The Cleveland Browns went into Sunday having dropped seven straight home openers. That streak grew uglier by one against the Philadelphia Eagles, who -- behind quarterback Michael Vick -- turned a rather messy performance into a 17-16 win. It didn't come easy, thanks to a Browns defense that scrapped and befuddled Vick from beginning to end.
» Vick came out sharp, but Cleveland got to him repeatedly and frustrated the veteran quarterback with well-disguised coverages that led to four interceptions, including a 27-yard pick six by Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson.
» The most fascinating matchup came between Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson and Browns cornerback Joe Haden. Haden kept Jackson to four catches for 77 yards, a total that doesn't really tell the story of how well Cleveland's best player held up.
»Brandon Weeden's first NFL pass was a 24-yard bullet to Mohamed Massaquoi, but the rookie quarterback struggled mightily in his debut, tossing four picks and failing to generate rhythm or threaten the Eagles' defense. He showed little ability to will the offense down field. Anything at all from Weeden, and this would have been the upset of the day.
»Trent Richardson was rusty out of the gate, but dropped hints of his power running style when he collided with the Eagles' Kurt Coleman and sent the free safety's helmet spinning into deep space. Across the field, LeSean McCoy showed why he might be the game's best back with a 110-yard day that showed off his speed and elusiveness.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
