Browns Season At Crossroads?

What figured to be a promising season for the Cleveland Browns is now at a crossroads. They certainly are not out of the playoff race at 4-4, but any margin for error has gone out the window with Sunday’s 15-10 loss to the Steelers at First Energy Stadium.

The margin for error has grown very slim though. If you figure 11-6 is the record needed to make the post-season, then Kevin Stefanski’s guys have to go 7-2 the rest of the campaign, which includes two games with both the Ravens and Bengals, and contests against the Raiders, Packers, and a return date with the Steelers.

We still believe the talent on the roster means they have a chance to win any of the games they have remaining. Yes, three of their four losses have come by five points or less, but as Bill Parcells famously said, you are what your record says you are.

Former Plain Dealer sports editor Hal Lebovitz used to talk about “zero defects”, eliminating mistakes that can keep you from winning games against better teams. This team is not adhering to that motto. They have simply made too many errors, usually not egregious ones, that have kept them from winning games.

Last Sunday, it was dropped passes. Look, not all of any quarterback’s passes are going to be perfect, sometimes the receivers have to make plays. TE Austin Hooper dropped a pass on the game’s first drive. Maybe the Browns get a touchdown if he catches it. As it was, Cleveland settled for a field goal.

Then the usually reliable Jarvis Landry dropped two passes (one easy, one not so much) and fumbled after getting a first down in Pittsburgh territory (20 yard line) in the fourth quarter.

Opposing teams are loading the box because either Baker Mayfield doesn’t want to throw deep or the team doesn’t have anyone who can get open deep. Quite frankly, we think it is more of the latter.

We doubt it will happen today, but can we agree to start the countdown on the amount of time Odell Beckham Jr. has with the Browns? It simply hasn’t worked out, and we don’t know why. We do know Beckham hasn’t really been an elite wide receiver since 2017, so maybe expectations are simply too high.

He has flashes, but doesn’t seem to be able to play at a high level on the weekly basis.

And what remains true is Mayfield is a more efficient passer without Beckham on the field. Again, we aren’t sure how that works, but it is true.

This isn’t just on the offense either. We didn’t think it was possible to think an NFL team didn’t play well defensively in a game they allowed just 15 points, but the loss this past week made us think otherwise.

The defense has forced just five turnovers on the season, which ranks second to last in the league. They also seem to allow one very long drive (time wise) per game, and it seems it occurs after the Browns score. The offense seizes a little momentum, and the defense allows it to go to waste.

They seem passive as well. Ben Roethlisberger is basically a statue right now in terms of mobility, yet, there were very few blitzes to put pressure on and perhaps force a mistake. We understand Denzel Ward is out right now, but why not dial up some extra pressure from time to time.

And when you get a penalty to put the opponent in 1st and 20, it is best to not let a receiver be wide open down the middle for a first down on the next play.

We continue to say it, this football team has talent, lots of it. But they have to stop the silly pre-snap penalties, drop passes, etc. And one more thing, in the absence of the wide outs doing anything, why not let David Njoku loose?

No One Said It Would Be Easy For Browns

Based on the misery of some of their fans, it is hard to believe the Cleveland Browns made the playoffs last season for the first time in 18 years and actually won a game for the first time since Bill Belichick coached the team in 1994.

They are envious of other teams, particularly when it comes to quarterbacks. Apparently, the guy who led the team to the post-season isn’t good enough.

We wrote this summer about the top signal callers in the game and we determined the top five QBs in the NFL were in no particular order Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, and Russell Wilson.

Sounds fair, right?

Outside of Brady, who we believe no one questions is one of the best, if not the best, there ever was, the other four guys on that list have combined for three NFL championships. Brady, of course, has won seven.

And right now, Watson isn’t playing because of legal issues and Wilson is injured.

The point is Browns think if they had one of those guys, they would win the Super Bowl. Maybe they would, but the reality is the fans of those teams have those guys and more often than not, except for the team Brady is on, they don’t.

The envy has extended to the Bengals’ QB Joe Burrow as well after last week’s drubbing by Cincinnati over Baltimore. We remember a couple years ago, 2019 in fact, when a visiting team went into Baltimore and whipped the Ravens 40-25.

The winning team’s QB was very good that day, completed 20 of 30 passes for 342 yards and a touchdown.

If you remember that quarterback being Baker Mayfield and that team being the Browns you have a good memory.

Cleveland finished 6-10 that season, while the Ravens went 14-2.

No, we don’t think the Bengals will have the same fate at the end of the season, but our point is these things happen. Yes, Cincinnati is much improved, but let’s see what happens after 17 games (or even after they take on the Browns next week) before crowning them as the new bullies on the block.

These folks apparently need to have the other three teams in the AFC North be terrible when the Browns are good to feel comfortable. That’s not reality.

The AFC North might just be the most competitive division in the NFL. Three teams made the playoffs last season, and the team that didn’t, the Bengals, has made giant strides. Yes, the other teams are very good, but so are the Browns.

Will it be easy to win the divisional games? No, but Kevin Stefanski’s team is good enough to do so. We would not be shocked if the Browns won each of the next two games to be sitting at 6-3 after nine games.

And as for the other issue people are talking about, the health of Mayfield, let us remind you that professional athletes don’t think the way other people do. They want to play. If it is at possible to be out there and compete, they will go out on the field and help their teammates win.

That’s why Mayfield said, if he’s hurting the team by playing, then he will sit down. But he thinks he can do the job, and so does the coaching staff.

If Stefanski and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt think a less than 100% Baker Mayfield is a better choice than Case Keenum, that’s all we should need to know.

They want to win too.

Yes, if Mayfield takes a big hit on the shoulder again, he likely will miss more time and possibly could be lost for the season. That scenario probably doesn’t change if he sits out this week or the next two weeks. He’s going to have to have surgery after the season.

Just don’t pretend these athletes think the same way as we do. They are different cats.

Even With Injuries, We Are Still Optimistic About Browns

Apparently, Browns’ fans were optimistic about the 2021 edition of the brown and orange until they had one bad game. Some of the stuff we read and heard following last Sunday’s loss to Arizona made us chuckle.

First of all, it is not as though the Browns are playing horribly on a weekly basis. Their three losses are to the defending AFC Champion Chiefs (currently 3-3), the Chargers (4-2), and the NFL’s lone undefeated team, the 6-0 Arizona Cardinals.

They held fourth quarter leagues against the first two teams listed.

Now, we understand you are what your record says you are and Kevin Stefanski’s team is 3-3. We also understand this team is pretty beat up right now. Still, we think this is still a solid team and right now, we aren’t very worried about the immediate future.

Yes, that could change with a loss tonight to the Denver Broncos, who have beaten the Giants, Jets, and Jaguars, three teams with one win each, but have lost to Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Las Vegas. So, even with the key players out for Cleveland, it’s a reasonable thing to think that the Browns can win.

They then have some extra time off to get ready for Pittsburgh on Halloween. Perhaps some of the injured players can return for the Steelers.

The defense needs to get better and quickly, like tonight. Joe Woods’ unit has allowed 84 points the last two times it has taken the field. That’s completely unacceptable, and despite fans trying to twist it, giving up 42 points in an NFL games usually puts that contest in the loss column.

We thought the reason GM Andrew Berry brought in players like Ronnie Harrison, Grant Delpit, Greg Newsome, and Jeremiah Owusu-Koamoah was to defend mobile quarterbacks, yet it seems like the defense plays those type of QBs tentatively.

And they are paying a price for that.

We felt at the beginning of the season it would take time for the defense to gel, and was fooled by the performances against the Bears and Vikings, particularly the latter. Now, with key pieces on offense missing, would be a good time for the unit to come together.

Part of that would be getting some turnovers. The Cleveland defense has come up with just four takeaways on the season, ranking 29th to date. By contrast, the unbeaten Cardinals have produced 13 turnovers. Playing complementary football is always a good thing.

One thing the Browns have going for them under this regime is organization. Last Sunday, was the first time there was a little breakdown in that, but we think no matter what, the game plan will be to try establish the running game. Even with Case Keenum calling the signals, we would guess the plan won’t change.

Our concern is Keenum’s arm strength. It isn’t the same as Baker Mayfield’s, so the offensive coaches will no doubt take that into account. Look for a more quick hitting passing game.

Stefanski doesn’t like to make excuses and we won’t either. The Browns should win the football game tonight, and if they don’t then they have a problem.

If they can get a win and then comeback and win at home against the Steelers, we are sure the doomsayers will dissipate.

The Cleveland Browns have a solid roster and have built some depth the past few years. It’s time to show that off.

Another Game, Another Debate On Baker

Normally, we hate the expression “Only In Cleveland”. Usually, we associate it to a “woe is us” mentality that only bad things happen to our sports franchises, when really the squads from northeast Ohio just aren’t as good as their opponents.

However, we will use the phrase in this regard. Only here does the football team’s defense allow 47 points in a game and there is discussion about how good the quarterback is.

The Cleveland offense put up 42 points against the Los Angeles Chargers last Sunday. That’s enough to win most NFL football games.

Yet, questions continue to concern Baker Mayfield. This summer we thought we did an honest evaluation of Mayfield and ranked him 11th among NFL QBs, but we didn’t included Justin Herbert because he was a rookie last year, and we would put him above the Browns’ signal caller now, so let’s say 12th.

We also said advancing further in the playoffs would likely move the former Heisman Trophy winner up in these rankings.

That said, until the reason the Browns can’t advance in the playoffs or get to the playoffs is the play at quarterback, why even start this discussion.

First of all, it is okay to say Mayfield isn’t the answer, but if that is your opinion, what can you possibly do about it?

Are you going to play Case Keenum? The draft isn’t really an answer either unless you are very fortunate and someone like Aaron Rodgers drops to you in picks 20 through 32.

And you saw what the Rams gave up to the Lions to get Matthew Stafford, right? They had to give up two first round picks plus their current starting quarterback. That’s a hefty price, but if the Rams win the Super Bowl in the next few years it will be totally worth it.

We aren’t saying Mayfield is the answer, but we also aren’t saying he’s not the answer either. We simply don’t know.

What we do know is he has quarterbacked the Browns to a playoff win, becoming the first one since Vinny Testaverde to do so. Browns’ fans are impatient, we get that. No titles since 1964, and the franchise has been a perennial doormat since re-entering the NFL in 1999.

We’ve seen fans pining over guys like Herbert, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, and Josh Allen, and we get that. But out of that quartet, only Mahomes has been to a Super Bowl (two of them) and only Allen has been to a conference championship.

For all of Jackson’s spectacular play and an MVP award, he’s won as many playoff games as Baker Mayfield.

Again, we aren’t claiming Mayfield is one of the best QBs in the NFL. He needs to continue to get better and without question, he needs to lead a comeback victory late in the fourth quarter against a quality opponent. A signature moment.

However, he has not proved to be holding this team back either. Defeating Arizona, the league’s last undefeated team this Sunday in Cleveland could help change people’s opinion.

Probably, that won’t change until Mayfield wins an AFC Championship and sends the franchise to its first Super Bowl. No pressure there.

Toughest Foe Since KC Coming Up For Browns

Judging from some of the comments we have heard from Browns’ fans since Sunday’s win in Minnesota, hopefully the team can lose enough games to finish high in next year’s draft and they can get a new quarterback.

Look, Baker Mayfield didn’t play a good game in the 14-7 win over the Vikings. He completed less than 50% of his passes, threw for less than 200 yards, and yes, missed some wide open receivers.

But the Browns still won! If that type of performance becomes the norm, and the play of the quarterback becomes a deterrent to winning football games, then and only then, should there be conversations about the QB spot.

Our guess is Mayfield will bounce back this Sunday against the Chargers (we really want to write San Diego) and last week’s contest will be a blip on the radar. We are sure the Mayfield critics will not soon forget though.

However, it would seem to prudent for Kevin Stefanski to dial up a run heavy attack against the Chargers considering they rank 4th from the bottom against the rush in the NFL through four weeks. They are 5th vs. the passing game.

By the way, offensively, Cleveland leads the league in rushing yards.

Los Angeles, led by second year QB Justin Herbert, likes to put the ball in the air, ranking 6th in the NFL. By comparison, the Browns are 26th. So, the Browns defensive front will need to put pressure on Herbert this Sunday.

Back to the quarterback play, we are sure everyone knows on the difference in Mayfield’s efficiency when Odell Beckham Jr. plays and when he’s not on the field. In short, the Browns quarterback plays better when Beckham isn’t on the field.

The first four games haven’t done anything to dispel that notion. His passer rating the first two weeks with OBJ still rehabbing his knee injury was 97.5 and 105.0, completing 81.6% of his throws.

The last two weeks have seen his passer rating at 97.0 and 59.5, and his completion percentage fall to 53.1%.

It will be interesting to see if this trend continues because it is disturbing. Of course, we’ve heard folks ask if it means Mayfield cannot play with an elite wide receiver, and their answer is, we will find out when he gets the chance.

It does seem David Njoku has disappeared from the offense the past two weeks, and we feel he can be a huge mismatch problem for opposing secondaries because matching him up with a linebacker or safety is usually a win for the Browns.

Again, it is a small sample size and hopefully Beckham and Mayfield are on the same page on Sunday and this problem is just another question that will be ignored as the wins keep piling up.

Make no mistake, this will be the biggest challenge for Stefanski’s crew since the opening weekend loss to Kansas City. And it’s on the road, the west coast no less.

The Browns, as a team, and not just Baker Mayfield, need to play better in Los Angeles Sunday afternoon. Winning while playing poorly in the sign of a good football team. So is beating another good football team, and the Chargers are that.

Browns Could Use A Road Win

We had to laugh at Kevin Stefanski’s locker room comments following the Browns domination of the Chicago Bears last Sunday. The coach told his team “whoever we play” next is the biggest game of their lives, except he used more colorful language.

What was funny is that we are sure Stefanski knows exactly who they play this week, because it is a place he spent his entire coaching life before coming to Cleveland. The Minnesota Vikings.

We are sure the head coach will remind his squad they have not won on the road yet this season, and the Vikings are undefeated at home, although they’ve played in the Land of 10,000 Lakes just once this season.

And we know Stefanski doesn’t like to look ahead, but the following game against the Los Angeles Chargers, also on the road, appears to be a big game as well. The Chargers are now 2-1, coming off a victory over the Chiefs last Sunday.

We wondered in the off-season if Cleveland could have one of those offenses that could be unstoppable if they were healthy, and currently the Browns rank 7th in total yardage in the NFL, and 7th in yards per play at 6.4.

And that’s without both starting wide receivers, Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. in the lineup at the same time.

However, here’s a reminder that the Browns are still a running team, second in the league to Baltimore in gaining yards on the ground, with both Nick Chubb (3rd) and Kareem Hunt (20th) in the rushing leaders.

The Vikings have allowed the fifth most yards in the league to date, ranking better against the run (21st) than the pass (27th). So, it would figure to be another good day for the Browns’ offense, although the coach would probably remind us there is a reason why you actually play the game.

One thing is for sure, Kirk Cousins will be more difficult to defend that Justin Fields, making his first NFL start, so the Cleveland defense better be up for the challenge.

It is funny, but despite the production of the Browns’ offensive attack, the leader in receiving yards is Hunt with 104, followed by David Njoku (94), who wasn’t even targeted on Sunday.

The offense has really spread it around in the passing game, with six players having five or more receptions, led by Hunt and TE Austin Hooper with 10 each.

Hard for defenses to take away all of the weapons at Baker Mayfield’s disposal, right?

It was another week, another rookie to stand out for the brown and orange, this time LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who was all over the field against Chicago, getting four tackles and a half sack. That’s three weeks in a row, a newly drafted players has made a big impact on the game.

And how can we not mention Myles Garrett, who set a club record with 4.5 sacks, impressive no matter who is the opponent.

The former first overall pick is now 7th (revised total occurred over the summer) in sacks all time for the franchise with 48.5 in just 54 games. Next up on the list is Michael Dean Perry, who has 51.5…in 109 games.

It’s not a stretch to think Garrett will get into the Browns’ top five (Paul Wiggin has 60.5 in 146 games) this season.

Barring injury, it’s really a matter of time before Garrett surpasses Bill Glass, the franchise leader with 77.5 in 94 games.

Stefanski will tell you every week is a challenge in the NFL, and certainly, the Vikings are a step up in class from the Browns’ two previous opponents. We are sure he would also tell you his team is capable of playing much better. They will need to in order to get a win this week.

Not All Wins Are Works Of Art, Browns’ Fans

When it comes to winning in sports, we think sometimes fans don’t understand how difficult it really is, especially at the professional level.

It is even more difficult to do coming off a loss, something Ohio State fans saw on Saturday, and Browns viewed Sunday afternoon at First Energy Stadium. There is a certain lethargy that goes with losing the previous game, and sometimes it takes a quarter or a half to shake the staleness that goes with losing away.

There is no question the Cleveland Browns are a better football team than the Houston Texans, but it took Kevin Stefanski’s team a little while to show it.

Still, a win is a win, and the Browns, along with the rest of the AFC North are sitting at 1-1 after two games, so it now becomes a 15 game season, we guess.

Here are some impressions following the win in the home opener–

**We said before the season started the defense would be a work in progress, and shouldn’t be truly evaluated until week five or six, and we haven’t changed that opinion. There are so many new pieces involved and it takes time to trust your fellow defenders.

That said, it was a little troubling to see the lack of pressure on Houston quarterbacks. The only sack came from blitzing S Grant Delpit, who looked good in his NFL debut. Myles Garrett still gets held quite a bit though, and drew a penalty towards the end of the first half.

You would think Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome would be a solid corner combo, but the Browns seemed reluctant to put either in press coverage last Sunday.

However, it’s still early. The unit should get better with experience.

**Nick Chubb is the best running back in the NFL. We know around here that is stating the obvious, but Chubb is fifth in the league in rushing yards, despite being 19th in carries.

The Browns are not going to give Chubb the 25 carries per game so he could pile up the huge yardage needed to get notice nationally. First, they have an excellent back in Kareem Hunt to team with Chubb, and also they want Chubb to play with the Browns for a long time. They are prolonging his career.

Now, when they get to the playoffs, and need the fourth year pro out of Auburn to tote the rock 25 times, he will be fresh. And that time may come at the end of this year.

Oh, and by the way, the only running back in Browns’ history better than #24 wore #32.

**We all knew the Browns had plenty of offensive weapons coming into the year, and we still haven’t seen Odell Beckham Jr. But GM Andrew Berry looks like he added two more in this year’s draft in WR Anthony Schwartz and RB/WR Demetric Felton, each of whom has been a factor already this season.

Felton scored his first NFL touchdown on a great run after catching a short pass on Sunday, and made a great move after another reception.

Also, you have to give Stefanski credit for trusting these rookies, because some veteran coaches would not. Trusting players regardless of experience is the mark of a great coach in our book.

**We still don’t understand why folks don’t think Baker Mayfield is the answer at QB. Again, because of the way the Browns run things, he’s never going to be someone who throws for 300 yards on a weekly basis.

But he’s a leader and he shows toughness. And for those who questioned his accuracy in the past, he’s completed 81.6% of his passes in the first two weeks. He only has one touchdown pass, but again, that’s because of the running game.

If you don’t think the Browns’ offensive is running well, consider that Jamie Gillan has punted three times in two games. That used to be his total for for a half. And Chase McLaughlin has attempted one field goal.

That’s efficiency.

No Excuses, No Moral Victory, But A Lot of Encouraging

The Cleveland Browns stood toe to toe with the two time AFC defending champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. In fact, they led most of the game.

However, when you are playing championship teams, you cannot make mistakes and the Browns made three critical ones in the second half and dropped a 33-29 decision at Arrowhead Stadium.

We have seen many site looking for a scapegoat to hang this loss on, but sometimes you can’t blame everything on one person or play.

Is anyone going to put the blame on Nick Chubb, who hadn’t fumbled in a game since the opening game of last year? That doesn’t seem fair. Nor is it to put an onus on Baker Mayfield, who clearly was trying to make the right play and throw the ball out of bounds in the fourth quarter, but was tripped up trying to do so, and threw an interception instead?

Now, Jamie Gillan’s error was inexcusable, and his faux pas gave the Chiefs the ball on the Cleveland 15, and the resulting touchdown finally put Kansas City in front.

Dropping the snap was bad enough, but trying to run with it compounded the error. Even if he shanks the kick, you gain yardage. If you want to place blame somewhere, that play would be the one to pin it on.

We suppose it depends on your viewpoint going into the game. We said it would be a very difficult chore for the Browns to go into KC and win, especially with a rebuilt defensive unit. The fact they almost pulled it off, bodes well for the rest of the season, and quite frankly, makes us feel even more optimistic about Kevin Stefanski’s squad.

We wondered if the offense would be as good in action as it appeared on paper, and it was. If the Browns execute, we imagine the Cleveland offense will look like the team they played yesterday. Meaning, it will be scary for opponents.

Now, comes the tough part. Looking at the schedule, the Browns are going to be the better team at least the next two weeks and probably the next four to five weeks. They can’t have a hiccup, they have to learn to do what good teams do, win games you are supposed to win.

That said, we have every confidence that the team will be prepared to do just that. Stefanski doesn’t strike us as the type to let complacency slip in, and the team getting full of themselves. Especially, because he will remind the players every day this week that they are 0-1.

We also aren’t claiming any moral victories. The Browns are too talented for that. They should win football games, and even though we figured it would be a tough opening game, the players didn’t play that way. They went in knowing they could win.

Two surprises for us in week one. First, we didn’t think rookie Anthony Schwartz would make much of an impact during the first half of the season, but boy did he make one on Sunday. It will interesting to see how he figures in when Odell Beckham Jr. is ready.

The other was David Njoku, who has been criticized and maligned since his rookie season. He looked like a match up problem for defenses with his size and speed at tight end. It is hard to believe it is his fifth year with Cleveland, and he is still just 25 years old.

If he catches the ball like he did vs. KC, it’s just another weapon for Stefanski to exploit.

It’s Been Awhile, But Browns Have Earned Respect

Sunday afternoon, a little after 4 PM, the Cleveland Browns will kickoff their most anticipated season since 2019. That was the year after rookie Baker Mayfield led the team to a good second half and we were all intoxicated by Freddie Kitchens’ play calling.

Heck, John Dorsey was enamored with it so much he made Kitchens the head coach that season, and remember, he interviewed a Minnesota offensive assistant named Kevin Stefanski as well that off-season.

This year feels different. First, the Browns made their first playoff appearance since 2002, and won their first playoff game since 1994, when as it is always mentioned, Bill Belichick was coaching the team.

GM Andrew Berry has constructed a helluva roster, especially on offense where the Browns have one of the top offensive lines in the sport, one of the best runners in Nick Chubb, with former rushing champ Kareem Hunt backing him up, and a talented receiving corps led by Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr.

Some still question the quarterback, but we don’t. The poor ’19 campaign by Baker Mayfield, in which he threw 21 interceptions is the outlier when looking through the context of the passer’s collegiate career at Oklahoma, and last season and his rookie year with the Browns.

While, we would not put him in the top five QB’s in the league right now, a second consecutive playoff appearance for the brown and orange would have him closing in on that ranking before next year.

Still, the NFL schedule maker didn’t do the Browns any favors scheduling them to open the season in Kansas City against the two time AFC defending champion Chiefs, who beat the Browns in the divisional playoff last year, eliminating them.

The Chiefs are the team to beat in the conference without a doubt, and let’s just say the Browns haven’t been very good in season openers since they returned to the NFL in 1999, compiling a 1-20-1 mark, with the lone win coming in 2004 against Baltimore.

Cleveland has a rebuilt defense, needed since the Browns ranked 17th in yards allowed and 21st in points allowed last season, with as many as nine new starters taking the field at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday. The only two holdovers are of course, Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward, both former first round picks.

They added some big names, former Rams standout safety John Johnson III and former first overall pick Jadeveon Clowney, and of course, spent their first round pick this past draft on a cornerback, Greg Newsome II.

Defenses generally need time to develop and become a cohesive unit, so don’t be shocked and/or ready to dismiss the team if Patrick Mahomes, probably the NFL’s top passer, has a good day on Sunday. If progress hasn’t been shown by say week four, then some criticism should be considered.

But it isn’t unusual for a defense to gel late in the season. Last year, Tampa Bay allowed 30 points or more in three of their first nine games, then didn’t do it again throughout the rest of the season, including their run to the Super Bowl.

The Browns are still a young football team, with just nine players over 30 years old, and two of them are the backup quarterback (Case Keenum) and long snapper Charley Hughlett. And only two more (Landry and Beckham) are 29.

The only player with 10 years in the league is linebacker Malcolm Smith, with Keenum and DT Malik Jackson having nine years in.

We have every reason to believe the Browns will be a very good football team this season, and we also believe they can get to the Super Bowl, their first ever berth, if the defense develops.

Just don’t micro-analyze things. Trust in the coach and the organization. They have earned that respect.

Should Starters Play In Atlanta? Whatever Is Decided, Folks Will Be Upset

It seems like there is a new angst for Cleveland Browns fans even when the team is good, which the 2021 edition of the brown and orange should be.

The latest is should the starters play in the final preseason game against Atlanta this weekend. Our response is simple. We trust Kevin Stefanski right now, and if he doesn’t think the starters need to play in this game, we trust him. He has earned that.

That isn’t to say he won’t ever lose it, but remember, no NFL teams played any exhibition contests a year ago, and for the Browns, it was a successful season.

Of course, Stefanski will be second guessed if his team doesn’t play well on September 12th when they visit Kansas City, and conversely, he will be hailed as a genius if the Browns beat the team that eliminated them from the playoffs last January.

We have heard people already saying Andy Reid is playing his quarterback and other starters in the preseason, but Reid has been around for a long time in the NFL and probably is a bit “old school” in that regard. He believes guys need to play.

Other coaches, like the Rams’ Sean McVay, believe starters get their reps in the training camp and there is no reason to expose them to injury in games that do not count. He’s a younger coach and perhaps Stefanski, also a young coach, feels the same way.

Imagine the starters play a quarter this Sunday night, and a key player goes down with an injury? That’s one reason why coaches don’t want to play the starters. On the other hand, guys go down in practice as well, and they don’t call off practice the ten days prior to the season opener.

We are sure everyone can recall LeCharles Bentley going down on the first day of training camp several years ago. Injuries can happen at any time.

But some coaches feel no need to expose starters to any extra game action. It’s the same reason coaches sit players at the end of the season if a post-season berth is clinched. There is no need to get hit for no reason.

So basically, it’s a no win situation for any coach, and the criticism only comes after the fact, like a loss in the opener against the Chiefs means starters should’ve played, they obviously weren’t sharp or if a key player has to miss time because of an injury, what was he doing out there in a meaningless game?

As for Stefanski’s decision, which hasn’t been announced yet, remember the starters did get to play in two days of scrimmaging against the Giants last week, so they did get action against another team, but in a more controlled setting. We expect that will become the norm as years go by, because quite frankly, the NFL could easily go to just two of these practice games.

It would not be surprising to us if the Browns’ starters have the same view of the game as we do Sunday night, that of spectators. However, if the coach thinks they need to get in there for a quarter or so, that’s fine too. In fact, we would probably do the latter.

And one other thing, if the Browns do lose to the Chiefs week one, it won’t be a shock.