It was a feel-good Monday for the Browns, who were back to work at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus after Sunday's 41-16 rout of the Bengals.
The routine didn't change even though the previous day's result was so refreshingly different from the previous week. The Browns analyzed the good, the bad and the in-between before officially turning the page to their Week 10 matchup with the Patriots.
Yes, there was a lot to like and celebrate in the 25-point victory. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski hit on a number of those areas from the "good team win" while also acknowledging some "corrections" the team would make before moving forward to Week 10.
Two in particular — penalties and capitalizing on turnovers — came to the forefront as Stefanski met with reporters midway through the day.
The Browns committed a season-high 10 penalties Sunday, giving them 75 on the season. A number of the penalties were pre-snap miscues, including a first-half stretch of three defensive offsides penalties in which a player lined up in the neutral zone.
Check out the best photos from the Browns win over the Bengals yesterday by the Browns photo team
The defense during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) after a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Running back Nick Chubb (24) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Safety Richard LeCounte III (39) and Safety Ronnie Harrison (33) after a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Running back Nick Chubb (24) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Tight end David Njoku (85) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Safety John Johnson III (43) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) after a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Running Back D'Ernest Johnson (30) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Cornerback Greg Newsome II (20) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Safety Grant Delpit (22) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Offensive guard Wyatt Teller (77) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones (11) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Tight end David Njoku (85) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones (11) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Running back Nick Chubb (24) and Tight end David Njoku (85) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Cornerback Troy Hill (23) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Safety Grant Delpit (22) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
The stadium before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Tight end David Njoku (85) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (71) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Running back Nick Chubb (24) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) and Quarterback Joe Burrow (9) after a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) and Offensive guard Wyatt Teller (77) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Safety John Johnson III (43) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Safety John Johnson III (43) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones (11) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Linebacker Mack Wilson (51) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski and Quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21), Cornerback Greg Newsome II (20) and Safety Ronnie Harrison (33) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Offensive guard Joel Bitonio (75) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Offensive guard Joel Bitonio (75) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Linebacker Anthony Walker (4) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Linebacker Anthony Walker (4) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
The team before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Offensive guard Wyatt Teller (77) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Safety John Johnson III (43) and Linebacker Anthony Walker (4) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Safety Ronnie Harrison (33) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
Wide receiver Rashard Higgins (82) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on November 7, 2021 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 41-16.
On the season, the Browns have lost 197 more yards to penalties than their opponents.
"We are not a disciplined football team right now when it comes to penalties, and we have got to get it fixed," Stefanski said. "We are very close to being worst in the league, and that is an undisciplined team. That is what losing looks like. We have to clean that up because it is going to come back and bite you if we do not."
Fortunately, the penalties in this instance were a footnote in an otherwise dominant showing. So, too, were the two field goals the Browns kicked after defensive takeaways set them up with prime field position. Stefanski, of course, would have preferred touchdowns, which would have put the game out of reach even earlier than it was.
With three takeaways Sunday, the Browns increased their season total to eight. They've scored touchdowns directly after those takeaways twice, including Sunday's pick-six by CB Denzel Ward.
"That is not good enough, and that is something that we need to do better," Stefanski said. "That is where we are going to be counting on our defense to get those takeaways week in and week out, and when they do, we have to convert them into sevens."
Injury Update
CB Greedy WIlliams is "day to day" with a shoulder injury, Stefanski said. Williams suffered the injury during Sunday's first quarter and did not return to action.
Williams missed all of 2020 with a nerve issue in his shoulder and also dealt with a shoulder injury during the Browns' Week 5 loss to the Chargers. Williams has yet to miss a game this season.
"I hesitate to say it is the same thing, but it is all connected," Stefanski said. "It was acting up, and we will see how he responds over the next couple of days."
DE Takkarist McKinley played a limited number of snaps Sunday after missing the previous game with a groin injury. Stefanski said he considered McKinley "day to day" as well.
