CLEVELAND, Ohio – Sigh.
That’s how I feel writing this story about the Browns.
How many different ways can I say, “The offense is awful.”
How many different ways can I wonder, “What were they doing on that play?”
How many different ways can I ask, “Why can’t these guys stay away from pre-snap penalties?”
That’s what I was thinking after watching the Browns 20-16 loss to Philadelphia.
Deshaun Watson has led the Browns offense to only two TDs in the last three games. John Kuntz, cleveland.com
How bad is it?
The Browns are 1-5. ESPN’s Field Yates reports they are the first team in the last 10 years not to score at least 20 points in their first three games. He also reports the Browns have scored a TD only once in their last 29 drives.
How bad is that?
It means the 1-31 Browns (2016-17) at least found a way to score 20 points after six games.
The Browns offense is so dismal that Deshaun Watson completed 10 passes in a row at one point in the second half – and they still didn’t score a touchdown.
Not all of that was Watson’s fault.
Cleveland had driven to the Philadelphia 3-yard line. It was third down. Then rookie guard Zak Zinter was flagged for a false start. A play later, it was Jedrick Wills Jr. with the false start.
The Browns ended up kicking a field goal.
Jameis Winston is expected to remain the Browns backup QB despite the problems of starter Deshaun Watson. John Kuntz, cleveland.com
Change at quarterback?
I wrote a weekend column about Watson and why the Browns are sticking with him. If this were a “normal” quarterback situation, he would have (and should have) been benched by now.
The Browns are heavily invested in him. This goes back to the 2022 trade, the massive contract and then firing most offensive coaches after last season’s 11-6 record hoping to find an offense better suited for Watson.
Well, it’s worse than a year ago, when the Browns averaged 24 points in the five games Watson finished.
Now, it’s 16 points a game.
When Jerry Jeudy caught a nice 35-yard throw from Watson on Sunday, it was Cleveland’s longest pass play of the season.
The Browns have scored four TDs in the last three games – two by safety Rodney McLeod. He’s also tied with receiver Amari Cooper for the team lead in TDs.
The ineptitude on offense is intolerable. Look at the body language of some of the Browns receivers when Watson has time to throw – yet fails to deliver catchable passes.
All of this demands a change at QB to see if Jameis Winston can bring some hope to the team, perhaps even a spark. Nick Chubb is expected to start the Bengals game in Cleveland next Sunday. I’d love to see him with Winston on the field together.
But the Browns are committed to Watson, they refuse to accept how he’s nowhere close to the 2018-20 Houston Pro Bowl QB.
The question the Browns also must ask is this: “What message does playing Watson week after week send to the rest of the team? Does it say he plays, no matter what?”
At 1-5, Kevin Stefanski is off to his worst start in his five seasons with the Browns. John Kuntz, cleveland.com
Coaches looked baffled
This is Coach Kevin Stefanski’s fifth season with the Browns. I’ve never seen him appear so confused, at least in terms of play calling.
Early in the third quarter, the Browns had a 3rd-and-1 on the Philadelphia 29. Stefanski replaced Watson with Winston. The coach likes to use Winston on QB sneaks. Instead, he called a slow developing end-around to the seldom used Cedric Tillman.
Tillman was whacked behind the line of scrimmage for a 5-yard loss.
Then the usually reliable Dustin Hopkins missed a 52-yard field goal. It’s been that kind of season.
Don’t ask me to explain the thinking on that play call. I doubt Stefanski can, other than he was looking for a way to spring a long gain in a short yardage situation.
In case you’re wondering, Stefanski was asked if Watson would start next week’s game vs. Cincinnati.
“Yes,” said the coach.
There you go, more of the same.
Sigh.
