Browns Goal: Make Watson & Chubb Together Be Scary

This is the silly season for the NFL. Free agency starts next week on March 15th, with the “legal tampering” being able to be done next Monday.

All over the landscape, fans are talking about what players they can bring in to help for the 2023 season.

And in Cleveland, it’s all about creating salary cap room since the Browns are currently over the cap. Browns fans being Browns fans, they talk about trading one of the higher paid players on the team for draft picks in order to create room to sign a veteran free agent.

Usually though, those higher paid players are the best players on the team, so does it really make sense to toss away a good player when you need to win next season?

It’s the mentality that all draft picks will turn out to be great players, which as we know doesn’t happen, and trading a proven star player for picks AND salary cap space is most likely just filling a hole by creating another one.

Which brings us to the latest stories saying the Browns should consider trading Nick Chubb because either Cleveland is going to throw on every down next season or to create cap space so they can improve the defense.

First, let us say that anyone is tradable for the right return. For example, if the Kansas City Chiefs offered the Browns Patrick Mahomes for Chubb or a team offered you two first round draft picks for him, you have to make the trade. We all know that’s not going to happen though.

We are sure the offense is going to change from a ground and pound style to a more passing friendly attack next year anyway. Why do we say this? How many games did you watch with Jacoby Brissett at QB and wonder why Cleveland didn’t run the football more?

Kevin Stefanski likes to put the football in the air.

And it’s Stefanski’s job to make sure Deshaun Watson and Chubb can play together and have the offense thrive using both. It’s not an either/or situation.

We have wondered for years why Chubb hasn’t been used more in the passing game. Was it simply because it was a good way to get Kareem Hunt on the field and get Chubb some rest?

Chubb did catch 36 passes in 2019, the year before Stefanski took over, but last season was his high in receptions with the current head coach. He had 27. And quite frankly, if the Browns gave Chubb 20 less carries and converted that to 20 more catches, why would that be a problem?

It would seem to us getting the ball in space to a punishing runner like Nick Chubb would pose a big problem for opposing defenses, and not being hit by defensive linemen would be good for Chubb’s longevity.

But the real answer here is getting to a point where both Watson and Chubb can be very productive. And that’s on the coaching staff. Having weapons like the QB Deshaun Watson and Nick Chubb shouldn’t be a problem. It should be an embarrassment of riches.

Are Browns “All In”? It’s About Time!

The latest sports topic making the rounds is whether or not the Cleveland Browns should go “all in” for the 2023 season. When you think about it, it’s kind of ridiculous.

Unless a team is clearly rebuilding, they should always be trying to win, particularly in the NFL where teams go from last place to first place every year. Just this past season, Jacksonville went from 3-14 to 9-8 and the AFC South title and won a game in the wild card round.

We have been critical in the past of the Browns’ sign in the bar mentality at times, you know, “Free Beer Tomorrow”. We feel it creeped in last year when Deshaun Watson was suspended, it seemed like the attitude at times was that because Watson would only be available for six games, the organization was better off looking toward next year.

When Jimmy Haslam and Andrew Berry traded three first-round picks for Watson and guaranteed him over $200 million, it signaled that the Browns have to make the playoffs for any season to be successful.

And remember, Cleveland also has Myles Garrett in his prime. Nick Chubb, probably the league’s best running back over the past few years is coming off a career best season. Denzel Ward is a top cornerback. And on the offensive line, let’s just say Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, and Jack Conklin, all very good or All Pro players in Bitonio’s case, aren’t getting any younger.

And with the replacement of both defensive coordinator Joe Woods and special teams coach Mike Preifer, head coach Kevin Stefanski knows the Browns have to be either in the post-season or miss it by a tie breaker with a really good record.

What we mean there is although it is unlikely, let’s say the Browns finish 11-6 and still don’t qualify, we highly doubt ownership and the front office is going to fire the head coach.

However, the coaching staff changes, particularly two coordinators, signals this is a make-or-break year for this regime. We all know what former coach Jerry Glanville said about what NFL stands for: Not For Long.

We will continue to say the Browns have a good roster. They had a terrible defense last season, and despite Watson’s struggles when he did come back, the defense is the reason Cleveland was 7-10.

They hired an experienced defensive coach with a track record of success in Jim Schwartz and frankly even if no personnel changes are made, and we know there will be, the defense will be better because of the new coordinator.

As for the concern about Watson, if he’s not the quarterback he was in Houston, the Browns are screwed, and it will take them years to recover. We aren’t looking at those six games as a representation of what he will be going forward. And people currently ranking him in the 16th-20th range among QB’s seem to have an axe to grind, or are caught in the “it’s the Browns” mentality

We believe he will return to form though. He will only be 28 when the season starts.

We would bet everyone, from Paul DePodesta, to Andrew Berry, to Kevin Stefanski knows that barring catastrophic injuries, the Browns better have a very good season.

And it’s about time for that.

Worry Season In Full Effect For Browns Fans

Since it seems like the entire northeast Ohio region is football obsessed, at least the broadcast and print media that is, there are various stages of the year for the pigskin folks.

Of course, from late July to January, everyone is focused on the play on the field, unless of course, the team starts out 0-5 and then we have continuous draft talk until April. But in a year where the Browns remain in playoff contention for most of the season, the weeks following the end of the regular season is spent talking about who should be assigned blame for not winning the Super Bowl.

Since Kevin Stefanski did not get fired and Joe Woods did, that part of the year has passed, so people have moved on to the needlessly worrying about next season phase.

Or Myles Garrett’s dislocated toe.

There is a whole lot of time between now and when training camp opens in late July, and we doubt that Andrew Berry and the rest of the front office are hibernating in some cave, ready to arise shortly before the draft.

One of our favorite lazy sportstalk topics usually happens in the week before the conference title games, when the question is asked: How can the Browns compete with the two teams in the game?

The answer is quite simple. Right now, they can’t. But that’s what the off-season is for.

We are pretty confident Berry, Paul DePodesta, and Stefanski know their team has a bunch of holes to fill, and they will do their best to accomplish that.

Here is where the worrying comes in. They have no draft picks, though. The Browns should trade Nick Chubb or Denzel Ward, or even Myles Garrett to get draft picks to improve the roster.

Remember, the Browns stripped down the roster to get a bunch of draft picks and in the process went 1-15 and 0-16. With all of those picks, they have one playoff appearance, and the last two seasons of unfulfilled playoff hopes.

The reality is there are several ways to upgrade the roster. The first will come when the new league year starts and there will be free agents to be signed. And yes, we know Cleveland is currently over the salary cap, which means they are likely working behind the scenes with several highly paid veterans to restructure their current deals to free up some money.

They also can release players too.

The worry has even been linked to Deshaun Watson. What if he never regains the ability he had with Houston?

Watson is 27 years old and he didn’t miss almost two full seasons due to injury. Did he struggle when he returned for the last six games of the regular season? Of course. Still, this is a guy who was one of the top five or six quarterbacks in the game when he played his last full season in 2020.

Yes, the Texans finished 4-12, but their offense put up 30 or more points in five games. Houston was 2-3 in those games. Watson threw 7 interceptions that season. He threw five in the six games with Cleveland, and we will remind you two of those contests were played in terrible conditions.

While it’s a possibility Watson will never be an elite QB again, we are comfortable the Browns will have very good a top guy at the position, and for all the X’s and O’s Stefanski and Watson discussed at the “recruiting” meeting, having the opportunity to see him first hand and work with him, we are sure the head coach has a better idea of how to get the best out of him.

Perhaps people and talk show hosts should relax and think about other things to discuss before they drive themselves crazy?

Trading Chubb? Makes No Sense Here

Since the Cleveland Browns have never been to the Super Bowl, the NFL Draft seems to have taken the championship game’s place as the biggest football event of the season in northeast Ohio.

When the Browns were going through the teardown days of 1-15 and 0-16, talk about the draft started as early as October and consumed the thoughts of pigskin supporters for six months before the actual process.

Now that the Browns have improved have still had a playoff shot into December in each of the last three seasons, the draft talk has moved back a couple of months.

Compounding things for the draft obsessed is that the Browns have traded their first-round picks last year, this year, and next year for QB Deshaun Watson. It’s difficult to talk about who to draft when your team’s first choice comes on the second day of the event, which is when Cleveland will make its first selection at #42.

To mitigate these circumstances, both fans and media have found a remedy: The Browns should trade one of their best players, usually RB Nick Chubb, for draft picks.

This is a ludicrous solution.

First of all, we understand fans are irritated with the organization because they haven’t made the playoffs each of the last two season, but they certainly are in playoff contention mode.

One reason they will use to justify the move is salary cap space, but the cap is due to increase in 2023, and we are sure the Browns (as well as every team) will talk to players making a lot of money and get them to restructure their deals to create more space, and of course, there will be roster adjustments as well.

Our main objection to this is we find pretty improbable that trading great players, and Chubb is a great player, finishing second in the league in rushing this season, is a good way to make your team better. It would seem a better method would be to strengthen the roster around the great players you have, names like Myles Garrett, Joel Bitonio, and yes, Chubb.

That trio has pretty much made every All-Pro team announced in the last six weeks.

The logic on trading Chubb is the running game is de-emphasized in today’s NFL, so a running back that gained over 1500 yards on the ground isn’t needed. It certainly is a passing league, but the Ravens, Giants, Eagles, 49ers, Cowboys, and Bills, all playoff teams, finished in the top ten in the league in running the football.

But the primary argument against moving a running back that good is there is no assurance that you will find a better than average runner in the draft. Folks just assume that everyone available in the draft (or farm system for baseball fans) is going to be good.

They aren’t.

Could D’Ernest Johnson or Jerome Ford gain 1000 behind the Browns’ offensive line? Probably with enough carries. However, would defenses pay the same attention to those backs as they do to Chubb? We believe they wouldn’t.

Fans and media folks also use faulty logic. One sports talker said because Kansas City’s Isiah Pacheco was a 7th round pick and gained 830 yards, this is proof the Browns could find someone like that in the draft. FYI, the Raiders picked RB Brittain Brown one pick before Pacheco.

Brown played six games and didn’t have a carry for Las Vegas this season.

So, not every 7th round running back produces like Pacheco.

The way a professional sports team gets better is by ADDING talent. If you aren’t a contender and you can accumulate draft picks for a rebuild, that’s a different story.

We love Nick Chubb as a player, but because running back is devalued by other teams, we don’t think the Browns would get a first round pick anyone, unless it was a Super Bowl contender, and where would that pick fall?

Thankfully, Andrew Berry is the Browns’ GM and not sportstalk hosts or callers. We bet he feels like we do.

Browns Play Hard, Hurt Commanders Chances

Well, it’s going to be a bad week for those folks who want the Cleveland Browns to fire everyone in the front office and start fresh in 2023.

That’s how it works doesn’t it? We mean, when the Browns lose, the coach should be fired usually because a play call doesn’t work. These people do understand there is another team on the field and they can execute as well, right?

Anyway, the Browns went out on Sunday and beat a team with playoff aspirations on the road, defeating the Washington Commanders 24-10, thus raising their record to 7-9 and next week they have a chance to do the same thing to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

And if they win, they will have the same record as last season. It’s not progress, but it’s not regression either.

What the game re-emphasized to us is this team has not quit on its head coach, and for that reason alone, Kevin Stefanski should continue with his current gig.

We will say again, this doesn’t mean Stefanski doesn’t need to improve some things, and we would also say we are sure even the great Bill Belichick learns something every season.

We wish Stefanski had kept the field goal in the first half which would have given the Browns a 6-0 lead. We understand the analytics people would say the field goal didn’t mean much because a touchdown would allow Washington to take the lead, but much as we say in basketball about long twos vs. threes, taking three points is better than getting none, which is what happened.

The stars came out offensively for Cleveland. Nick Chubb ran for 104 yards on 14 carries. Amari Cooper caught three passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns, and Deshaun Watson threw three TD passes.

Watson was sacked four times in the first half. His receivers couldn’t get open and his offensive line was having a problem with the Commanders rush. Adjustments were made and the second half was dominated by Cleveland, whose defense forced three turnovers.

After forcing just eight turnovers in the first 11 games, the defense has come up with 11 in the last five. That’s a weird statistic.

Also odd was Watson’s passer rating of 122, his highest of the season. We have always said QBs will have a good passing efficiency rating if they stay away from interceptions, and have a very good yards per attempt ratio.

Watson completed only half of his 18 passes but had a great 9.4 yards per throw. The league leader for the season is Tua Tagovailoa at 8.9. Watson’s best average as a Brown was 6.6 in the loss to Cincinnati.

Slowly, week by week, he is shaking the rust off.

However, back to the coach. We have said previously we would only consider a change if the team quit playing for this staff, and based on Sunday, that’s simply not the case.

It does not mean change aren’t needed on the staff. We understand this group doesn’t give out a lot of information to the media, but when they do talk, it makes you shake your head.

Joe Woods said last week the defensive tackles weren’t the problem in stopping the run. Our first thought was if it isn’t them, then do you know what the problem is, and if so, why not fix it?

One more game remains, and the Browns should have the same goal: Win and spoil another team’s playoff hopes in front of their fans. In a bitterly disappointing season, that would add some sweetness.

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.

Is Winning A Priority For Browns?

If the plan of the front office of the Cleveland Browns’ was to play the “long game” with the trade for Deshaun Watson, then they got their wish, because the team was basically eliminated from playoff contention with the 23-10 defeat in Cincinnati at the hands of the defending AFC Champs.

We say that because we have heard it from so many places, including some media people we respect greatly. And if that’s the case, our question is simple, why do so many fans invest so much love into the Cleveland Browns?

They simply don’t give a damn about the fans.

First, from a talent standpoint alone, getting Watson was a good move. He thought going into last season he was one of the top five quarterbacks in the league, and we still believe he will be again once he gets more acclimated to playing.

It’s been a long time since the Browns have had a franchise quarterback, probably the first since Bernie Kosar was on the field.

Even without Watson, the offense kept up their end of the bargain, but the defense didn’t, and despite the last two contests, that unit is the reason Cleveland is sitting at 5-8 today.

The Browns’ vaunted running game has sputtered a bit lately, mostly since center Ethan Pocic was injured. We love when people call Pocic the “third string center”, which he was going into training camp behind Nick Harris and Michael Dunn, but when he went in, he played as well as any center in the league.

His absence and the decline of Jack Conklin because of injuries have limited the effectiveness of the running game, which was the team’s bread and butter, especially with Watson suspended.

We know you can point to stats for everything, but Sunday was the third time this season Cleveland rushed for less than 100 yards. They are 0-3 in those contests.

Kevin Stefanski is taking a lot of heat for the fourth down call on the first drive of the game, but it was poor execution. Donovan Peoples-Jones are open and a better throw results in six points. Frankly, considering what was at stake for the Browns, we thought the play book would be opened up more. The Browns needed this game badly.

Instead, the Bengals used more trick plays. One worked for a touchdown, the other resulted in a sack by Myles Garrett. We are guessing had Cincinnati lost, fans would be calling for Zack Taylor’s job because of the latter. Or does that only work in northeast Ohio?

Cleveland has four games left. There is nothing to be gained by losing. They have no first-round draft pick.

So, they should do everything they can to win the remaining four on the slate. They need to establish an importance on winning not only in the locker room, but throughout 76 Lou Groza Blvd. That’s what the Ravens (the next opponent) has, it’s what the Steelers have.

And we fear until the Browns have that mentality among the front office, this cycle is just going to continue. They will keep finding reasons why it’s okay to lose.

As for the coaching staff, there needs to be changes made going into next season, but we would stay with Stefanski in charge unless he has the stubbornness issue and is resistant to make changes on the staff.

One playoff win in 28 years should be enough to put a huge emphasis on winning. Doesn’t seem like it today, right?

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.

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.

Stop Putting Blame Elsewhere. It’s The Browns’ Defense

We think it was former Browns’ coach Marty Schottenheimer who was the first to say play calling is overrated. What he meant (we think) was if you execute the play correctly it will work, no matter what you call.

We bring this up because it seems to be the focus of Browns’ fans, especially because they lose close games. Kevin Stefanski’s squad has lost three games by a total of six points.

People are focusing on how many touches Nick Chubb is getting, and why he wasn’t in for the last three offensive plays in last Sunday’s 30-28 loss to the Chargers. They have valid questions, but they are also missing the point.

The reason this football team is 2-3 is quite simple. The defense isn’t playing up to par.

We watched Dallas, without Dak Prescott, raise their record to 4-1 beating the Rams after the Cleveland loss, and in viewing the game, thought the Cowboys are doing exactly what the Browns’ game plan was supposed to be after Deshaun Watson was suspended.

They are running the ball, playing good defense, and creating turnovers. Dallas is 7th in overall defense (by yards). The Browns are 19th. The Cowboys are tied for 13th in creating turnovers. Cleveland is tied for 26th.

We know the Browns can run the football. Chubb leads the league in rushing, and the Browns lead the NFL in running the ball. That’s not an issue.

The Cleveland defense has allowed over 200 yards on the ground each of the last two weeks, dropping from 5th in the league against the run after three weeks to their current rank of 28th.

The defense isn’t stopping the run, they aren’t putting pressure on the quarterback either, ranking 23rd in sacks, and as previously mentioned, they are forcing turnovers.

Other than that, they are playing just fine.

Another reason for the losses is key turnovers by QB Jacoby Brissett in the 4th quarter. Overall, Brissett has played well, heck, the Browns are averaging 26.6 points per game, and only five teams have scored more.

We will excuse the interception at the end of the Jets’ game because there was so little time left, but he threw critical picks late in both the losses to Atlanta and Los Angeles, giving up chances to put key points on the board.

However, Brissett is as advertised. His completion percentage ranks just 17th among all passers (64%) and his average yards per attempt is 25th in the league. It was said prior to the season that he would be efficient and avoid mistakes, but in the last two weeks, he’s made critical ones.

But the big factor remains the defense. GM Andrew Berry traded for LB Deion Jones from Atlanta and signed veteran DT Tyeler Davison, who last played for the Falcons, to the practice squad. It would be no surprise if both were in uniform last weekend against the Patriots.

Even though it’s become a passing league, in the NFL, if you can’t stop the run, you are going to have a big problem winning. The fact each of the last two games have been winnable should tell us the Browns are still capable of turning it around.

That Berry is focusing on fixing this area of the team should show everyone where he puts the blame thus far. If the defense doesn’t start playing better, it’s not going to matter when Watson returns to the field.