What Went Wrong With The Browns On Sunday? (A Lot)
Sunday was not a banner day for the Cleveland Browns. The man taking most of the heat is rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield, mostly because he asked for the blame to be thrown onto his shoulders in his postgame press conference. While he didn’t play all that well, he was nowhere near the only issue in Cleveland yesterday. Everyone (for the most part), top to bottom, played a poor game and it’s time to look at each issue one by one, with the few good parts mixed in between.
THE BAD: 70% OF BAKER MAYFIELD’S DAY (AND HIS INJURY)
It’s crazy to say this, but Baker Mayfield had (probably) his worst game since Oklahoma’s loss to Ohio State all the way back in 2016. He didn’t throw up the worst stat line in Browns quarterback history, but it wasn’t all that great…
Both of his interceptions were easily the worst passes he has thrown as a member of the Cleveland Browns.
Neither of those throws really had a chance, especially the first one, which all but sealed the Browns’ fate. There really isn’t much of an excuse for his poor play, and Baker was the first one to say that after the game.
I love the accountability and no bullshit from Baker. This is what you need from a leader. You need to see that fire and drive that gives you confidence he will bounce back the following week.
The only excuse I will make for Baker is his injury. The freak slip he had on a first down marker early in the game really threw him off the rest of the afternoon.
That’s just tough and there isn’t anything you can do about it. Luckily Baker is fine, but it did clearly impact his game and confidence in the pocket.
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You never really see him hold onto the ball as long as he did against the Chargers. His lack of mobility was also pretty obvious, when things started to break down he didn’t have his typical awareness or quickness to escape the pressure. His offensive line wasn’t outstanding, but Baker has to get rid of the ball quicker. He noted after the game that he needs to find and hit his check downs more and counter the different looks the defense gives him.
Baker will be fine. Zero worries from my end.
THE GOOD: 30% OF BAKER MAYFIELDS DAY
BONUS SECTION – THE BAD: (MORE) DROPPED PASSES
Baker did have some good moments on the day, even amongst a poor game.
His touch is absolutely superb, and we finally got a glimpse of what can happen when they get Baker and Duke Johnson involved in the offense together.
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The two best balls he threw all day, however, both fell to the ground in the end zone.
Stop. Screwing. Over. Your. Rookie. Quarterback.
(Lol, singular pant. Put on your one pants.)
The drops issue is just absolutely getting out of hand at this point. It’s a combination of many things, but now being down to three wide receivers is brutal. Damion Ratley actually had an awesome game outside of the missed touchdown, catching six balls for 82 yards in his NFL debut. With that said, his missed touchdown loomed largely. On the other hand, Antonio Callaway continues to miss a big play or two each game. I think he is going to be a stud, and the pressure might be a big deal right now since he is already the number two wide receiver, but he has to shore up the drops.
Those two plays killed the Browns, with both of them coming on two separate drives where the Browns found themselves down 7-0 to the Chargers.
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THE BAD: COACHING AND GAME PREP
Anytime you give up 80 yards on back-to-back plays for a touchdown is not great. What makes it worse is when you give up 80 yards on back-to-back plays for a touchdown with the opponent using the same exact play.
That’s pure insanity. It’s a complete failure for a team to get burned like that two plays in a row.
Gregg Williams’ defense struggled to stop all aspects of the run. From Melvin Gordon III…
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…to Austin Eckeler…
…and the same sweep or reverse play from Keenan Allen multiple times.
I think the Chargers ran the same three or four plays all game. After Keenan Allen’s comments, that wouldn’t exactly surprise me.
I have a headache from still thinking about this stupid game. The secondary didn’t play all that great either, but it all started with the run game that dismantled their entire day. Their inability to stop any rushing attack on the edges was as obvious as ever yesterday.
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They have a young, exciting defense at times, but they were being fairly overrated going into Week 6.
Now when it comes to Todd Haley, I didn’t think he was awful, but he still had some moments that weren’t all that great.
Baker needs to get rid of the ball, sure, but slow developing routes like that on 3rd down just aren’t good. Not to mention those tight end screen plays.
You need to do a better job at giving Baker the right plays out there. He is still a rookie and, obviously has room to go. Allow your quarterback to succeed.
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I have nothing to say on Hue. The team obviously wasn’t prepared.
Fix it.
THE GOOD: DAVID NJOKU AND DUKE JOHNSON
Duke Johnson was involved in the offense a little more, or so seemed, but still not enough. When he did get the football, and this may shock you, he had a very positive impact.
You could argue that Johnson is one of the more explosive players in the NFL. If you had this guy on the Chiefs or Patriots, he would be a household name. It would be even better if Todd Haley used Johnson the same way the Chiefs would.
The running back-wide receiver hybrid looked great all afternoon.
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Next step? Get him involved during a victory.
One of the Browns who has taken the most heat this season has been tight end David Njoku. He has dropped countless passes, especially in important situations. But you have to give credit where credit is due because he played great against the Chargers.
With the struggles around him and the fact they have so few wide receivers, Njoku needs to step up and help out Baker. He’s a massive, freakishly athletic target and I think he is going to start playing much better from here on out.
THE, UH, GOOD, MAYBE, SLIGHTLY BAD: SPECIAL TEAMS
Going into their game against the Chargers, the Browns’ biggest area of struggle had been special teams. You could argue special teams cost them a potential 4-1 or 5-0 start.
They got off to a rousing start on Sunday, with a big return given up, an injured player and a holding penalty to start the game.
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I was quieted quickly, however, because it ended up being the only true positive side of the ball all game long.
The two field goals made were great, but Jabrill Peppers finally popping off some big punt returns was a sight for sore eyes!
It always seems as though Peppers gains, at most, five yards on punt returns, but he was able to average 12.8 yards on four returns with a career-best 33-yard return against the Chargers. The little things ruled the day, even if everything surrounding them was terrible.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The game is over. I am done thinking about it. Baker will be back. They face the Buccaneers, who just fired their defensive coordinator Mike Smith. Mark the bounce-back win down right now. L-O-C-K.