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.

Right Now, No Big News Out Of Berea. Keep It That Way.

The Cleveland Browns play their first pre-season (it still makes us roll our eyes that the NFL doesn’t like them referred to as “exhibitions”) this Saturday night in Jacksonville against Urban Meyer’s Jaguars.

We haven’t written much about the Browns lately and quite frankly, no news is good news.

It really is easier to write stuff when things are going wrong, the pieces kind of just write themselves. And believe us, over the past few seasons, it was very easy to hammer the Browns for getting it wrong.

We understand the sports talk stations have to come up with topics to fulfill their “all Browns, all the time” mantra, but really, how many times can you talk about how much Baker Mayfield’s next contract will be worth yearly or can Odell Beckham Jr. regain the form of his first three years in the league?

GM Andrew Berry has put together a solid roster and Kevin Stefanski and his staff seem well equipped to get the most out of this group of players. He rebuilt the defense without subtracting from the offense. It would seem that only injuries would stop this group from being playoff contenders and the upside could be, dare we say it, the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance.

Imagine saying or reading something like that five years ago.

However, it’s a legitimate goal for the brown and orange, although Stefanski has the correct approach in taking one game at a time. Really, it’s all a team can do.

We can’t wait for the overreaction to bad things that will happen this Saturday night even though the starters will probably make just token appearances in the first exhibition game.

We are also sure there will be a lot of angst when the cuts start, because the Browns are going to have to cut some good football players. That’s the price for having talent. Remember when Cleveland would add four to six players from other teams prior to the first regular season game? The shoe is now on the other foot.

The only news that can come out about the Browns right now is an injury to someone who figures to be on the field plenty once the games start counting in the standings. New LB Anthony Walker injured a knee early in training camp, but figures to be ready for the Chiefs on September 12th.

There has been good news. A contract extension for Nick Chubb, and apparently the team is working with Denzel Ward on one as well. Keeping very good players is smart, but we remind everyone there will be tough choices as well. For example, our guess is this will be J.C. Tretter’s last season with the Browns, because he is a free agent, and Nick Harris was drafted to be the heir apparent.

So, while it will be great to see the Browns back on the field this weekend, it should be a relaxing and fun pre-season with the only worry being injuries. And likely, that’s only a factor in the one game where the starters will get any substantial playing time.

It is also worth mentioning the Browns have some depth on the roster too. Remember the offensive line issues that cropped up throughout the regular season? Really, only the loss of Wyatt Teller caused an issue in the running game.

The Cleveland Browns should be a solid football team. That’s something we can all get used to.

Browns Rewrite History With Sunday’s Win

Boy, did the Cleveland Browns take care of a lot of history Sunday night in their wild card victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

They took care of the last playoff appearance since 2002 with the win in week 17 over the Steelers at First Energy Stadium, getting into the post-season tournament. Check.

Last playoff win was 1994 when the Bill Belichick led Browns beat New England in the wild card round to advance to the divisional round against guess who? The Steelers. Check.

The last time they won a road playoff game was in 1969, when they routed the Dallas Cowboys and Blanton Collier, the last Browns coach to win the NFL Championship, was still at the helm. Consider that taken care of as well.

This edition of the Browns should bring pride to the city because they let nothing stand in their way and they make no excuses. That comes from Kevin Stefanski, who downplayed his absence due to COVID-19 in media calls all week.

That instills confidence in everyone throughout the organization that they can get things done. This team doesn’t talk about who isn’t there, simply that they can succeed with the folks who are there.

We have said this before. Leaders don’t have to tell people they are leaders. But it’s obvious that the players view Stefanski as their guy. It is telling that Jarvis Landry facetimed the coach as soon as the game was over. He wanted to share it with him.

Cleveland was missing All Pro LG Joel Bitonio, but Michael Dunn stepped in and the offensive line didn’t miss a beat. Another All Pro, RT Jack Conklin, left the game with a hamstring injury in the second quarter, and after Kendall Lamm, who replaced him, was hit with a holding penalty on his first play, did a solid job.

Dunn left in the second half, and the Browns finished the game with Blake Hance, who Baker Mayfield introduced himself to before the game, and Stefanski still hasn’t met in person, at guard.

Talk about the “next man up” philosophy. The one constant need for success is Wyatt Teller. Cleveland is now 11-2 this season when he is on the field.

On offense, the Browns stars stepped up. Nick Chubb had 145 yards rushing and receiving, and his touchdown off a screen pass basically clinched the contest for the visitors. Kareem Hunt rushed for 48 yards and two touchdowns, and Landry caught five passes for 92 yards including a TD on his first reception.

And are there still people who don’t think Baker Mayfield can play? In his first playoff game, the former first overall pick completed 21 of 34 throws for 263 yards and three touchdowns. And no interceptions, in contrast to his opponent at QB, Ben Roethlisberger, who threw four to Cleveland players.

The defense is still a work in progress to be sure, and missing probably their second best defensive player in CB Denzel Ward, didn’t help their performance. But they forced five turnovers, and ultimately, that was the difference in the game. The Cleveland defense took the ball away, the Pittsburgh defense could not.

Ward was missing, but defensive coordinator got big plays out of guys like Sheldrick Redwine, Vincent Taylor, Porter Gustin, and M. J. Stewart.

You need players to step up when other guys are out, and the Browns certainly have that culture. It also helps when GM Andrew Berry and the scouting department bring in men who can contribute.

So, now it’s on to another daunting task in the divisional round against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. The odds are against them again, the Chiefs being installed as a ten point favorite.

However, this Browns team believes in their coach, his staff, and each other. We doubt that no matter the result next Sunday, that will not change.

Browns’ Playoffs Starts Today!

For fans of the Cleveland Browns who wanted the team to get in the playoffs, they kind of got their wish. Because the playoffs start this afternoon for Kevin Stefanski’s crew at First Energy Stadium against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Win, and the Browns advance to the post-season. Lose, and it would take a lot of circumstances for Cleveland to play next weekend in a post-season game.

And make no mistake, it would be a disappointment if the team doesn’t make the playoffs. If you look in a prism before the season started, no question fans and the organization would have been pleased with a 10-6 season, their first winning season since 2007.

That would have been a huge step forward, and after treading water for many years, people would be happy with the improvement.

However, after starting the season at 10-4 following a workmanlike performance against the Giants, the Browns were the top wild card and had a shot at the AFC North title. To not qualify after that should be a disappointment to everyone.

And to go through a season not being able to claim a win against the top dogs in the division, the Steelers and Ravens, would be equally demoralizing.

Stefanski didn’t make excuses for last week’s loss to the Jets even though his offensive line was riddled with injuries and his wide receiver room was basically eliminated by the coronavirus, and we love that about him.

Notice that none of the Browns players used that as a reason for the loss either. That is another example of how they have bought in to the coach’s guidance.

He isn’t using the latest cases to have cropped up in the organization to alter his focus for today’s game. He will expect the players who will participate to do their job and bring home the win and a spot in the playoffs.

Stefanski has been battling with missing key players all season long, and really hasn’t missed a beat. Nick Chubb, one of the NFL’s best running backs missed almost five games with a knee injury, the team went 3-2 in those games.

Myles Garrett, a candidate for defensive player of the year missed two games with COVID-19. Cleveland won both games.

Denzel Ward, who will miss today’s contest with COVID-19, and missed three games with a calf injury and the Browns went 2-1 in those games.

Wyatt Teller, who many feel has been the best guard in the NFL this season (despite not making the Pro Bowl), may have been the most important piece to the offense this season. Cleveland is just 1-3 in the four games he has not played.

Fortunately, he is supposed to be back in the lineup this afternoon.

Yes, the Browns have players out for this game, but their opponents will be sitting out some key players because they have clinched a playoff spot and because of the schedule changes the league had to make because of the virus, really haven’t had a week off all season.

But reserves want to make a mark in the league, so the Browns cannot take anything for granted. They have to go out and play, and they have to go out and win. There cannot be another result.

For most of the teams who have won ten or more games, the NFL playoffs start next week. That’s not the case for the Cleveland Browns.

Focus On Mayfield? He’s Not The Most Important Offensive Player

Whatever the Cleveland Browns do, the talk seems to come back to the quarterback. In the past two weeks, the Browns have played in brutal field possessions, and split the two games at First Energy Stadium, yet people just want to talk about Baker Mayfield.

Right now, Mayfield is doing what the coaching staff is asking him to do, which is take care of the football, and complete some passes here and there. We understand that the sexy thing is having the QB throw for 350 yards and four touchdowns every week, but that’s not the formula for winning in Cleveland.

At least, right now.

In the last two games, Mayfield has completed 24 of 45 passes for 254 yards, statistics that are for one game for most NFL quarterbacks. However, since the Pittsburgh game where the Browns were dominated, the former Heisman Trophy winner has thrown just one interception.

While fans are focused on the play of Mayfield, we believe there is a notable person who is not. And that is Kevin Stefanski.

It’s because as they stand right now, Mayfield may rank third, fourth or even lower in terms of most important offensive players on this Browns’ team.

Stefanski has the Browns being first and foremost a running football team. They rank 4th in the league in rushing yards, behind three teams that all have dual threat quarterbacks (Arizona, Baltimore, and New England).

Thus, you can make the argument that no team relies more on their running backs than the Browns, and with good reason.

Kareem Hunt is 6th in the NFL in rushing yards (633) and his teammate, Nick Chubb is 20th at 461. Chubb is third in rushing yards per game, while Hunt is 12th.

They are the only pair of running backs from the same team to rank in the top 20 in rushing yards.

The offensive line appeared to be strengthened with the drafting of Jedrick Wills and the signing of Jack Conklin at the tackles, but the guy who has emerged as the most important member of the group is Wyatt Teller, who right now may be the best lineman in the league.

When Teller plays, the Browns have run for almost 200 yards per contest (195.5). In the three games he missed? Try 86 yards on the ground.

To be fair, Chubb missed all three games that Teller didn’t play, but it was no coincidence that when both returned last Sunday, Cleveland ran for 231 yards.

We are sure there will be another game on the schedule this season where the Browns will need Mayfield to play at a very high level, much like he did in the Cincinnati game in week seven. But we are also sure, that won’t be the design of the game plan going in.

For right now, this season, the Browns are a ground and pound team. Eventually, the coaching staff should and we believe, will put more on the quarterback’s shoulders.

Even in last Sunday’s game, when Mayfield needed a big throw on a 3rd and 18 situation in the second half, he delivered a 22 yard pass to Rashard Higgins for a drive continuing first down. Cleveland scored its only touchdown on that drive.

Stefanski’s team sits at 6-3, and it’s not because of or in spite of their quarterback. Right now, Baker Mayfield is just one cog in the machine.

And that’s alright.

What Has Gone Right And Wrong For Browns To Date

The Cleveland Browns enter the bye week and the halfway point of the season simultaneously this season at 5-3, better that almost anyone could have hoped for going into the year.

Coming into this COVID-19 affected season, with a shortened training camp and no pre-season games, you have to give GM Andrew Berry and new head coach Kevin Stefanski great marks in putting together a plan that has resulted in winning football, something that hasn’t been seen in this town for a long, long time.

So, since we are at the halfway point, let’s examine what went right or wrong for the brown and orange in an overall surprising first half of the 2020 season.

What went right? First, the Browns haven’t had any issues with the coronavirus to date. They had a scare with some false positives right before the regular season started, but to this point, the Browns have been safe and healthy.

The Browns have been one of the highest scoring offenses in the NFL to date, ranking 9th in points scored, despite being held to single digits in three of their eight contests (the three they lost).

There were questions about the offensive line going into camp because 3/5th of the unit had changed, but it has emerged as a strength. Jedrick Wills has been solid as a rookie, although he’s had some first year moments, and we knew Jack Conklin would be solid at RT, but the huge bonus was RG Wyatt Teller.

Teller, who came from Buffalo with a 7th round pick for a 5th and 6th round pick last year, has become one of the league’s best offensive linemen. With Teller starting, Cleveland ran for at least 124 yards in each game.

They haven’t reached that figure since he’s been shelved with a calf injury. The hope is he’ll be back for the game against Houston on November 15th.

We understand the greatness of Nick Chubb, but thank goodness then GM John Dorsey took a chance on Kareem Hunt last season. Hunt was battled through injuries to rank 5th in the league in rushing and touchdowns.

Hunt has been criticized by some because he’s not Chubb, but he’s still a top flight back in the NFL, and the offense is better with both weapons available.

What went wrong? No one was counting on the Browns’ defensive to be a dominating unit, but injuries have really crippled (no pun intended) them.

The team had big expectations for rookie S Grant Delpit and starting CB Greedy Williams, but both have been out all season, forcing the defensive coordinator Joe Woods to go to his depth.

The best linebacker play has come from Malcolm Smith, picked up as a free agent during camp, and free agent signee B.J. Goodson.

Outside of the tremendous season Myles Garrett is putting together, the defensive line has been a huge disappointment. Really, no one outside of the former overall #1 pick has been able to generate any pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

As a result, only the Cowboys and the lowly New York Jets have allowed more points than the Browns this season.

What is expected? Looking at the remaining schedule, the Browns should remain in playoff contention unless there are injury issues. There are three games against what anyone would consider the bottom echelon of the league in Jacksonville, and both New York teams, as well as winnable contests vs. Houston and Philadelphia.

Of course, the Browns need to play well to win, but with the returns of Teller and Chubb coming soon, it should bolster the offense enough to get to at least 9-7 or 10-6.

Whatever The Reason, Nothing Is Clicking With Baker & OBJ

Earlier this week, we asked a question on social media. We wondered what was different between Baker Mayfield’s rookie season, and the other 22 games he has played with the Browns.

A few people responded with the changes in the head coach and the offensive coordinators. No one answered with the response we felt was the difference. That would be the presence of Odell Beckham Jr.

The former Heisman Trophy winner completed 63.8 percent of his throws in his first year in the league, since then? 59.7% He had 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions as a rookie, he has 32 TD’s and 27 picks since.

His yards per completion increased by a tenth of a yard last year, but it has decreased by more than a yard in 2020.

It has been noted there are have been many differences and we aren’t overlooking the four head coaches and offensive coordinators Mayfield has played for in his 38 NFL starts as a factor. He has never had the opportunity to play in a system and then be able to tweak things in the off-season. He’s always been in a learning mode.

There is no denying that the starting quarterback and the superstar wide receiver haven’t clicked like former GM John Dorsey thought they would when he dealt for Beckham over a year ago.

Beckham Jr. has played 22 games as a member of the Browns, and really, how many of them has he made a major impact?

He’s had two 100 yard receiving games, 161 yards in week two of the ’19 season against the Jets, and 101 vs. Seattle in week six. He’s had just one game with more than one touchdown, that was in his great performance against Dallas three weeks ago.

He’s only caught more than five passes six times, topped by an 8 catch for 66 yards in a loss to Arizona last season.

During his last season with the Giants, a year in which he played just 12 games due to an injury, Beckham had 100+ yard games and seven games with more than five catches. Worse, dating back to his third year in the NFL, OBJ’s team has a 3-8 record when he has over 100 yards receiving.

To be fair, Beckham has played on some lousy football teams, but this year’s Browns’ squad isn’t one of them. Which made his “tired of losing” comments after the loss to Pittsburgh last week a little curious.

There has been no evidence that Beckham is a problem in the locker room, and it appears his teammates like him. But, maybe it’s just that the personalities of Mayfield and Beckham just do not mesh.

On the other hand, we wouldn’t be surprised if Beckham is one of the those guys who sucks the air out of every room he enters.

He’s a big name for sure, but as we have just shown, he’s more reputation than production throughout his tenure with the Browns. He’s a media favorite, but that’s more for his career before he came to Cleveland.

In terms of his place on the roster, would OBJ even rank as one of the five best players on the Browns? No doubt Myles Garrett would rank #1, and you have Nick Chubb, Denzel Ward, Kareem Hunt, and his fellow wide receiver Jarvis Landry, who since his former college teammate arrived also has two 100 yard games, both in wins, and also has one game with more than one TD.

Yet every game, there is the need from fans and media alike to “get OBJ involved”. When Chubb is healthy, wouldn’t it behoove the Browns to get Chubb going right away?

If Mayfield feels a need in each game to get the ball to Beckham then someone should have a talk with him. His job should be to guide the offense and produce victories, not accumulate stats for a particular player.

It would be interesting to see how Mayfield would play without Beckham in the equation. Would it make a difference in his game? We may never find out.

But it is pretty obvious there is no connection between the two players. Mayfield and Landry have it, heck, Rashard Higgins and Mayfield have more of a chemistry.

Something isn’t clicking though. Can it be fixed and is Kevin Stefanski the guy who can make it happen?

Having Running Back Depth Is Huge For Browns

Many times, the thing that separates the good teams from the great ones in the NFL is depth. While bad teams have some good players, if those players go down, there isn’t anyone close to replace them, and the team can’t overcome the loss, and start losing.

We saw that to a degree last season with the Browns, when Myles Garrett was suspended, and the Cleveland defense couldn’t put any pressure on opposing passers. That was a major factor in a 2-4 record in those games, and the opponents scoring 30 points in half of those contests.

In Sunday’s 49-38 win over Dallas, the Browns lost perhaps their best player, running back Nick Chubb, to a knee injury, and it was announced yesterday, he would be put on injured reserve, with reports being he will be out about six weeks.

While it is a blow having Chubb on the sidelines, it is one area where Cleveland has some depth because of the presence of Kareem Hunt, who led the NFL in rushing in his rookie season (2017).

Hunt now figures to get the bulk of the carries, although after the Dallas game, they aren’t too far apart in attempts, as Chubb has carried the rock 57 times, Hunt has 50 carries.

While both Chubb and Hunt are elite backs, Sunday’s tremendous total of 307 rushing yards shows they are just a part of the machine that Kevin Stefanski, offensive line coach Bill Callahan, and running backs coach Stump Mitchell have put together.

We say machine because when Chubb left the game in Dallas, D’Ernest Johnson, who had 26 in five NFL carries prior, came in and ran for 95 yards in 13 carries, and Dontrell Hilliard, who was on the practice squad the previous week, picked up 19 more on five attempts.

The Browns lead the NFL with a whopping 5.9 yards per carry, and are averaging over 200 yards per game on the ground. The Baltimore Ravens did this a year ago, but no other team has done it for a full year in a 16 game season.

You have to go back to the 1970’s to find teams that averaged 200 yards per game on the ground outside of the Ravens. It was done six times in that decade before the league went to 16 games in 1978.

This shows the zone blocking scheme, popularized by the Shanahan family (Mike and Kyle), installed by Stefanski and Callahan is more than doing its job. It also shows the improvements made by the front office in the off-season, drafting Jedrick Wills, and signing Jack Conklin as a free agent has paid tremendous dividends.

However, it helps that with Chubb not being able to see the field for awhile, that Cleveland has a back the caliber of Hunt to pick up the slack. And you might see more end around runs for Odell Beckham Jr., who had 73 yards rushing on Sunday.

The offense will get a big test coming up this weekend when the Indianapolis Colts come to town. The Colts lead the NFL in total defense, and are allowing just 76 rushing yards per game, and since an opening week loss to Jacksonville, haven’t allowed more than 11 points in the last three weeks.

Here is the problem for other teams, though. If they crowd the line of scrimmage to stop the run, Baker Mayfield and his cadre of receivers, led by Beckham and Jarvis Landry can stretch the field and spread out the defense.

Through four weeks, there is a lot to feel good about in regards to the Cleveland Browns being able to put points on the scoreboard.

Running The Ball Well Is A Tradition For The Browns

There is a theory that everything comes back into style eventually, and the Cleveland Browns are putting that axiom to the test.

Throughout the late 1950’s through the early 1970’s, the Browns featured a crushing running game. Starting in 1957, when Jim Brown was drafted in the first round, the brown and orange finally shifted from a passing team with Otto Graham at the helm, to a team that dominated on the ground.

They finished second in the NFL in rushing that year (the Rams led the league) and went to the NFL Championship Game, losing to Detroit.

The following season, Cleveland drafted Bobby Mitchell in the 7th round, and the combination of Brown and Mitchell, both Hall of Famers, vaulted Paul Brown’s team to the top of the heap running the football.

Mitchell was traded to Washington prior to the 1962 season, for Heisman Trophy Ernie Davis, who never played for the Browns due to leukemia, and Cleveland dropped in the running game. But outside of the ’62 season, Cleveland was in the top three in running the ball every year Brown was on the roster, until he was forced into retirement (by Art Modell) after the ’65 season.

Their record in that span was never worse than the 7-6-1 mark in ’62. They were always above the .500 mark, and won nine or more games (in a 14 game slate) five times.

When Brown retired, Leroy Kelly picked up the slack, and Cleveland led the NFL in running the football in 1966 and 1967, and finished third in the league in ’68. They won nine, nine, and ten games in those seasons.

That’s a 12 year period where the Cleveland Browns had a devastating ground attack. And they were winners.

Now, let’s flash ahead to 2020. The Browns are currently third in the league again in running the football, behind just the Patriots (2-1) and Green Bay (3-0). Note the Packers are running the ball even though they have perhaps the game’s best passer, Aaron Rodgers behind center.

Cleveland features Nick Chubb, who finished second in the NFL in rushing yards a year ago, and Kareem Hunt, who led the league in the same category with Kansas City in 2017.

Chubb trails the current leader, Tennessee’s Derrick Henry by 27 yards this season, despite the latter having 31 more carries in the first three games of this season.

Hunt is 13th in the NFL and none of the players he trails have less carries than he does, as Hunt only averages 13 carries per contest.

So, Cleveland has two of the top 13 runners in terms of yardage after three games. The only other team with two players in the top 20 is the Arizona Cardinals, who have Kenyan Drake (9th) and their quarterback, Kyler Murray (18th).

We know that new coach Kevin Stefanski has always been a proponent of running the football during his time as an offensive assistant in Minnesota, but the franchise is also reaching into its past as to what was successful when the Browns were an NFL power. And this may come as a shock to those under 30 years old, but they really were on of the best teams in the NFL from 1950-1972.

And let’s not forget where the Browns play. When it gets cold and the weather is less than ideal in November and December, this offense should still be effective, and it also takes pressure off the defense, because they should be able to control the clock.

People say you should learn from history. Finally, someone in the Cleveland organization looked at the proud tradition of running the ball in northeast Ohio and has decided it’s a good idea.

It may lead to winning football again, and that would be a welcome sight.