Month: October 2026

Four wins by the Browns, four late game heroics to achieve those wins. No one had the Browns at 4-2 after six games; hell, most betting services had the Browns winning only three to four games for the entire 2026 season. Don’t get me wrong, being tied for first place in a division the team hasn’t won since 1989 feels great. But let’s not kid ourselves, the only reason for the Browns success is a great defense and an average special teams. When the special teams are below average, as in the Jets game, we all saw what can happen.

Pundits will argue the Browns offense stinks because they can’t run the ball, or because the offensive line hasn’t jelled yet. No, the problem with the offense is the quarterback, plain and simple. For three quarters Sunday Deshaun Watson looked like the same Deshaun Watson of two years ago, ineffective. He holds on to the ball too long, he ducks his head right before he runs, he runs into sacks. The Raven’s defense knew this and baited Watson by holding pressure by their defensive ends. They just stood there and waited for the head duck and boom, sack.

The Browns will never to be able to run the ball if the quarterback is always in the shotgun. They even tried inserting the full back and it still didn’t work. The problem is, Watson doesn’t like to play under center. If you’re going to keep the shotgun formation how about your quarterback not continue to drop back an additional five yards. I know there are times when you have to have the QB in the shotgun, but those times happen late in games when a team is trying to come back and win, like every Browns victory.

As a Browns fan watching this game in the first quarter, you had to be thinking this was going to be a blow out by the Ravens. Their first two drives were scoring drives. I was thinking about game one when the Jags scored on six of their first seven drives. But the defense stood up and did what other defenses are doing to the Browns, stop the run and make the opposing QB beat you. Derrick Henry had 58 yards for the game, 41 of those came in the first quarter. By halftime, thanks to the defense I was thinking of last year’s Green Bay game. Hang around and wait for a turnover. Thank you, Carson Schwesinger.

Can this be fixed this season? No. They’re going to ride Watson till they can’t. Drafting a QB is so unpredictable, especially in the NIL era. The good news is they have the draft capital to find their next messiah if they want to. Right now, the Ram’s pick they received for Garrett is looking damn good. L.A. is currently 2-4 and in last place in their division. After six weeks, odds are they’re not going to make the playoffs. Teams who don’t make the playoffs pick in the top eighteen. So, there’s an option to move up in the 2027 draft, because the free agent QB market is as bad as it was in 2026 and I’m not for extending Watson for one more year. I’ve seen enough of him to know, it isn’t going to work. Stay safe and GO Browns.

The narrative after Sunday’s loss to the Jets will be the offense took a step back. The truth is the offense wasn’t that great to begin with. The three late game wins by the Browns helped to cover up how bad the offense has been. When a team can’t run the ball, the opposing defense loads the box and dares the opposing QB to beat them. Until the Browns can effectively run the ball, that’s how games are going to go. The offensive line must create gaps in the defense, and the running backs must anticipate those gaps. It’s a team effort. Better playcalling could be a solution. With 4:12 left in the game, the Browns had the ball on the Jets 43-yard line thanks to a strip sack by linebacker Carson Schwesinger. Cleveland was leading by two and all they had to do was run the ball to get the Jets to start using their timeouts. First play, running back Quinshon Judkins ran out of bounds. Not good. The next two plays were incomplete passes. Cleveland ran ten seconds off the clock. Play’s two and three should have been runs. Put in the short yardage offense and power through. Make the Jet’s use those timeouts. Of course, all this was mute, because a bad snap on the punt gave the Jets a short field.

How do you fix this problem? First of all, less shotgun formations. When a QB is under center, after the ball is snaped, he turns his back to the defense which freezes the opposing linebackers. If you absolutely have to be in the shotgun, then run more RPO’s. Watson has shown he can run the ball and an effective RPO works with his skillset. The biggest weakness of the running game is no inline tight end. A good blocking tight end lined up next to a tackle would give the running back at least a chance. The bad news, Judkins and Rocket Sanders are hurt. The good news the Browns signed former Notre Dame running back Audric Estime off the Vikings practice squad. I loved the guy coming out of college. Plus, Dylan Sampson could return to practice this week, but I doubt he’ll play.

My next question is why the first series isn’t scripted. There was no rhythm to the first series in both in this game and the previous game against the Steelers. Yet, both the Steelers and the Jets went on long drives for scores in the first quarter. After that the defense settled in and harassed Gino Smith and Aaron Rogers all game. We know the Browns use a game plan with WR KC Concepcion being the feature player. After the dirty hit by you know who, the offense didn’t adjust to feature either Jeudy or Boston. Instead, they featured a receiver who is extremely inconsistent. Also, where was Harold Fannin. It was implied he was being used as a decoy in the first half. If that’s the case, then that’s stupid. A good receiving tight end helps the short passing game which helps the running game.

Finally, the Browns have to protect Watson better or at least gameplan to protect Watson better. He was sacked eight times and two or three of those sacks were on Watson., the rest were on the offensive line. I hope Tytus Howard is healthy for the Ravens, because Dawand Jones is not the answer. The Cleveland offense wasted a great game by the defense. As for the special teams, this team is so young, one mistake can cost the Browns the game. Stay safe and Go Browns.

Expectations in sports can be a fans worst nightmare, just ask fans of the Cavaliers and the Guardians. The higher your expectations go the bigger the fall. After a 3-1 start the expectations for the Browns both locally and nationally are through the roof. Yes, it’s true, historically teams in the league who start 3-1 have a 75% of making the playoffs. It’s also true the Browns have the easiest schedule on paper than any team in the NFL. But are they really worthy of the high praise they’re receiving? It’s hard to say after four games.

I could argue if it weren’t for a few key plays in each of their wins, the Browns could be 0-4. Everyone talks about coaching and talent, but luck is also a factor in the league, just look at the Browns 2023 season. They played four quarterbacks, had no Nick Chubb and in one game played without a kicker and a punter the majority of the game. Teams can have magical seasons. In 2020 with a rookie head coach the Browns scored 408 points, had seven games of more than 30 points and three games of more than 40 points. This resulted in eleven wins and a playoff victory. That coach was run out of town because the narrative was, he couldn’t call plays.

The resurgence is being attributed to the quarterback who was the subject of the worst trade in NFL history. But is Deshaun Watson really playing great? No. Is he better than average? Yes. Unless you’re Tom Brady, an NFL quarterback’s success is due to his offensive line. Last Thursday versus the Steelers with a clean pocket, Watson was 22 of 27 for 246 yards, one touchdown and a QBR of 117.0. He completed 81.5% of his passes at 9.1 yards per attempt. When under pressure he was 4 of 8 for 32 yards, one interception and two sacks. In the first half the Browns were unstoppable if they weren’t stopping themselves with self-inflicted wounds. The previous two wins, Watson didn’t show up till the second half. My point is, it’s hard to judge the success of a team until they play a complete game offensively. Maybe Watson should have received more first team reps in the pre-season?

The good news is the defense is already playing at a playoff level. They have the highest-pressure rate in the league at 47.6%. Players are flying all over the field. If Denzel Ward is covering an opposing wide receiver, he’s going to have an unproductive day. This may change with the injuries to Mike Hall and Mason Graham, but if they can keep the pressure around 47% and play man coverage, no opposing QB is going to be productive, just ask Aaron Rogers.

Can the Browns keep this bandwagon rolling? It depends. Relying on three straight wins with late game heroics is not sustainable. The history of the league shows winning games this way is not repeatable. Even at 3-1, they have a negative point differential of fourteen points, have been outgained by their opponents, are even in turnover ratio and have committed more penalties than any other team in the league. Four games is hardly a complete sample size, but winning breeds confidence. Stacking wins like the 2023 Browns increases confidence and one blowout win can change the historical perspective. Right now, Watson has had his elite moments and like I said the defense is playing at a playoff level. If Watson can stay healthy and the offensive line can keep him upright, there’s a good chance the Browns can start playing complete games. Do that and the bandwagon can keep moving along. Stay safe and Go Browns.