The 1-2 Cleveland Browns have been disappointing. They’re 0-2 at home, the offense has totaled 48 points and they’re embarking upon a three-game road trip with their offensive line beat up and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett battling lower body injuries.
In the wake of a loss to the previously winless New York Giants, which of Cleveland’s issues seem fixable? Which are most concerning? Is help on the way? After three games, here are three thoughts on each phase of the team — plus three on the general temperature of the Browns.
Offense
1. Yes, the play of the offensive line is a concern. Yes, Deshaun Watson ranking among the bottom five quarterbacks in expected points added (EPA) per dropback is a concern. Yes, the complete lack of a running game is concerning.
After the Browns at least seemed to have gotten Watson in somewhat of a flow with a quick passing game and the use of jumbo sets in Jacksonville, it’s impossible to tell what the exact offensive plan of attack was against the Giants. Though that might be the biggest concern, it also leads us back to those three issues.
Obviously, the Browns wanted to get the ball to Amari Cooper. That worked, but not much else did. They clearly miss David Njoku, but are a bunch of quick dump-offs to the tight end going to solve things if he returns soon? Will the line hold up when necessary? Can Watson consistently make the right reads and deliver the ball accurately?
This is a bad offense right now. If you think more live reps for a group that didn’t play in the preseason, stability at tackle and Cooper playing more like he has over his first two years in Cleveland versus his uncharacteristic first two games of this season will fix things, you might be right.
It’s still early in the season. But this is Kevin Stefanski’s fifth year guiding the offense. It’s Watson’s third year trying to get comfortable in the scheme. It’s still a receiving group that’s battled drops and rarely threatens defenses downfield. It’s probably not too early to panic, regardless of what the calendar says. And though panicking doesn’t fix things, have you really seen anything from Watson that indicates a major breakthrough is coming?
Per TruMedia, the Browns rank last in EPA per drive, last in success rate and 30th in three-and-out percentage. Success rate is determined by the number of plays that get at least 40 percent of the needed yards to convert on first down, 60 percent on second down and conversions on third and fourth down.
2. The run game obviously hasn’t given the Browns much. Watson had a 14-yard keeper in the second half on Sunday, but that was the biggest rushing play of the day for Cleveland. That the Browns had just seven carries for 7 yards in the first half is a stat that sticks with me. They know they can’t run the ball, an issue which is only magnified by the inconsistencies in every area of the passing game.
I don’t know if trading for a running back is the answer, but it should be considered. I don’t know if there would even be a realistic option if Cleveland wanted to do that. But Stefanski’s actions scream that the Browns can’t run the ball, and that has to change. D’Onta Foreman only had two carries against the Giants, and the way he was so easily stopped for just 2 yards on his second carry probably explains why he didn’t get another.
Jerome Ford dropping a screen pass early against the Giants and Ford and Watson fumbling an exchange on a fourth-quarter draw reflect the overall state of things. Stefanski doesn’t trust Ford as an every-down runner, and he’s probably right in that thinking. The Browns might need more designed runs from Watson, and they might need to go back to jumbo sets and away from the open offense they spent the offseason advertising.
3. Maybe the Browns just have too many personnel issues. They gave up the farm for a quarterback who’s gone over 200 passing yards six times in 15 starts. Their receivers and running backs are just OK. Pro Bowl guard Wyatt Teller is going to miss multiple weeks, and a knee issue is at least part of the reason right tackle Dawand Jones has performed so poorly. Left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. made his debut last week after rehabbing a knee injury, then left the game with another knee injury. His status is unknown.
Who’s starting on the offensive line this week? Right now, we’re not sure. It’s also not clear if Njoku’s injured ankle has healed enough that he can return this week, but Cleveland needs him. Cooper and Watson showing some chemistry last week is a positive that can be carried forward, but that’s one of the few. The Browns probably have to simplify things for their re-worked offensive line and allow Watson to get some easy completions early. Ultimately, they need playmakers to produce.
Defense
1. Garrett’s health is probably the biggest concern. Per Stefanski, Garrett is considered “day to day.” Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward continues to manage a shoulder injury, too. The defense delivered in Jacksonville and didn’t give up a point to the Giants in the second half, but it hasn’t been consistently disruptive. There’s a blueprint for offenses to follow in attacking the Browns, and it continues to show up in quick passes and jet sweeps.
There’s too much invested in this defensive line for it to not be the best unit on the field in most games, but the Giants’ defensive line owned last Sunday. Garrett’s pressure rate at 19.5 is still one of the league’s best, and he still changes how offenses scheme the Browns. But Alex Wright has just three pressures on the season, per Pro Football Focus, despite being the late hero in Jacksonville. Za’Darius Smith has four pressures in three games, and Ogbo Okoronkwo has two. Dalvin Tomlinson leads the defensive tackles with five.
2. It was a nightmarish day for Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II in the Giants’ loss. Not only was he flagged for a high hit on Daniel Jones that negated an interception in the first quarter, but the Giants picked on Newsome throughout the day. Newsome gave up receptions and struggled to make tackles. It was clear that it was a big part of the Giants’ plan to target Newsome on quick throws.
PFF gave Newsome an overall defensive grade of 51.8 and tackling grade of 28.4 for the Giants game. As offenses continue to throw short passes to slot receivers to beat the Browns’ pressure, strong tackling is key to Cleveland getting off the field.
The Browns need better play from Newsome, who generally starts at slot cornerback but also plays outside on some occasions. The Browns like to view themselves as having the best cornerback trio in the league, but Newsome might be in danger of having his playing time cut this season if he doesn’t improve.
3. It’s not fair to expect this defense to just dominate every game and constantly turn opponents over. But it’s clear the defense is the strongest unit on the most expensive roster in NFL history ($337 million in cash spending, per Spotrac). A defense that thrives on pressure and havoc will need to carry more than its usual weight early in the season while the Browns try to figure things out offensively.
They rank 21st in total defensive EPA and 22nd in opponent success rate. Neither are good enough for the standard the Browns set in 2023.
Assuming the Las Vegas Raiders don’t make a quarterback change, the Browns will be facing Gardner Minshew II this week. Minshew burned them on quarterback draws and quick rollouts last season in Indianapolis. It’ll be interesting to see how much of that game plan carries over. The Raiders rank 23rd in EPA per drive and only scored 15 points in the first 59 minutes of last week’s blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers.
Special teams
1. It says a lot about the state of things that the Browns’ punt and punt return teams are two of the positives. Corey Bojorquez has been booming them — and delivered a punt for the ages in Jacksonville to set up the clinching safety. The Browns reacquired Mike Ford Jr. in late August, and he’s again been impactful in kick coverage. James Proche II has been at least adequate as the punt returner.
2. Dustin Hopkins missed a 53-yard field goal on Sunday. But he delivered three made field goals in the Jacksonville game a week earlier. I believe the Browns still trust Hopkins if they need a big kick in the final minutes. He’d been 10-of-10 on field goal tries of 50-plus yards over his two seasons with the Browns before that miss.
3. We still don’t know a lot about the new kickoff situation, and because Winston Reid’s big hit and forced fumble in Jacksonville were negated by penalty, there hasn’t been a truly big play made there. The Browns don’t have a kick returner who really scares opponents.
Overall
1. The Browns just haven’t been good enough — or even good for sustained stretches. The Dallas Cowboys ramped things down late in the opener, and the Giants held on last week because they recorded eight sacks. But also because Cleveland had a plethora of miscues. The Browns were clearly the better team in Jacksonville but still got sloppy and repeatedly gave the Jaguars chances.
Without creating a bunch of turnovers or suddenly getting explosive plays from the run game, can the Browns start scoring 24-plus points? Or even 20? Nothing we’ve seen so far says they can.
2. The Browns have a good roster, but there are some major personnel issues that have been exposed early on, mostly at offensive tackle, running back and tight end. Injuries have played a part, but poor drafting — or just lack of blue-chip draft picks due to the Watson trade — seems to be showing up. The Browns had just one member of their 2024 draft class in uniform on Sunday, and given the overall age of the team, that’s concerning.
The Browns used their second-round pick on defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr., who’s on the commissioner’s exempt list and not allowed to play. In 2023, they traded their second-round pick as part of a package to acquire Elijah Moore, who’s not a full-time starter; 2023 third-round pick Siaki Ika did not make the team; 2022 third-round pick David Bell was cut before the season opener and now is on season-ending injured reserve after being brought back before Week 2.
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3. What can turn things around? Defensive disruption? Offensive explosion? Better blocking, better tackling, fewer penalties and drops? Right now, every dropback remains an adventure in some way — and that might be the biggest concern.
Stefanski has never lost two straight games in September. The Raiders are beatable, and the Browns can bounce back. Can they find something offensively? Can they consistently win without scoring 20 points? We don’t know any of these answers, but we know things could turn ugly if they can’t win in Las Vegas this week.
(Top photo of Kevin Stefanski: Corey Perrine / Florida Times-Union / USA Today)
