Stefanski Should Stay, But Be More Flexible

We have gone on record saying we do not want the Cleveland Browns to fire Kevin Stefanski. But that doesn’t mean the coach doesn’t have things he needs to adjust in his style going into next season.

We have alluded to this before, but it’s a bit unfair to hang this year’s win-loss record on the head coach because we wonder if the front office was all in on winning in 2022 after the suspension of Deshaun Watson.

There are those who question Stefanski’s ability as a “leader of men” and we think that’s unfair because we don’t know how he reacts with the players on a daily basis. Football fans love the “in your face” style of coaches like Bill Cowher and Dan Campbell, but in a lot of cases, that wears thin after a while.

Earlier in the year, when the defense was playing poorly, we wanted Stefanski to be proactive and say he was going to get involved with the defensive game plan, in other words, be responsible for the entire operation and not just the offense, which sometimes it feels like.

We get the Browns are very tightlipped in matters like this, and perhaps Stefanski has had many conversations with Woods, but it would be nice to know he sees the same things we all see.

The coach also needs to improve in this area: You don’t always have to be the smartest guy in the room. This is an issue with a lot of young coaches, and the good ones learn from it. We think sometimes the obvious decision is the right decision.

Decisions like kicking field goals on the road early in games. We know the numbers probably say to go for it at times, but if you are going to take the human element out of things, you really don’t need a head coach.

The analytics thing actually goes toward the entire organization. The Browns were recently said to be the organization that uses the number more than anyone.

We aren’t anti-analytics, but it shouldn’t be the only way of reaching decisions any more than the old school coaching system would be. It should be a mixture, and by the way, that should apply to all sports. The more information from all areas the better.

We would also like to see the coach be more proactive rather than reactive. He seems to go away from the strengths of his team too soon. Again, from last Sunday, the Browns scored their only touchdown on three straight plays to David Njoku. We feel the tight end should be one of the focal points of the offense. We know he’s had injury issues, but when he’s healthy, maybe he should get the most targets.

Kind of a “ride the hot hand” mentality.

Most people get better at their job the longer they do it. Coaches don’t get a long leash these days, but it certainly isn’t the Hue Jackson 1-15 and 0-16 seasons for the Browns.

If the Browns win their last four games, and they have a solid chance to do just that, they will finish 9-8, a slight improvement from last year.

We would like to see Stefanski make some changes to his coaching staff going into 2023 and then re-evaluate him. If he doesn’t want to make changes, that might give you the answer we are looking for.

Also, notice we didn’t say anything about his demeanor in interviews or press conferences. The way he handles these is not going to change, and quite frankly, we are stunned people are still upset by his monotone cliche answers. That has nothing to do with his ability to coach.

Two In A Row And A Huge Game Vs. Bengals

When the Browns defeated Tampa Bay last week, we thought it was kind of like the “double dip”, scoring right before halftime and then getting the second half kickoff and scoring as well, because the dreadful Houston Texans (sorry, Nick Caserio) were next on the schedule.

Even though Cleveland didn’t score an offensive touchdown, the maligned units of the team, defense and special teams, contributed three of them and Kevin Stefanski’s crew went to 5-7 with the victory.

This sets up a huge matchup in southern Ohio against the 8-4 Bengals this Sunday, a contest that could be a big turning point for the brown and orange.

Winning in Cincinnati would put the Browns at 6-7 with two games at home against the Ravens and Saints, and Baltimore could be without Lamar Jackson in that one, although they will have Justin Tucker.

Stefanski’s squad is in a tough spot because of the tie breaker situation in the AFC, where they lose most of the head-to-head comparisons. Here is a list of the non-division leaders sitting at 7-5 or below:

Jets 7-5 – beat the Browns in week two
Patriots 6-6 – beat the Browns in week six
Chargers 6-6 – beat the Browns in week five
Steelers 5-7 – Browns won the first matchup
Raiders 5-7 – no game between the two teams.

Could the Browns lose one more game and still make the post-season as a wild card? Sure, but a lot of things would have to bounce their way. And a loss next Sunday in the Queen City surely means Cleveland would have to run the table to have any chance at playing beyond January 8th at Pittsburgh.

To us, a victory against the Bengals would improve the post-season chances from slim to decent, and not just because the Browns would get closer to .500, but it would be their third consecutive win, signaling perhaps they have turned the corner.

There is no doubt Deshaun Watson was very rusty Sunday, completing just 12 of 22 passes for 131 yards, spiking a number of them into the ground. We would expect a better performance next week, but the Cleveland game plan still should go through, or should we say run through Nick Chubb.

The Browns ran for 174 yards against the Texans, the seventh time in 12 games they have gone over 170. The last three times they’ve done that have resulted in wins, including the 32-13 win on Halloween against Cincy. And the Bengals are just middle of the pack in terms of stopping the run.

Stefanski also needs his defense to continue to hold up their end of the bargain. The Browns allowed their fewest yards of the season in the first game against the Bengals, but they will have Ja’Marr Chase this weekend, and he’s one of the best in the league.

We don’t buy into Cleveland’s recent success against Joe Burrow and the Bengals. They are the defending AFC Champions and are coming off a big win against the Chiefs in a rematch of the AFC Championship game last season.

It will take the Browns playing at their best, which is what every team should be striving for, to get better each week.

We say a win next Sunday puts Cleveland seriously back in the playoff chase. They can’t slip up for sure, but it feels like their positions will be much stronger.

“Fire The Coach” Isn’t The Answer After Every Loss

It’s the reaction pretty much every time a good team loses: Fire the coach!

We have heard it each week the Browns lose. Kevin Stefanski needs to go. We heard it after Ohio State lost at home to Michigan, fire Ryan Day.

Confession here. We have coached at the high school and AAU levels, and although we understand it is not the same as coaching at the collegiate or professional levels, we understand that no matter what coaches map out, sometimes the players don’t do what they are supposed to do.

We also are not saying coaches should never get fired. When the players start tuning out what their leader is saying, it’s usually time to make a change.

To us, coaching is getting the most out of the players they have. We dislike the “system” coaches, the folks that say this is the way we coach, the scheme we use and the talent has to adapt.

That’s silly, and that thought comes from coaching at the high school level. You don’t get to pick your players at that level, so you can’t have a “system”, you coach the players you have.

Bad coaches become slaves to their systems. They are one trick ponies. And if that system doesn’t work and they fail using it time and again, and don’t alter anything? Then, they should lose their job and the reason should be stubborness.

The best coaches understand that. The great Don Shula won with a crushing ground attack and then drafted Dan Marino and decided a passing attack was the way to go.

However, it really is about understanding that coaches are people, and they make mistakes just like anyone else. They have bad days and sometimes they make bad decisions. If they make the same bad choices week after week or game after game, then their boss may have to do something.

One thing a coach should understand is the players know who can play and who cannot. And coaches need the trust of the players. They lose that trust if they use someone in a situation where they cannot succeed or if they lose a less talented player because of a personal issue.

Do the Browns trust and want to play for Kevin Stefanski? Right now, we see no evidence they aren’t, but if the defensive players have lost faith in Joe Woods, and he doesn’t do anything about that, he could have a problem in the locker room.

As for Day, first of all, his record at Ohio State is 45-5. He deserves the benefit of the doubt and the benefit of tweaking his philosophy. His “crime” right now is perhaps the Buckeyes have become a bit of a finesse team. If Day sees the same thing, and his team gets better on the line of scrimmage next year, then he will have fixed the issue, but that won’t be fully tested until they play their rivals.

Coaching isn’t just x’s and o’s. It’s being a leader, being accountable, being a listener, being a counselor, and also knowing something about the sport they are coaching.

Think about that the next time your favorite team loses. It may not be the coach’s fault and he should not have to pay for having a bad day with his or her job.

Browns Win, Still Have A Pulse

The Cleveland Browns live for another week.

A loss on Sunday to Tampa Bay would have pretty much put the final nail into the coffin representing the 2022 NFL season, but because David Njoku made a tremendous catch to send the game into overtime and the defense kept Tom Brady off the scoreboard in overtime, the Browns won it in the last minute to go to 4-7.

Now, nothing is for certain because it’s the NFL and you know, “Any Given Sunday”, but with the woeful Texans coming up on the schedule Cleveland should be able to get to 5-7, and then it’s a matter of winning division games if Kevin Stefanski’s squad have any chance at a playoff spot.

Again, the odds are heavily stacked against them, but there still is a chance.

Cleveland was able to win because the Buccaneers decided not to run the ball, probably because they have Tom Brady. In the first half, they had success (most teams do) on the ground, not ended the game with only 96 yards, albeit on just 20 attempts. So, they averaged almost five yards per carry. It was a situation similar to the first 20 minutes of the Buffalo game until the Bills remembered the Browns can’t stop the ground game.

They were able to dial up pressure on Brady in the fourth quarter. Myles Garrett, who some feel (we do not) doesn’t get “important” sacks, came up with one and a half late in the game and also drew a penalty for an offensive lineman having his hands in Garrett’s face.

He came up big in this one for sure.

Oh, and by the way, he now has 68.5 sacks in 78 career games. Since we go by the ProFootballreference.com statistics, that puts him 4th on the team’s all-time list behind Bill Glass (94 games), Clay Matthews (232 games), and Jerry Sherk (147 games).

They won because Martin Emerson played a tremendous game, holding Mike Evans to just two catches for 31 yards.

Last week, Denzel Ward took Stefon Diggs out of the game against Buffalo. Could the defense be beginning to realize their best option is to play man-to-man on outside receivers?

And they won because Nick Chubb was, well, Nick Chubb, gaining 116 yards on 26 carries, including a big run on the game tying drive.

It pushed Chubb over 1000 yards for the four straight year. The last Cleveland runner to do that? Try the GOAT: Jim Brown. He’s now 4th on the Browns’ all-time list behind Brown, Leroy Kelly, and Mike Pruitt. It’s not a stretch to think he could be #2 by the end of next season if he stays healthy.

Cleveland has six games left and likely needs to win all six, or at least five, but then the tiebreakers become an issue, and the Browns don’t have a lot, if any, advantages there.

The three non-divisional games are at Houston (1-9-1), home vs. New Orleans (4-8) and at Washington (7-5). And remember, Deshaun Watson is back for next week. The Browns have the talent to win those games, but the question remains as to whether or not they can.

And of course, there are the three divisional games, with Cleveland already at 2-1 against the AFC North. We know from the past, all of those games will be a dogfight.

It has been a disappointing season to say the least, but now they have their franchise QB back, a guy they committed a boatload of money to, and a player we believe is a top five quarterback in the NFL.

Could the Browns run the table? Probably not, but they have a chance, something they wouldn’t have without Njoku’s catch, Chubb’s running, and a defense that stepped up.

Another Frustration Rant About The Browns

The nightmarish season for the Cleveland Browns just keeps getting worse and worse.

Sunday, it appeared the Buffalo Bills wanted to throw and throw and throw some more early on, until they remembered the Browns’ defense can’t stop the run, and they proceeded to go with the ground game, rushing for 171 yards in a 31-23 defeat of Cleveland.

It’s the fifth time in the last seven games the Browns defense has allowed 160 or more yards on the ground. By the way, the average NFL team runs for a little over 120 yards, so Joe Woods’ defense is simply getting gashed in the running game.

We are saying this for the umpteenth time. If you cannot stop the run in the NFL, you are not going to win. It’s really that simple.

It feels like the entire organization has decided to exercise the Deshaun Watson trade and suspension as a built-in excuse for this season. The talk all year feels like “if we can just be competitive until Deshaun comes back”, as if their record would be erased when Watson steps on the field in Houston on December 4th.

Other teams around the league have put together decent records despite quarterback play worse than Cleveland has received from Jacoby Brissett this season.

We have seen some bloggers suggest that it is really about the 2023 season, which is pretty cavalier of the ownership and front office since they’ve never been to a Super Bowl and haven’t won an NFL Championship since 1964.

So, nothing has changed from the days where the Browns were like the sign in the bar: “Free beer tomorrow”.

It struck me after the game about Buffalo QB Josh Allen’s comment about being the Buffalo Bills, and that’s why they had to toughen up. There is no identity here, and right now, it feels like just one excuse after another.

In typical Cleveland tradition, fans and media alike want Kevin Stefanski replaced as head coach and another house cleaning to ensue. As we have stated, we think this would be the wrong move, but we understand the sentiment.

It would be great if Stefanski took some sort of action. We can’t see how letting Joe Woods and/or Mike Priefer remain at their coordinator jobs is a good idea. You can’t fire people after one bad game, and we get there are people out there who think that way.

However, it would signal to everyone that mediocrity or being unwilling to change will not be tolerated. And as someone pointed out to us, changing defensive coordinators would at least show if the problem were the scheme or the talent.

We have suggested that he give up play calling and join Woods in setting up the defense. That would show he is using leadership and taking accountability for the losing.

Right now, Stefanski appears stubborn, unwilling to admit there is a problem. Players see this as well, and that’s where the coach loses credibility with them. And once that happens, you have a problem in the locker room.

Remember, there are still seven games remaining. If things continue to go over the next seven like they have over the previous seven (1-6), no one will blame the ownership if they reviewed everything going on in Berea.

And despite what some think, another housecleaning would not be a good thing for the Cleveland Browns.

Browns Seem To Lack Accountability, Toughness.

Let’s say this right off the top. We don’t want Kevin Stefanski fired.

We get that’s the knee-jerk reaction from fans every time the Cleveland Browns lose a football game, particularly when it is a blowout loss, like Sunday’s 39-17 beatdown by the Miami Dolphins, but many times it just the easy way out.

If the Browns are indeed run primarily by Paul DePodesta, GM Andrew Berry, and Stefanski, and we are sure they meet all the time, they should be “self-auditing” as to how they lead this organization going forward.

This isn’t to say the defense isn’t the biggest problem on this football team. You simply cannot win at any level if you can’t stop the run and the Browns can’t do it.

However, Stefanski isn’t a Dan Campbell or Mike Vrabel type of coach or leader. He’s not out of the Hollywood prototype of what a head football coach should be. However, everyone needs to remember he did play at the college level.

Stefanski’s style might be fine if he had players who were vocal leaders, but it doesn’t seem he does. His best offensive player, Nick Chubb, leads by example. The player who talks the most is a guard, Joel Bitonio. On defense, Myles Garrett is accessible, but most talks in cliches.

Now, we don’t know what happens in the locker room (and by the way, neither do many of the folks commenting on the Browns in the media).

Some people have said the Browns have no identity, and we think it could be because they seem to be very reactive.

The Browns should be a running team, particularly with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback. But if the other team put eight or nine in the box, Cleveland throws it, and throws it some more.

We would love it if Stefanski called plays with the confidence of you know what, we are going to run it anyway. For Nick Chubb to get just 11 carries (as he did Sunday) in a game where he is healthy for all four quarters is unacceptable.

At times we think if Stefanski were coaching the Kansas City Chiefs, he would think to himself, the other team knows Patrick Mahomes is going to throw, so we have to run it a lot.

Andy Reid doesn’t think that way. No head coach should.

Same on defense. Our thought during the Dolphins game was if you know the opponent has great talent and you are just going to line up and rush four and play zone coverage, you are going to get beat. You need to do something that gets the Miami offense out of rhythm.

We can’t remember many plays, if there were any, where the Browns sent more than four rushers at Tua Tagovailoa. We also can’t recall Myles Garrett being moved around as to where he lined up. It doesn’t seem give the defense the best chance to succeed.

We wrote after the Bengals game that we learned the Browns were capable of playing that way defensively, so the expectations were increased. But maybe the defensive coordinator felt increased job security, so he reverted to what had been done in the past. It didn’t work then, and it didn’t work Sunday.

It seems like the organization lives in fear at times. Can’t admit mistakes on draft picks (they’ve cut just one in the Berry regime), can’t attack defensively because they might give up a big play, can’t stick with the strength of the team’s offense.

There can be a thing as being too smart for your own good. Maybe the Browns are stuck in that, and they need to remember this is football, a tough physical sport.

In the end, it’s another loss year for the fans, still waiting for a Super Bowl berth.

Browns Best Game Shows They Can Do It. Will They?

With the backs against the wall, the Cleveland Browns played their best game of the season Monday night, whipping the Cincinnati Bengals, 32-13 to raise their record to 3-5 on the season, with the bye week arriving next weekend.

The week off should help getting Denzel Ward, Wyatt Teller, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, and perhaps even David Njoku back for the last nine games, and of course, Deshaun Watson returns for the December 4th tilt against Houston.

The biggest question we had from Monday night’s rout was why can’t the Browns play like that more often, if not every week.

The defense, gashed for more than 399 yards in a game three times in 2022, held the Bengals to just 229, improving on the then season low 254 yards allowed to Baltimore the week before.

Talk about “Jekyll and Hyde”! In their eight games this season, they’ve allowed 400 yards (well, 399 to New England) three times, and less than 308 four times. The league average is 345 yards per game, so much like the little girl with the curl, they are either very good or very bad.

It was also the first game this season where the defense caused more than one turnover, forcing an interception and a fumble by Cincinnati. When the Browns win or tie the turnover battle this season, their record is 3-1. Pretty simple, right?

Of course, the game didn’t get off to a great start for the defense and special teams. A penalty for too many men on the field on the first play of the game? And Cade York’s first field goal attempt was blocked.

But midway through the second quarter, Kevin Stefanski’s crew put everything together and really dominated the Bengals on both sides of the ball.

Offensively, it was the second best game of the season in terms of yardage, the 440 yards exceeded only by the 443 gained against the Chargers.

We know everyone reaches for the low hanging fruit of play calling in terms of the problems with the team (because everyone is a master play caller on Madden), but when the Browns have the ball, they are much more consistent.

The lowest total gained thus far was the 328 gained vs. New England with the 336 against Baltimore ranking next. Again, the league average is 345, so even when the offense hasn’t been at its best, it’s pretty much league average.

It was also the Browns’ fifth game with over 170 yards rushing, but the first since the loss to the Chargers. At this point, the organization should realize this is the team’s profile. They need to come out each and every game and run, and then run some more.

Now, it’s up to the team to maintain this level of play, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. The last two games show maybe they’ve turned a corner. If the Browns want to make the games Watson does play relevant, they need to continue to hold their opponents down.

It would be difficult to see a win vs. Buffalo, but the other games Jacoby Brissett will start (Miami and Tampa Bay) appear winnable.

Being 5-6 when Watson returns, and with three divisional games remaining would put Cleveland in a decent spot.

Our other thought after Monday’s game? Man, it would be nice to have that Jets’ game back now.

Blowing Things Up Again? Hope Browns Don’t Do It.

When you’ve had 12 coaches since 1999, we are sure it becomes the knee-jerk reaction of fans and media alike to fire the current coach when things aren’t going well. Sometimes, it’s not the right decision.

That’s why we are not in favor of the Cleveland Browns firing Kevin Stefanski either during this season or after the season ends.

Stefanski currently has a 21-19 record as head coach, mostly built off the 11-5 playoff season in 2020, but even last season, which everyone was disappointed with, produced an 8-9 mark, which is the fourth best season since Cleveland returned to the NFL in 1999.

Sad, but true.

This isn’t to say Stefanski is blameless. He forgets sometimes that Nick Chubb is the Browns’ best offensive player. He sometimes puts too much of the team’s success on Jacoby Brissett, who we all have to remember is really the backup quarterback.

We understand he’s the head coach, responsible for the entire product on the field. Hopefully, internally he is putting pressure on defensive coordinator Joe Woods and special teams’ coach Mike Priefer, because most weeks their units aren’t doing much to help the Browns win.

It seems to be solely on the offense to outscore the opponents.

We know fans and media don’t like Stefanski’s press conference either. We would remind you this is a new era, and it is rare coaches will stand up in front of the media and be negative about individual players and different facets of the team.

If we had to guess, when Stefanski took over as coach, he told players he would not call them out in public, that he had their back. If you notice, Terry Francona and J.B. Bickerstaff both do the same. It seems though, in football, fans want to see the coach point out who is not doing the job.

We do believe there has to be more accountability for players. Our feeling is the front office and coaches are “married” to some of these guys because this regime brought them in, either via the draft or free agency.

But if they aren’t doing the job, it’s a next man up league. There are players who aren’t drafted that make Pro Bowl teams every year, so it is likely the front office can find someone who will do a better job.

For example, last week there was a penalty on a kickoff return, and the call was on a player who alternates between the practice squad and the active roster.

In watching the game, we immediately thought, we would release that player. That sounds cruel, but sometimes you have to make the point that mistakes will not be tolerated. That gets players’ attention.

Still, we wouldn’t fire the coach. He has done a good job with the offense. He’s scripting of the first plays usually results in a score for the Browns. We also think the team is organized for the most part.

But the last and real reason is simply this: The madness has to stop. Look at the Steelers and Ravens. They are the models of success in the AFC North and their coaches have been around for 16 and 15 years, respectively.

Even Zac Taylor in Cincinnati had seasons of 2-14 and 4-11-1 before leading Cincinnati to the Super Bowl.

Remember, it was just two years ago that Kevin Stefanski was the AFC Coach of the Year. And he deserves the opportunity to be the head coach when Deshaun Watson, the Browns’ franchise QB plays a full season.

Look, he’s not the movie version of a football coach that everyone wants, a guy who gets in players’ faces and grabs their facemasks with spit flying out of his mouth.

Just let him have an opportunity with different defensive and special teams’ coaches. We think he deserves that chance.

What Can You Say About The Browns Right Now?

Sometimes, there is just nothing more to say. That’s how we felt Sunday when the Cleveland Browns lost their fourth consecutive game, this one 23-20 to the Baltimore Ravens.

The loss dropped Kevin Stefanski’s squad to 2-5, with four of the five losses being by three points or less. If there was a gold star for being close, it would go to the Browns.

As former Browns’ star Josh Cribbs once said, the Browns almost always almost win.

Our biggest thought during the game was when Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah forced the fumble in the fourth quarter, the best bet for the team was to move the ball while using the clock, and then make a field goal to tie or a touchdown to win, leaving little time remaining.

Then on a 3rd and 2, Cleveland threw a long pass which Amari Cooper caught, but was called for offensive pass interference. So, the Browns were in a 3rd and 12, and were forced to try a 60-yard field goal after a false start penalty.

Why not either give the ball to Nick Chubb or throw a short pass on 3rd and 2, getting a first down and keeping the ball. It sounds ludicrous to turn down a TD, but they didn’t get the six points anyway.

Jacoby Brissett played well again, but did have a turnover, fumbling in his own territory, but went 22 of 27 for 258 yards. We get it’s a quarterback league, but the Browns are a rare team where the QB isn’t the best player on offense. Stefanski’s insistence on having Brissett make key plays is “frustrating” to use his word.

However, on a weekly basis, the special teams and the defense don’t provide any help in winning games.

The defense played better on Sunday and held Lamar Jackson to just 120 yards passing and 59 yards rushing. The passing total was low because he didn’t need to throw. Baltimore hammered out 160 yards on the ground, making it the third time in the last four games Cleveland has allowed at least 150 yards rushing.

It’s still a fundamental. If you can’t stop the run, you most likely will have a problem winning football games.

Defensive coordinator Joe Woods showed more blitzes against the Ravens and put pressure on Jackson in the pocket. We would like to see more of that. But again, they forced just one turnover. They haven’t forced more than one in a game this year.

The special teams gave up a 46-yard punt return and had a penalty on a kickoff return that pinned the offense back.

Even when both units play error free, they rarely do anything that contributes to a win. And occasionally that’s needed for teams to win in the NFL.

There still seems to be a lack of accountability in the organization though, and we aren’t talking about the coaching staff. It appears there are players who give up on plays and/or just aren’t very good at doing their jobs. Yet, there aren’t any lineup changes except for the ones caused by injuries.

The defense is still ranked very low in most categories, so someone isn’t doing a good job, right?

Next week’s game against Cincinnati is basically must win. Falling to 2-6 makes Deshaun Watson’s return moot. Can they do enough to get a victory?

Our eyes tell us they will do just enough to take another defeat.

Browns Continue To Slide, And Season Is Slipping Away Too

Coming into last Sunday’s game against the Patriots, the Cleveland Browns had lost three games by a total of six points.

They can’t say that anymore as they were bludgeoned by New England, 38-15 dropping to 2-4 on the season, and any thought of Deshaun Watson returning to a team with a chance to make the playoffs is getting bleaker by the week.

Bill Belichick is a master at taking away what opposing teams do well, and he decided to focus on the Browns’ running game, which was leading the league in yards. When Nick Chubb didn’t start off the game gashing the New England defense for big games, Kevin Stefanski played right into his hands by throwing.

Jacoby Brissett threw 45 passes and Chubb and Kareem Hunt combined to touch the ball just 17 times. Hunt didn’t catch a pass.

Once again, Cleveland football fans are focusing on this, but since this was the first game Stefanski did this in 2022, we will wait and see if it is an aberration.

However, the defense was overwhelmed once again. Patriots’ rookie QB Bradley Zappe threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns, and in what is becoming a weekly occurrance, Joe Woods’ unit allowing plays of 53, 38, 31, 29 and 27 yards.

New England converted 50% of their third downs as the Browns’ defenders simply couldn’t get off the field once again.

As a frame of reference, the Browns’ longest plays were 37 and 33 yards. The next longest was an 18-yard run by Chubb.

We heard the usual platitudes from the defensive players after the game. John Johnson III reminded people about the youth of the unit, even though the only newcomer in the secondary is rookie CB Martin Emerson. Others said they are close to correcting the problems.

However, they’ve been saying that all season long, yet the results haven’t changed.

The Browns rank 29th out of 32 teams in allowing points. The offense ranks 7th in scoring, yet people continue to question play calling. Oh, and we should add, they are still using a backup quarterback, but Brissett seems to be regressing to the mean in the past couple of weeks.

And the defense has forced just five turnovers on the season to rank among the worst in the NFL in that category.

Let’s not leave out the special teams either. Chester Rogers fumbled a punt after the Browns cut the deficit to 24-15, allowing a quick TD to put the game out of reach. Last year, Cade York missed two field goals, although he made three on Sunday.

What is very frustrating is the lack of urgency from Woods and the players on defense.

When will some of the mistakes cost players time on the field? GM Andrew Berry traded for LB Deion Jones, but he was not activated for the game.

We have not noticed much being changed defensively, although Myles Garrett seemed to line up at other places besides his usual right side.

Speaking of Garrett, he was credited with breaking the team’s all-time sack record in the game, although we prefer to go with the revised total listed on ProFootballrefence.com which still has him 5th at 63.5 sacks, behind Bill Glass, Clay Matthews, Jerry Sherk, and Walter Johnson.

The latter is next up with 66 career sacks.

Sadly, that might be the only thing Browns’ fans have to look forward to in the coming weeks.

Right now, this group seems disinterested, especially defensively, and it’s difficult to see things changing, particularly with the Ravens and Bengals being the next two games.

That’s something we didn’t think we’d be writing this year.