The word for Monday is frustrating. All the experts told me the Browns have a top five secondary. Not so much. Is it coaching, communication or the lack of playing time in the preseason. All of the above. Let’s get to it.
The Good. After two weeks the Browns are ranked seventh in the NFL in passing efficiency. If you had that stat on your bingo card, can you suggest some lottery numbers. QB Jacoby Brissett was 22 of 27 for 229 yards one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed six times for 43 yards (7.2 average). Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt combined for 145 yards and Chubb scored three touchdowns. The Browns are currently averaging 200 yards rushing a game, second only to the Philadelphia Eagles. Brissett and WR Amari Cooper hooked up nine times for 101 yards and one touchdown. The offense isn’t the problem.
The Bad. After two weeks the Browns are ranked 27th in defensive passing efficiency. They have allowed 34 points in the fourth quarter to Baker Mayfeild and Joe Flacco. So far, the defense has given up the seventh most passing yards and the second most passing touchdowns. I can’t wait for the Browns to face Tom Brady, Lamar Jackson and Josh Rosen. If it was the fault of one player, I would hope the coaches would bench him for the next game. But, against Carolina it was miscommunication between Greg Newsome and John Johnson. Yesterday it was miscommunication between Denzel Ward and Grant Delpit. These issues should have been worked out in training camp and in preseason games. Oh, wait, the starters didn’t play in the preseason games.
The Ugly. After two weeks the Browns are ranked 20th in special teams’ efficiency. The fake punt by the Jets gave them life. At that point it was looking like a blowout. Still no reliable punt returner. On kickoffs, let’s kick the ball into the endzone, not to a pro bowl kick returner on the ten-yard line. The kicking team has about a 14% chance of recovering an onside kick. Fourteen percent. Then to add insult to injury, kicker Cade York misses an extra point. How come missed extra points always come back to bite the Browns in the butt?
Thank God it’s a short week. Because it’s a short week, no one will be fired, and no one should be fired. If it happens against the Steelers, then all bets are off. Everyone stay safe and Go Browns, it’s Steeler week.