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.

Browns’ Physical Play Is The Way To Go

When Deshaun Watson was officially suspended for 11 games, the Cleveland Browns and coach Kevin Stefanski needed to find a formula to win enough football games while Watson was out.

That formula figured to be run the heck out of the ball and play defense. Cleveland has two of the best running backs in the sport and an offensive line that at least in the interior is also one of the premier units in the league. So, offensively, the plan makes sense.

While neither Carolina and the Jets will make anyone think of great defenses, last Thursday’s win over the Steelers showed the Browns have the ability to push around a physical defensive unit. We know Pittsburgh was missed T.J. Watt, but Kevin Stefanski’s group still managed 171 yards on the ground, led of course by Chubb, who ran for 113 on 23 carries.

If Cleveland can continue to get the kind of quarterback play they have the past two weeks from Jacoby Brissett, we will all feel better about how things will play out until Watson comes back.

After a subpar performance in the season opener, Brissett has been very good. On Thursday night, he completed 21 of 31 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns, following up on a solid effort against the Jets.

Cleveland has scored 26, 30, and 29 points in the first three contests this season, so the offense has been humming. And give Stefanski his props for the way he has called games, keeping the opposing defense off balance.

Helping Brissett immensely has been WR Amari Cooper. It is safe to say Cooper has been what we all wanted Odell Beckham Jr. to be? The veteran had his second consecutive 100 yard game receiving and he and TE David Njoku gave the Pittsburgh defense fits.

We remember watching Cooper last season in a game started by Cooper Rush for the Cowboys, and he took control of the game on the winning drive in the fourth quarter. We thought it would be nice if the Browns had a receiver like that. And now they do.

The defense was improved, but in the first half seemed to have a problem against the run. In fact, Cleveland did give up a season high 104 yards on the ground, but they made adjustments at halftime and Pittsburgh was not as effective in the second half.

And the secondary did not give up any of the “chunk” plays they gave up in the first two weeks of the season.

However, with Jadeveon Clowney out and Myles Garrett less than 100% due to a neck problem, the pass rush was pretty much absent. The Browns had just one sack (by LB Jacob Phillips), and that was with Garrett being doubled and triple teamed.

We still don’t understand why the Browns don’t play more man-to-man defense particularly with their corners and go after the passer more often. You have to think opposing offensive linemen are tied up with Garrett and there should be some blitzing lanes.

After blowing the game against the Jets, Stefanski and his team needed a win. They got it. If the defense can get back to playing at the level they were late last season, they may win more often than initially thought with Watson sidelined.

Another Breakdown, This Time Results In A Loss

Cleveland Browns’ fans should be celebrating the first 2-0 start to a season since 1993 this morning, but instead, they are incensed the team blew a 13 point lead with under two minutes to go at home against one of the three AFC teams no one is projecting as a playoff contender, the New York Jets.

Last week, in discussing the Browns win over Carolina, we said the breakdowns in the secondary have to be fixed, as it just didn’t happen in week one, it occurred many times in the 2021 season as well.

Wouldn’t you know, it happened again.

The long pass to cut the lead to 30-24 was bad enough. The defense simply cannot let the opponent score that quickly. And it appeared Denzel Ward thought he was supposed to get help deep, and he didn’t, so someone was on the wrong page.

However, it also happened at the end of the first half, when no one thought to pick up Breece Hall coming out of the backfield and allowing the Jets to tie the game going into the half.

Again, if this was a one time thing, it can be excused. It’s not. It happens over and over and over again, and if we were Kevin Stefanski, Joe Woods would have to come up with a good reason that it happens along with a course of action to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

It’s not like there is no talent in the secondary, it is loaded with high draft picks, so that would seem to us that GM Andrew Berry is also not happy with Woods.

Ward and Greg Newsome are first round picks, Grant Delpit is a second rounder, and Martin Emerson is a third rounder. John Johnson III is a high priced free agent. That’s a lot of draft capital and financial commitment involved to accept play like this.

Look, the reality is the Browns have dominated each of their first two games and should have won both by 10 or more points, but they are a Cade York 58-yard field goal miss away from being 0-2 despite that.

The offense has operated just as everyone expected coming into the year without Deshaun Watson. And they’ve scored 56 points in the two games. There is nothing to complain about there.

After a rough start against Carolina, Jacoby Brissett was very good last Sunday, completing 22 of 27 passes for 229 yards. Amari Cooper caught nine balls for 101 yards and Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt combined for 187 total yards.

We know David Njoku dropped a pass, but overall, we can’t think of anyone on offense who had a poor game. Everything operated according to plan.

However, all of that was erased because the defensive secondary can’t get its act together.

Maybe Stefanski has to give up the play calling responsibilities to make sure he’s more involved with the defense. But something needs to change going forward, starting Thursday night against Pittsburgh.

The breakdowns simply have to stop. At a certain point, Stefanski needs to tell Woods he doesn’t want excuses, just results. After all, this is professional football. There are no moral victories.

Hey, It Counts, Right? Browns Are 1-0

A win is a win is a win. That’s what Browns’ fans should be saying today after Sunday’s 26-24 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

We believe Jim Donovan, the radio play-by-play man for the Browns said it best. It’s a good win, because it would have been a terrible loss had rookie Cade York not made a 58-yard field goal to win it and give Cleveland their first 1-0 start to a season since 2004.

It is difficult to win in the NFL, so no one should take anything for granted, but the despite Deshaun Watson’s suspension, the Browns have a better football team than Carolina, and should get a win against them.

However, going forward they will need much better play from QB Jacoby Brissett, who was pedestrian to be kind in the opener, completing 18 of 34 passes for just 147 yards and a touchdown. That’s 4.32 yards per attempt, the lowest of any starting quarterback in the league in week one.

We think he will be better this week, but it will be tough to beat any good team in the NFL with this kind of passing attack. Just something to watch.

Donovan’s comment comes from the Browns simply dominating most of the game. They controlled the ball for 38 minutes.

But two missed coverages (we presume) by the secondary put Carolina right back in the game. Down 14-0 in the second quarter, Panthers’ QB Baker Mayfield found Ian Thomas wide open for a 50-yard gain, and Carolina converted into a TD.

Then, after York’s third field goal made it 23-14 Cleveland, the defensive backfield had another mix up resulting in a 75-yard bomb to Robbie Anderson, and suddenly it was a ballgame.

These types of mistakes seems to happen too often for the Browns. Remember, the Chargers game from a year ago, when it occurred twice. both times with Cleveland leading. And most times, you have players looking at each other as if to say “I thought you were supposed to take him”.

That has to be cleaned up for sure.

The run defense, which was a concern of ours, was fine, but then again, the Panthers didn’t really try to run the ball, attempting just 19 times for 54 yards. Their best play besides the two long passes was a recovered fumble off a bad snap that Christian McCaffrey ran for 30 yards.

That actually breathed some life into the Panthers.

Other thoughts-–

Myles Garrett had two sacks, bringing his career total to 60.5 tying him for fifth on the team’s all time list with Paul Wiggin. Next up for Garrett is Walter Johnson at 66.

Is there a more underrated great player in the NFL currently than Nick Chubb? He gained 141 yards on 22 carries and seemed to do it without notice. He’s averaging 5.3 yards per attempt for HIS CAREER.

We know GM Andrew Berry tried to address the return game by signing free agent Jakeem Grant, but they need to find a punt returner and quick. Demetric Felton seemed to have problems with the first three punts to him and actually fumbled the third, but luckily the Browns recovered.

Good to see coach Kevin Stefanski use Chubb and Kareem Hunt at the same time. Along with Amari Cooper, they are the team’s biggest offensive weapons.

And kudos to Donovan Peoples-Jones who had an excellent game with six catches, most of which were in traffic.

Should Browns Get Better At QB?

So, finally we know. The Cleveland Browns know QB Deshaun Watson will miss the first 11 games of the 2022 season, returning ironically, against his former team, the Houston Texans on December 4th.

The question becomes how many of those 11 games will Jacoby Brissett be behind center for Cleveland?

Brissett was signed to be a back up quarterback, when the Browns’ front office thought Watson’s suspension would be no longer than six games. They figured the former Patriot and Colt signal caller could handle that amount of games.

Now, they will need him to play at the highest level of his career for five additional games.

We have written before that the Browns’ roster is ready to win right now. They have one of the top running backs in the NFL in Nick Chubb, one of the sports’ best pass rushers in Myles Garrett and perhaps the best pair of interior linemen in the league in guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller.

And we haven’t even mentioned stars like Denzel Ward, Jadeveon Clowney, Amari Cooper, and Kareem Hunt.

The organization cannot wait while Brissett leads the Browns to say, a 4-7 start to the season.

And maybe he won’t, but we would minimize the risk in that happening by looking for another QB to be the starter in the majority of those contests.

Last season, the front office and the fan base was upset with a passer who had a 60.5% completion percentage and had 17 touchdown passes, 13 interceptions and a 7.2 yards per attempt.

Brissett’s career completion percentage is 60.2, although he did hit on 62.7% of his throws a year ago, when he started five games for Miami. He hit a higher percentage, but only had 5.7 yards per attempt, and he threw five TD passes vs. four to the opponents.

If Browns’ supporters didn’t like how Baker Mayfield played a year ago, they will likely be getting the same type of performance from Brissett. Think about that for a moment.

That’s why we said as early as three months ago we would go after Jimmy Garoppolo. We know he is coming off a shoulder injury. We know his current team wants to dump his salary. We know he’s had a long issue with staying healthy.

We also know last season, the nine year veteran completed 68.3% of his passes, and his career mark is 67.7%. His yards per attempt was 8.6 better than both Mayfield and Brissett and he threw 20 TD passes against 12 picks.

And he took the Niners to a Super Bowl in 2019 and to the NFC Championship Game in 2021.

Could he start week one if the Browns dealt for him today? Probably not, but could he take over in week three? Probably.

Does it have to be Garoppolo? No, but we think it would behoove GM Andrew Berry to find someone better than Brissett, who is a fine back up.

However, right now, Brissett is not the reserve QB, he’s the starter, and barring injury, he will be for the first three months of the 2022 season. And we say there is too much at stake for this franchise to not try to get better at the most important position in pro sports.

Berry is always saying he is always looking for opportunities to improve the Browns. Let’s hope he is doing that at quarterback right now.

The Decision Is In…Maybe

So Judge Sue L. Robinson emerged from the mountain top and handed down a six-game suspension for Browns’ quarterback Deshaun Watson. Now, Cleveland football fans have to wait to see if NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will add on to the punishment.

First, it would seem to be a bad look for Goodell to add games since this is the first time the league has used Judge Robinson for this purpose, and for Goodell to overrule her would seem to be just what league was trying to avoid by hiring her.

On the other hand, this is the NFL and Goodell seems to do whatever he damn well pleases. So, we can see him adding to the punishment, perhaps adding another two games, keeping Watson on the sidelines for basically half the season.

Remember, that in a way, these kinds of proceedings can be like a game. If people are upset because Watson didn’t get a longer suspension, it may just be that the league didn’t provide the judge with enough evidence.

She can only rule on what she sees or hears.

And regardless of how fans in Cleveland feel about Watson and what he did in his massage sessions, the whole situation is a bad look for the NFL.

They’ve known about these allegations for pretty much a year and a half, so our question is why did it take so long for them to act? Yes, we understand they were collecting information from the women involved, but still, it should have been taken care of long before this.

And by the way, we aren’t condoning Watson’s actions. We have said right from the day he was acquired that we wish the Browns had not gone down this road. It’s a bad look for the organization and we understand fans that say they feel strange supporting the new quarterback.

As for the football aspect of all this, we think the Browns can be fairly certain Watson will be on the field at some point in 2022. Can the team tread water with Jacoby Brissett as the signal caller?

We would wager the offense will be much more of a ground and short passing game while Brissett is playing, with opponents getting a healthy dose of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.

Remember, the Browns open at Carolina before coming home to take on the Jets and Steelers (on Thursday night) and then travel to Atlanta. Cleveland could be favored in all four games, even without Watson playing.

Then, the schedule gets considerably tougher with home games against the Chargers and Patriots, followed by road contests against division foes Baltimore and Cincinnati.

If the six game suspension holds, Watson would make his debut against the Ravens.

Because the commissioner has the right to review Judge Robinson’s “verdict”, Browns’ fans may have to wait three more days to find out the exact length of the quarterback’s suspension.

No doubt that will be discussed ad nauseum until Goodell makes the final decision.

Then Kevin Stefanski and his coaching staff can figure out how to proceed with reps. Since Watson hasn’t played since 2020, he needs some work, but that has to be balanced with getting Brissett ready for the regular season.

As usual, nothing is easy when it comes to the quarterback position for the Cleveland Browns.

If Watson Is Out For A While, Browns Can’t Sit Idle

As the Deshaun Watson saga continues, the thing that keeps creeping into our minds is what happens if the NFL decides on a full year suspension for the recently acquired quarterback.

Or really, any suspension longer than eight games, a little more than half of the season.

If Watson would be out of action for a span of more than 50% of the league’s schedule, it would seem GM Andrew Berry would be back in the market for a QB. There is too much at stake for this franchise to have to play Jacoby Brissett for a majority of the schedule.

This isn’t a knock on Brissett, who is a very good back up signal caller, and perfectly capable of guiding the Browns to some wins in a limited time span. However, we don’t think anyone believes he’s a guy who can lead a team to the playoffs.

And why is it important for the Browns to be able to be in the playoff mix this season? Simple, look at the roster and the number of great players in the prime of their career. Nick Chubb is 27, Myles Garrett is 27, Denzel Ward is 25, Amari Cooper is 28.

Add another year to all of those guys if the 2022 season comes and goes without a long playoff run.

Three of the oldest players on the squad are offensive linemen in Joel Bitonio (31), Jack Conklin (28) and Wyatt Teller (28). We saw first hand what happened last year when Conklin went out after the Chargers game.

There is no question this is one of the strongest units on the roster. Will they still be able to play up to the 2020 standards in ’23? Maybe, but the wear and tear takes its toll at some point.

The Browns were the fourth youngest team in the NFL a year ago at 25.61 years of age by average. Let’s just say Cleveland would be at 26.61 this year. They’d be the seventh oldest relating to the ranking for the 2021 season.

Now, we know that won’t be the case because rookies will make the team and some veterans on the end of the roster will be replaced by younger players. But it does show how closely bunched the age of the men on an NFL roster is.

You can be a young team one season and a grizzled veteran team in a span of two years.

And that’s why if Watson is ruled out for most, if not all of the 2022 season, the front office has to find a better option than Brissett. And no, it won’t be Baker Mayfield, the Browns have napalmed that relationship, although we understand why to national people it would make the most sense.

We have suggested before, could Mayfield be traded for another QB? A proven one? Outside of Jimmy Garoppolo, there probably isn’t one out available, but could the Browns be interested in bringing in the veteran for one season?

You would think they most definitely would.

No doubt Berry is already doing some groundwork in the event the ruling is a one year suspension for Watson. With a talent laden roster, wasting a year isn’t an option for the Cleveland Browns.

The Watson Situation Just Looks Worse and Worse

Every news item coming out about new Browns’ quarterback Deshaun Watson really isn’t helping the image of the organization, is it?

Two more civil suits and a story by Jenny Vrentas in the New York Times just in the past few days put Watson in an even more troublesome (if that’s possible) light.

As for the folks in Berea? They are the people who put their necks out for the former Houston QB, and now they look clueless, the last thing the Haslam ownership and organization needed.

We would hope the Browns are not surprised by any of this, that they did their due diligence and knew this stuff was out there, even if it had yet to be reported. But a wise man once said perception is reality, and the front office looks as bad as they did when Cleveland went 1-31 over a two year period.

We think anyone with half of a brain knew Watson was going to be suspended at some point by the league, and lack of an indictment doesn’t mean anything to the NFL. They have suspended other players who weren’t legally charged with a crime.

But the popular opinion was it would be around six games. Now, that would seem to be awfully light. At best, Watson is guilty of some pretty poor judgment, which we would think no one would want out of their starting quarterback.

GM Andrew Berry brought in Jacoby Brissett to start during a probable Watson suspension, but what if he is sidelined for the entire season? Are the Browns ready to go an entire season with Brissett at the helm? Anything is possible, but in the very difficult AFC, it would seem Cleveland isn’t a playoff contender in that scenario.

Many people have suggested the franchise should mend fences with Baker Mayfield if that’s the case, but the relationship between and team and Mayfield has been napalmed, so it’s probably not even a remote scenario.

However, would other teams be interested in trading for Mayfield if the Browns would take back a quarterback also under a big contract?

We are just speculating, but if San Francisco really wants to go with Trey Lance at QB, but want to have a solid back up in case he struggles or gets injured. Would they be interested in a deal involving Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo? Or could Sam Darnold be a better option for the Browns than Brissett over an entire season?

Those might be better alternatives for a team (and a coach) that needs to get to the playoffs in 2022. And Brissett is still around as a fallback in case of an injury.

It puts the Browns in a better position for this season while not having to deal with bringing Mayfield back, an option the team has already dismissed.

By the way, anyone who paints Mayfield as childish for not showing up to the mandatory mini-camp is out of touch. The Browns don’t want him there. It has nothing to do with the former first overall pick.

You would have to think the front office has to be studying scenarios as to what would happen if Watson is ruled out for the entire season. Again, that’s due diligence.

However, it’s what they signed up for. They have no one to blame but themselves.

Watson Is Very Good, But It Doesn’t Make It Easier To Take

It was a bold move, a controversial move made by the Cleveland Browns a few days ago. The front office, including the Haslam family ownership, felt the team was a quarterback away from championship contention.

So, they went out and traded a boatload of draft capital for a QB who didn’t even play last season in Houston’s Deshaun Watson. The price was three first round picks and a third and four round selections over the next three years.

Watson’s on-field talent is undeniable. Last year, when trying to determine exactly where Baker Mayfield ranked among the league’s signal callers, we said the former Texan quarterback was one of the top five at the position in the NFL, along with Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, and Aaron Rodgers.

The last year he played, 2020, we know the Texans went 4-12, but it wasn’t the quarterback’s fault. The former Clemson standout completed 70.2% of his passes for a league leading 4823 yards, 33 touchdowns and just 7 interceptions. And he led the NFL in average yards per pass attempt.

They gave up 29 points per contest. That’s why they went 4-12.

He also ran for 444 yards. He’s a true dual threat at QB.

However, there is another side to the story. Although Watson was not charged by a Grand Jury, he does face civil suits from 22 women alleging sexual misconduct. It’s like the Browns sold their soul to the devil in order to cure their QB issues.

There are fans in Cleveland who somehow feel the Cavaliers title in 2016, the ONLY championship by a professional sports team in northeast Ohio since 1964, is somehow tainted because LeBron James returned home via free agency and the Cavs put together a “super team”.

First, it is the job of any professional sports franchise to put the best team they can on the field and if they can do so within the rules, it’s legitimate. And no one on that team had any issues legally.

We were not in favor of trading for Watson, feeling it would be a tough sell for any team, not just the Cleveland Browns. Especially for women fans of the Browns. Still, it should appall everyone. It wasn’t one or two females making these claims, it was 22. We doubt it was a smear campaign against the Texans’ QB.

But when it happened, we did feel excitement that GM Andrew Berry pulled off acquiring one of football’s premier passers.

Who knows, Watson may never have another instance in this regard, and while it won’t be forgotten, winning has a way of making people overlook things.

What feels a little grimy is Watson’s contract was structured to prevent a large hit monetarily from a probable suspension, which would figure to be between six and eight games.

And the Browns also had to give him the largest guaranteed money in the history of the league to get him to waive a no trade clause to come to Cleveland.

We said any team dealing for Watson would need a solid backup because he will likely miss games in 2022, and Berry did that by signing Jacoby Brissett, who has 37 starts in his career, including five this year with Miami.

His best year was with the Colts in ’19, going 7-8 as a starter, throwing 18 TDs against six picks, completing 61% of his passes.

When Watson takes the field as a Cleveland Brown, there will be a mixed feeling. While we will root for the Browns, it will be tough to support the quarterback. That’s a shame.

Other teams, notably the Raiders (no matter where they play) have had an outlaw image, and it has been supported by their fans. Cleveland is different. We aren’t used to playing that role, the closest was with Albert Belle in the mid-1990’s.

But Belle was drafted here, the Indians didn’t trade for him.

It’s a conundrum to be sure. Watson’s actions were reprehensible. They weren’t made less appalling because he wears a Cleveland uniform.