The Continuing Evolution of Donovan Peoples-Jones

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones had established himself as a reliable receiver this season, but the past two games, he's demonstrated he still has room to grow, making game changing plays as a punt returner in back to back victories.

Monday after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers overtime victory in which Donovan Peoples-Jones returned five punts for a total of 75 yards, the Cleveland Browns wide receiver answered a question as to whether he felt he was close to breaking one, saying, "I did. I feel like I am getting better. I feel like I am improving. The guys really were helping me out a lot yesterday with the blocks and opening up lanes for me to cut through. That definitely played a part in my confidence in the return game yesterday, as well.”

It only took a week for DPJ to break one, going 76 yards against the Houston Texans and scoring the first punt return touchdown for the Browns since week two of the 2015 season by Travis Benjamin. Jones would've been a junior in high school at the time.

Like the returns against the Bucs, the 76-yard touchdown played a critical role in helping the Browns secure the victory in Houston. Down 5-0 halfway through the second quarter with quarterback Deshaun Watson struggling to function, the Browns decided to punt on 4th-and-1. Normally, the Browns wouldn't hesitate to go for it, but between the obvious discomfort Watson was displaying and understandable concerns up front given the team had just surrendered a safety the previous possession, they opted to punt to flip the field.

The defense was able to force a three-and-out, doing their part to capitalize on the good field position. The Browns were primed to get the ball back with a short field, but DPJ opted to streamline the process, scoring it himself.

Fielding the ball at his own 24-yard line, Jones recognized the lane to his right. He made the first man miss and was able to shake the second, first hesitating and then making a jump cut to the right before attacking the open lane. He was able to keep his balance when an opponent tried to trip him up by his foot. After that, he accelerated to the end zone.

one cut and GONE 👏

📺: #CLEvsHOU on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/5BadU3fWmG

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) December 4, 2022

It took DPJ just 13 seconds to reach the end zone, giving the Browns a lead they wouldn't relinquish. His meteoric rise as a punt returner has provided the Browns another means to attack the opponent.

Before last week's performance against the Bucs, Jones had returned 35 punts in his NFL career, averaging just 5.8 yards per return. A good average is 10 yards and DPJ was barely getting half of that.

The past two weeks, he's returned eight punts for a total of 161 yards and a touchdown. He's averaging 12.1 yards per return without including the 76-yard touchdown. The last punt return touchdown for Jones was during his sophomore year at Michigan against Nebraska. There, the Wolverines used any excuse to get the ball to DPJ to see if he could make something happen.

The transition to the NFL has been a clunky one. At times during his rookie year, it looked as if he'd never fielded a punt before. He'd end up misjudging the ball and awkwardly reach to catch it outside his frame. Even when he fielded it cleanly, he was often tentative on the return.

The past two games, DPJ looks confident. He's seeing so much more of the field. The game has slowed down for him. So much of that comfort appears to be related to his development as a wide receiver. 

Outside of opportunities where DPJ had open field in front of him, he's largely caught passes and almost immediately been tackled in his first two seasons. Some of that is a product of the separation he hasn't really created, but he also had a habit of taking exactly what the defense gave him with the ball in his hands. 

In his second season, DPJ tried to be aggressive with the ball in his hands initially, trying to grow in his role. Unfortunately, he fumbled twice. That likely caused him to once again focusing on protecting the ball and taking what the defense gave him to avoid costly mistakes that might land him on the bench.

Now in year three, DPJ is trusting himself more. He didn't let a lost fumble against the Baltimore Ravens discourage him. He's been more willing to try to make plays with the ball in his hands, which notably included hurdling a Cincinnati Bengals defender in lopsided primetime victory on Halloween.

Whether that play was an epiphany or just a product of increased confidence, DPJ is evolving into a playmaker for the Browns. Even though it came in a game the offense would rather forget, DPJ was also the team's leading receiver against the Texans, catching three passes for 44 yards, including a 27-yard strike that was easily Deshaun Watson's best throw of the day.

In twelve games, DPJ has already surpassed his season-high for receiving yardage. He now has 637 yards on 45 receptions, second on the team behind Amari Cooper in both categories. With his contributions as a punt returner, he's making it more likely the Browns will sign him to a contract extension after the season, something they likely already planned to do. The move would ensure the top three receiving threats remain on the team for the foreseeable future, but it also means locking up their punt returner.

Still just 23 years old, the evolution of Donovan Peoples-Jones has been one of the most enjoyable parts of this Cleveland Browns season and at this point, it's just waiting to see what he's going to do next.