What Browns’ Jerry Jeudy said about his key fumble vs. the Raiders, and his short press conference a week ago
BEREA, Ohio — Jerry Jeudy got ahead of himself on a key second-quarter fumble against the Las Vegas Raiders last week.
The mishap came after Jeudy corralled a 39-yard pass from Shedeur Sanders in open space.
It turned from a great play to an unfortunate one fast, as Jeudy didn’t feel Raiders safety Jeremy Chinn approaching. The DB then peanut punched the football out to force a fumble, which Vegas recovered.
“I was trying to make a play,” Jeudy said on Wednesday. “I was wide open. I saw three defenders right, I was (gonna) cut cross field. I ain’t feel him behind me. Simple as that.”
Jeudy drew plenty of criticism online for the play, as he slowed down, a decision that helped Chinn catch up.
But on rewatch, it’s clear Jeudy was going to try to cut back inside and make a move to beat the two defenders that were in front of him, hoping to find the end zone with the Browns already up 14-3.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski also agreed that the play wasn’t an effort issue.
“He was setting the player in front of him up to make a move there,” he said on Monday. “He will be better. That’s really a play that we expect him to make. That’s a huge play for our football team.
“We were about to get seven points, if not three on that drive and that’s a big play for us, and Jerry knows this. And, you know, we remind him and remind our players. It’s always the guy that you can’t see that they’re coming. So, I don’t think it was a loaf. It was a lack of ball security technique.”
The Browns went on to win the game 24-10, but that reception was Jeudy’s lone catch in the win.
Sanders and Jeudy failed to connect on two other targets, including one play earlier in the second quarter in which the rookie QB was picked off, his lone turnover in his first career start, with Jeudy facing a triple coverage on a curl route. The other missed target was on third-and-16 in the first quarter.
On another play in the second quarter, Sanders was unable to get the ball downfield to Jeudy on third-and-11 after a Raiders defender fell down.
Sanders did connect on some big gains with other playmakers, including Isaiah Bond (a 52-yard catch that helped set the tone), Dylan Sampson (who ran in a 66-yard TD on a screen pass) and Harold Fannin Jr.
But in order for the offense to really start humming, Sanders will need to unlock something with Jeudy, who has had his own frustrations this season with just 395 yards on 32 receptions and with one touchdown.
Last week, in an unusually short press conference filled with two- and three-word answers, fans speculated whether Jeudy was unhappy with his role, production, or yet another QB change.
This week, he was back to his usual self and explained his attitude was not related to football.
“I mean, I do play football, but I got a life outside of that,” Jeudy said. “Football is not the only thing I do.”
As for what Jeudy can do to get back on track with this offense, it’s all about continuing to develop chemistry with Sanders, who will make his second career start when the Browns host the 49ers on Sunday.
“We just got to keep doing what we’ve been doing in practice,” Jeudy said. “Get consistent reps, talk over the certain plays and be on the right page.”
And as for yet another quarterback change, it’s nothing Jeudy isn’t used to.
There was plenty of QB upheaval during the first four years of his career in Denver. Last year, his first in Cleveland, Jeudy caught passes from four different QBs. Last year he also had his first 1,000-yard season and Pro Bowl.
“I just keep being me,” he said. “I can’t control nothing but myself honestly. I just keep running routes, get open, do it. That’s all I can do. I can’t really tell you nothing else.”
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