Cleveland Browns center Ethan Pocic has been 'quietly playing extremely well' this season

A case of mistaken identity involving new Browns center Ethan Pocic turned an old football adage on its head Sunday.

The widely accepted saying goes something like this: If an offensive lineman's name isn't mentioned, it's an indication that he's probably playing well.

Well, when coach Kevin Stefanski chose to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Cleveland 34-yard line with 8:55 left in the third quarter and running back Kareem Hunt was stuffed for a 4-yard loss, CBS game analyst Adam Archuleta inadvertently blamed Pocic on the telecast.

“The center, Ethan Pocic, just misses,” Archuleta said while reviewing a replay of the crucial down. “This is a whiff. Right here, he just whiffs, and look at that penetration!”

Viewers who merely trusted their ears without paying close attention may have missed Pocic blocking down on Austin Johnson during the play while Pro Bowl right guard Wyatt Teller missed Christian Covington, another Chargers defensive lineman. Covington maneuvered past Teller with a miniature swim move and tackled Hunt in the backfield.

Seven plays later, the Chargers (3-2) parlayed the turnover on downs into a 25-yard field goal by Taylor Bertolet, and they ultimately defeated the Browns 30-28 at FirstEnergy Stadium.

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But don't shame Pocic. He has actually been an under-the-radar bright spot for the Browns (2-3) amid their disappointing start to the season, which they desperately need to get back on track Sunday at home against the New England Patriots (2-3).

“He's done a good job,” four-time Pro Bowl left guard Joel Bitonio told the Beacon Journal. “Our offense is very multiple. So even from team to team, if you come into our offense as a center, you have to know a lot of rules and a lot of things, and we get a lot of defenses that some other teams don't get because we play three tight ends a lot. He's taken that and done a great job. He's really learned the offense and been a good center for us. In our offense, too, we ask our centers to pull, pass protect a lot one on one, which other teams don't really do. He's really grown from that.”

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It's important to remember the Browns considered Pocic a contingency plan when they struck an agreement with him in late March to sign him as an unrestricted free agent. General Manager Andrew Berry had cut standout center JC Tretter on March 15 in a cost-saving move with the idea of turning to 2020 fifth-round draft pick Nick Harris as the starter in the middle of the offensive line.

Harris served as the first-string center throughout spring practices and training camp, but he suffered a right knee injury Aug. 12 in the preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars and underwent season-ending surgery. Instead of trying to re-sign Tretter or make a move for another center, the Browns stood pat and gave Pocic a shot.

“You always have to be ready,” Pocic said. “You're always competing. The moment you stop competing, you're not getting better anymore.”

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That mentality has helped Pocic take advantage of his most recent opportunity. Through five games, he is ranked fourth among the 39 qualifying centers ProFootballFocus.com has graded this season.

“He's quietly playing extremely well,” offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said. “There's not a lot of glaring issues in his game at all. He's really stepped in and not missed a beat. He does a great job of getting everybody directed in the run game. Rarely is there a situation where we're unsure of where we're going and who guys are going to. He's really good in communication, understands our protection schemes extremely well [and] gets us in the right calls in protection as well. And then physically, he's playing well right now. Really happy with where Ethan is.”

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How Ethan Pocic landed with the Cleveland Browns in NFL free agency after five seasons with the Seattle Seahawks

Pocic spent the past five years with the Seattle Seahawks, who drafted him in the second round (No. 58 overall) in 2017 out of Louisiana State University and started him in 40 of his 57 regular-season games with them.

But when Pocic hit the open market in March, NFL teams were not clamoring to sign him as a surefire starter.

“As soon as I wasn't going to get a big contract, a long-term contract, everything was pretty low, league minimum for the most part, I just went to the team with the best coaches and the best players,” said Pocic, who grew up with an older brother, Graham, playing offensive line at the University of Illinois.

The Browns signed Pocic to a one-year contract with a veteran minimum base salary of $1.035 million, according to an NFL Players Association database, plus a $152,500 signing bonus, per spotrac.com.

“I just trusted the instincts God gave me,” Pocic said of his decision to join the Browns. “I'm big on faith. So I thank Him. It's all part of God's plan.”

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Pocic's strategy to seek top-notch guidance led him to offensive line coach Bill Callahan and assistant offensive line coach Scott Peters. He explained they have taught him techniques he had not previously used, but he didn't want to disclose details.

“[Callahan is] a great O-line coach,” Pocic, 27, said. “He knows the schemes. He knows the techniques. He knows how to coach individual players. He's as advertised.

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“He's always trying to learn new stuff. He'll always have an open ear, whereas some coaches, this is how they do it, this is how they've had success, but he doesn't have an ego, and he has a very open ear.”

Pocic, listed as 6-foot-6 inches and 320 pounds, also managed to position himself between Bitonio, a first-team All Pro, and Teller, a second-team All Pro.

“It's awesome,” he said. “Two completely different players, but they're so great. They make me better.”

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Bitonio pointed to Pocic's run blocking as his greatest strength. The Browns have the NFL's top-ranked rushing offense (192.4 yards per game). Starting running back Nick Chubb is first in the league in rushing yards (593) and touchdowns (seven), second in number of carries (98) and fifth in average yards per attempt (6.05).

“When [Pocic] gets on a guy, he kind of has that Wyatt-like finish to him where he goes and he's driving guys to the ground,” Bitonio said. “But he also does a great job communicating and making sure we're all on the same page.

“I think him, Scotty, Coach Callahan have done a good job of really just keep developing him, and he wants to get better, so he always puts in extra time on the field. He's been really solid for us so far.”

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When Pocic was asked whether he arrived in Cleveland hoping to prove himself to the entire NFL after he didn't secure a lucrative contract offer in free agency, he explained he's not the type of player who will make a bold statement in the media.

“You've just got to make the most of your circumstances,” he added.

Pocic is all business with his teammates, too.

“We kind of joke about it because he's always locked in,” Bitonio said. “In the huddle sometimes, we'll be like, 'Let's lock in. Let's lock in.' We don't need to tell Po because he's always locked in. JC was a little bit more of jokester sometimes, but Po is like 100% ball when he's out on the field.”

The Browns have no complaints about "Po," though.

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Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com.

On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns center Ethan Pocic's business-like approach pleases team