4 Thoughts on Cleveland Browns No-Show vs. Patriots
After the Cleveland Browns lay yet another egg on their 2021 season, the loss to the Patriots has sparked plenty of worthwhile thought.
This feels like a game you just throw out.
The Browns took a trip to Boston just to take a beatdown from the New England Patriots, losing 45-7. Not much went right after the very first possession of the game, and now the Browns are staring more questions than answers in the face.
Sitting at 5-5, this team that had Super Bowl aspirations has to figure it out, and figure it out fast. As they search for answers with the Detroit Lions next on their schedule, what thoughts did this disappointing loss spur?
Playoff hopes take a massive hit
After dropping to 5-5 on the season, the Browns also experienced a massive drop in playoff probability as well. With a win, the Browns would have jumped up near 70 percent likely to make the playoffs. Now with a loss, they fall all the way down to just a 30 percent chance of experiencing postseason play.
The Browns have just a five percent chance of winning the division as well. While the AFC is a hot mess right now, the Browns still have a long road ahead of them if they want to return to the heights they experienced a year ago.
Mayfield plays well with his back against the wall? Well, their backs could not get anymore against the wall at this point.
They have the Detroit Lions next week before entering back into divisional play. If the Browns want to be taken seriously, they have to come out and be competitive against the Baltimore Ravens (who they face in back-to-back matchups).
An uphill battle, the Browns have a daunting schedule after the bye week, slated to take on the Ravens, Raiders, Packers, Steelers, and Bengals. The margin for error is slim, even losing two more could push them out of the playoff picture with 10 wins.
Safeties are becoming a massive liability
If one were to guess which unit on the defense would get the most criticism in Week 10, not many would have guessed it would have been the safety room. It was safe to assume John Johnson III, Ronnie Harrison, and Grant Delpit would have been one of the top units in the league.
And they were for about two weeks.
They have since fallen victim to late eyes, busted coverages, and broken tackles. Harrison is not only actively playing himself out of a contract extension, but there is no reason to believe they may be better without him on the field.
Johnson III is getting heat, and he deserves some of it. However, the Browns have asked him to play completely out of position from where he thrived with the Los Angeles Rams in order to accommodate the skillset of Harrison.
This is now doing more harm than it is good for the Browns. If this means the Browns have to run less dime, then it is what it is. If this means they need to run with a Johnson III/Delpit duo to get their high-priced safety back in his natural spot, then that must be the move.
Whatever the Browns are doing at the third level of their defense is clearly not working.
Coaching digs from leaders in the locker room is not ideal
As the Browns sit at .500, the voices of displeasure are coming from some unexpected places, with the fingers pointed directly at the coaching staff. After the beatdown, three of the highest-paid players in the locker room took some not-so-subtle shots at the display of coaching.
I stood on the table for Joe Woods a week ago after the Browns punched the Bengals in the mouth. No such vouching will happen this week, and apparently, Myles Garrett isn't too pleased either:
"We have to go back to the drawing board, and see how we can get better. See how we can scheme better, see how we can make adjustments on the fly. We never had a chance just because we didn't make any adjustments on the sideline or when we had time to."
If only Garrett were the only one to make a comment about coaching. Fresh off of a new contract extension with the Browns, it was the longest-tenured player in the locker room who also had thoughts about the coaching. Joel Bitonio had this to say:
"I don’t have an explanation besides we got outplayed and outcoached. ... It was embarrassing. We got embarrassed today and they deserve all the credit. They outplayed us."
He then went on to criticize the playcalling, saying "today we did that for one drive and then it kind of fell apart." Love the player to death, but down two scores early and running the ball and the play-action attack are almost completely off the table.
While Johnson III had little room to criticize after a miserable game, he too had thoughts about the defensive playcalling against the Patriots:
"[Mac Jones] didn't have trouble seeing where to put the ball... They went back to a bunch of plays we got hit on all year."
It appears the culture in the locker room goes beyond Odell Beckham Jr.'s presence, and that culture is more directly related to winning than it is about a couple of players. Leadership is taking accountability and making adjustments. Can the coaching staff take a look in the mirror and listen to the leaders in their locker room?
Regardless, this is either a great look where the coaching staff trusts their leaders to keep them accountable or a horrible one where they are outspoken about leadership. Given the current nature of the team, it's hard to believe it would be the former.
Is there any reason for hope?
Things look bleak right now, and that's because they are. The reasons for hope are hard to come by in all honesty. The biggest reason for hope? The Browns play the Lions next week.
But in all seriousness, they have only played two divisional games and have a record of 1-1. There is a ton of meat left on the bone as far as AFC North football is concerned, giving the Browns the opportunity to close out the season with a bang.
At this current state, there is a world of room for needed adjustments at every level of the organization. If there is a reason for hope, that hope lies within the demeanor and poise of Kevin Stefanski. This looked like the first game of his career where he looked completely outmatched.
How will he bounce back? The rest of the season will be defined by it.
READ MORE: Winners & Losers from the Browns Loss to the Patriots
