goal in the red zone.

Hurts started the game completing 0 of 5 passes. It didn't look like an offense that had emerged from a bye week with two weeks of preparation. Sunday was anything but easy for an offense that too often makes things harder for itself. — Brooks Kubena, Eagles beat writer

Philly's defense is showing improvement

Defensively, the Eagles overwhelmed Cleveland, allowing only three field goals. Seven defenders were involved in five sacks.

The defense also had four tackles for a loss. The secondary got a much-needed boost from rookie Cooper DeJean, who debuted as the team's starting nickel. The No. 44 pick sacked Watson once and forced another sack on another tackle. The Browns gained 4.6 yards per play and were 3 of 12 on third down.

After strong struggles against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia's defense under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio showed it can be relied upon to stop attacks. — Kubena

Regarding injuries

The Eagles came out of their bye week completely healthy. They now have to deal with some concerning injuries to starting tight end Dallas Goedert (hamstring), cornerback Darius Slay (knee) and left tackle Jordan Mailata (hamstring). Mailata's illness appears to be the most serious and could be the most damaging.

The fifth-year veteran was transported after needing help limping off the field. The Eagles re-signed him to a three-year, $66 million contract extension in the offseason to solidify one of the NFL's best offensive lines.

The Philadelphia coaching staff relies on backup Fred Johnson, but Mailata has been a source of strength on and off the field. Goedert has struggled with injuries in each of the last three seasons. Grant Calcaterra and Jack Stoll don't get as much defensive attention. As for Slay, the Eagles have depth at cornerback. Isaiah Rodgers, who was reinstated this offseason after a one-game suspension, filled in for Slay. — Kubena

The Browns' offensive struggles continue

Although it was a strange game and Cleveland recovered, the offense did not score a touchdown.

What was the worst offense in the league remains the biggest problem and the main reason the Browns are now 1-5. What probably bothers Browns coach Kevin Stefanski most is that a touchdown would have been enough to at least get Cleveland into overtime — and there were multiple scoring opportunities for the Browns.

Penalties and errors continue to plague Cleveland, and while Watson simply wasn't good enough, he did get the Browns to the 3-yard line with several impressive throws in the final five minutes of the game. Two false start calls derailed that push, and fourth-quarter misses derailed the season. — Zac Jackson, Browns beat writer

Long list of problems

Injuries have increased, and Cleveland remains the only team not to score 300 yards or 20 points in a game. That's just not good enough. The defense kept the Browns alive in Philadelphia and the offense certainly played better in the second half, but Cleveland once again fell short.

Watson probably did enough in the second half to quell calls for a quarterback change, but he just wasn't good enough. Additionally, the Browns faltered with late penalties and an unexplained error in the third quarter when substitute Jameis Winston was called into the game for running short and Cleveland ran an end-around to little-used wide receiver Cedric Tillman.

There are timing and trust issues with this offense and this organization – from top to bottom. — Jackson

Required reading

(Photo: Heather Barry/Getty Images)