We know a lot of Browns’ fans are upset with Sunday’s 41-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, which dropped Cleveland to 0-2 on the season. Our question is why? We thought everyone figured Kevin Stefanski’s squad would struggle against a tough schedule early in the year.
Did you really think they were going to win?
Let’s start with some positives. The Browns are not the worst team in the NFL, and it’s not close. They very well could have won the opener against the Bengals, and we know this sound silly, but the loss to the Ravens was not a lopsided as the score indicates.
Also, Cleveland’s defense is very good. They lead the NFL in defense through two games and frankly, they have played two offenses who are led by two of the best quarterbacks in the league.
Oh, and by the way, Myles Garrett has 3.5 sacks after two games.
The rookie class continues to impress. Mason Graham and Carson Schwesinger are starters and contributors on that impressive defense. Harold Fannin Jr. and Dylan Sampson look good, and Quinshon Judkins made his debut and carried 10 times for 61 yards and caught three passes too.
But the Browns continue to shoot themselves in the foot. They were tied for the NFL lead in turning the ball over last season and have done so five times (we are including the blocked punt as one) in the first two games.
They need to be able to win games on the margins, and if you keep giving the ball to the other team, that’s something they simply cannot overcome.
We kept hearing about Stefanski’s ground based offense, yet Joe Flacco has put the ball in the air a league high 90 times in the first two games. Hopefully that changes now that Judkins is integrated into the offense, but the coach’s offense also likes to run play action, and you can’t do that unless you can run it.
It appears the team may have overestimated their offensive line. Run blocking is an issue and without that ability, opponents are pressuring Flacco.
They seemed to be fine with Jack Conklin at RT, but over the past few years, he’s missed more time than he’s played. Why not look for a replacement in the off-season? Dewand Jones has been penalized five times in the two games.
Cleveland signed Teven Jenkins as a free agent in the off-season, and he can play tackle, why isn’t he getting some time? Why not take a look at second year player Luke Wypler, who supposedly the brass likes?
And special teams continue to be an issue. In the opener, it was Andre Smyzt missing an extra point and a very makable (by NFL standards) field goal. Sunday, it was having a punt blocked. The Browns can’t afford for the kicking game to be a negative. Just being a “zero” would be an improvement.
As for a change at QB? Let’s hope the Browns avoid making the same mistake they’ve made in the past, that is playing a rookie quarterback before he’s ready. Dillon Gabriel looked good in garbage time, but that’s exactly what it was.
He will start sometime this season, and perhaps Shedeur Sanders will too, but now is not the time. Stefanski needs to fix the other issues the offense has before inserting one of this year’s draft picks.
Cleveland Sports Perspective 