After that game I had to wait 48 hours to talk about it. Between the injuries, the terrible officiating and the play calling late in the game, that really sucked. According to Elias, the Browns are the first team in NFL history, including the playoffs, to lose a game when scoring 40 plus points, with over 500 yards of offense and no turnovers. So the Browns made history? Usually the Browns are involved in exploring the dark corners of the NFL rulebook. Let’s look at the positives and the negatives.
Positives. After hearing all the so called experts tell me that QB Baker Mayfield had regressed as a NFL QB, he goes 23 of 32 for 305 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. That’s 72% completion rate and a QBR of 122. The highest graded players according to Pro Football Focus were TE David Njoku (92.5), RG Wyatt Teller (88.8), LT Joel Bitonio (82.9), DE Myles Garrett (79.8) and CB Greedy Williams (78.5). The Browns are the only NFL team ranked in top five in both total offense (fifth) and total defense (fourth). The defensive ranking shows you how good the defense played against the Bears and the Vikings, at full strength. In the first five games, the Browns have rushed for 150 yards or more in every game. Last year it happened in six games and the Browns finished third in rushing in the NFL. The Browns have a kicker and the tackling on the returns was outstanding.
Negatives. For three quarters, the Chargers double teamed WR Odell Beckham, Jr. Late in the fourth quarter, they didn’t even cover him. What happened? QB Baker Mayfield stopped looking his direction and I have no idea why. The play calling on the second to last drive was terrible. With 3:08 left in the game and a one point lead, all the Browns needed to do was get two first downs and the game is over. Head coach Kevin Stefanski implied he didn’t trust the Browns back-up offensive tackles to run better plays. WTH. Over the last two years, GM Andrew Berry has shown me he knows how to sign and draft offensive linemen. If they’re on the roster, they’re good enough to play. I can’t really blame the defense when your starting corners in the fourth quarter were Troy Hill and A.J. Green. Number one cornerback Denzel Ward only played nine snaps before getting hurt. What I will complain about is the lack of adjustments at halftime. Late in the game, the Chargers knew exactly what the Browns defense was doing. Punter Jamie Gillam is having problems. I would suggest they try and find a new punter, however he’s the holder on extra points and field goals and the Browns kicker is perfect so far, so let’s not mess with that situation. As for the officiating, it’s always been bad against the Browns. This team needs to overcome bad officiating, good teams do.
Injuries. Nothing to report so far. Because the team returned late from the west coast, MRI’s were being done late Monday or today. I’ll retweet anything I hear. Cross your fingers and hold your breath Browns fans, hopefully we’ll hear good news on several key players.
Next up for the Browns, the undefeated Arizona Cardinals. The Browns are a good team, they just haven’t played a complete game yet. This is a good time to start. Everyone stay safe and Go Browns.