Browns Weren't Good Enough, Refs Dish Out Coal on Christmas
The story of the Cleveland Browns on Christmas Day should've been their fight, their will to compete despite mistakes and being down numerous players due to injury as well as COVID-19 against the Green Bay Packers on the road, a team that may be in the best position to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
Continuing to live the deliberate, even-keeled mentality evoked by head coach Kevin Stefanski, the Browns embraced the opportunities presented by being the next man up and played far better than their talent would suggest against one of the top teams in the NFL. The Browns made their share of mistakes and didn't capitalize on numerous opportunities, but considering the short week and hurdles presented by COVID-19, that in itself might have been an achievement.
That should be the story. Whether or not the Browns won or lost, they would have done it on their own merit as they continue to scratch and claw for victory in every remaining game, carving out an identity in the process.
Instead, officiating became the story as several egregious, impactful calls went against the Browns including the final one, as if deciding to hand out coal to the team for not being good enough this year.
Both on the second Browns offensive drive of the game up 6-0 and the last drive of the game down 22-24, Browns quarterback Baker threw passes intended for wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, who was blatantly held on each play. Neither was called and both passes were intercepted. Regardless of the circumstances, that took away two possessions when the Browns should've had first downs.
Mayfield might not have been good enough to beat the Packers in this game, but poor officiating robbed him of the opportunity to prove it.
The Browns quarterback missed a week and a half due to COVID-19 and had to fly in on a private jet just to participate in the game. He looked every bit the part of a quarterback who hadn't been able to practice for a week and a half as his timing with receivers was poor and he made some bad decisions, late throws.
"I hurt this team. There's no excuse," said Mayfield after the game.
Mayfield didn't take the bait when he was asked about the last interception. "Little bit of contact, but you can't bank on that being called."
Mayfield told the officials on the field just how he felt about a call, making it unnecessary to revisit it in the postgame. Packers corner Rasul Douglas grabbed onto Jones and wouldn't let go, which led to him being unable to secure the catch, deflecting into the hands of Douglas.
There's plenty to criticize Mayfield for in this game. Even on the drive that ended on the missed call and Douglas's second interception, Mayfield thew a pair of poor passes to tight end David Njoku that ended up incomplete.
None of that changes the fact the game was altered by a handful of egregious calls, all of which went against the Browns.
A frustrating aspect of the effort resulting in a loss was how the Browns were able to locate their running game that seemed to be missing for over a month. Nick Chubb rushed for 128 yards on 17 carries as D'Ernest Johnson chipped in 58 on four attempts. If that wasn't enough, Chubb also led the team in receiving yards with 58 on three catches, which isn't a glowing endorsement for Mayfield or anyone else in the passing game.
This game was particularly disappointing for a defense that passed the biggest remaining test of the season. The Browns gave up a combined 162 points in games against the Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots. In their other 10 games, they gave up just 141 points total.
The Packers represented the last opportunity in the regular season to prove themselves against a top level quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, a great receiver like Davante Adams and a terrific backfield between Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon.
With only a handful of starters on defense, a group largely made up of unproven young players was able to slow down the Packers enough to give the offense time to fight their back into the game and get the ball with a chance to win late in the fourth quarter.
The defense didn't force a turnover, but they only gave up 24 points, generating seven stops along the way. At multiple points in the game, the Browns seemed as if they were ready to roll over and die only to see the defense be at their best.
M.J. Stewart. Joe Jackson. Ifeadi Odenigo. Jacob Phillips. These were some of the names of players that made impact plays against the vaunted Packers offense along with mainstays like Denzel Ward and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
Davante Adams had an outstanding day.. He caught 10 passes on 13 targets for 114 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He was the Packers offense and the Browns never found an answer for him, trying any number of different ways to play him. In fact, the pivotal third down stop that set up the Browns final drive was a Christmas gift from Adams in the form of a drop. He was wide open and Rodgers put the ball right on him, but it went through his hands.
The rest of the Packers combined for just 88 receiving yards. They only converted three of their ten third down chances as well as the one fourth down they attempted with a yard to go.
Had the Browns pulled off the win, the defense and coordinator Joe Woods would've been a driving force. Despite the outcome and another loss, it should be an endorsement of everything Woods has been building as well as his ability to find players that fit his vision.
There was so much to enjoy about what the Browns were able to achieve in this game, showing the capability to defeat the Packers on the road in spite of their limitations while gaining momentum heading into their final two divisional games as they compete for a division title. For it to be ruined by officiating, robbing them of a chance to pay all the work off leaves an incredibly bitter taste, as if someone forced a team and a fanbase to eat coal for Christmas.
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