The Cleveland Browns said all the right things about Sunday’s divisional playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. That is to say, no one talked about what a great season they had.
To our knowledge, from coach Kevin Stefanski on down, everyone talked about being angry and/or disappointed in the loss. And that’s exactly what you want to hear from a team. They won’t be happy until they are hoisting the Lombardi Trophy above their collective heads.
We aren’t saying the organization shouldn’t feel good about the strides made in the 2020 season. They won 11 games in the regular season, the most since 1994. They made the playoffs for the first time since 2002, and won a post-season game for the first time since that ’94 season.
All of those things are great, and they should be a step in the right direction. However, this organization and the players should feel like this is just foot forward in a process that will result in the franchise’s first Super Bowl berth.
Still, the game came down to the Browns having their weaker unit on the field at the end of the game and the defense couldn’t come through. Kansas City had a 3rd and 14 in their own territory with their All Pro quarterback in the locker room, and they were still able to convert a first down to run out the clock.
That is not meant as a disparaging comment against defensive coordinator Joe Woods. The Cleveland defense has two great players in Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward, a solid player in Sheldon Richardson, and perhaps a potential difference maker in Ronnie Harrison.
Injuries happen to every NFL team, but you can’t forget half of the projected secondary for the brown and orange, CB Greedy Williams and S Grant Delpit, missed the entire season.
The defense forced turnovers, yes, but if they weren’t doing that, they didn’t really have an answer for the real good offenses in the league.
As for criticism of Stefanski for punting in the fourth quarter, he had to be thinking with Chad Henne in at QB for Kansas City instead of Patrick Mahomes, his defense could get a stop and the Browns would have a chance for a game winning drive.
He got a sack from Myles Garrett on second down, but the unit has to get off the field on the 3rd and 14. They couldn’t.
The good news for Cleveland football fans is this is young football team. On offense, the oldest starters are WR Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr., both 28 years old.
Even on defense, the oldest starters are Richardson (30), DE Olivier Vernon (30), and S Andrew Sendejo (33), and he only started because Delpit was out this season.
And even better news is GM Andrew Berry has nine draft picks and a lot of cap space available to make improvements. Expect a defensive heavy draft, but you could see a wide receiver picked in the early rounds as well.
Also, here’s what we won’t be talking about until the draft comes to Cleveland this spring. No search for a head coach, no looking for a quarterback, no need for a new left tackle.
That’s the new normal for this football team and their fans.
We realize every season is different and injuries always raise their ugly head in the NFL. But it seems like the Browns have the right leadership and a foundation of some very good players.
And as he probably likes it, we didn’t even mention perhaps the best running back in the league in Nick Chubb.
Cleveland Sports Perspective 