I think I've finally cooled down enough to analyze this one. But this is getting really old, really, really fast. The Browns drop another game they probably should've won, as they lose a heartbreaker to the Baltimore Ravens to drop to 2-5 on the season, their fourth-straight loss. Where do I begin with this one?
I'm still fuming over Kevin Stefanski deciding to throw the ball on 3rd and 2 from the Ravens 40 with 2:30 or so left in the game. He had a spare timeout if he needed it, too. A smart coach would've ran for the first down, and then probably ran it a few more times to drain the clock. At the very least, the Browns would have been well within Cade York's range for a game-tying field goal. At best? Jacoby Brissett may have found a mismatch in the Ravens' secondary and tossed a game-winning touchdown with no time left for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens to work with. But he seems allergic to making good, common sense calls or something. But that's not the only thing that lost it for the Browns today. Let's take a look at the Keys to Victory
Run, run and run some more
The Browns did run for 113 yards as a team on 24 carries. But that wasn't good enough. Between Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, they only had 21 carries for 95 yards. Chubb himself had only 16 carries. That's not good enough. He needs to get at least 25-30 carries. Every game unless he's hurt. The Browns did decide to run him in the second half more often. But by then it felt like it was a little too late. Even though Nick Chubb is the NFL's best running back, he's also like a stud Major League pitcher who gets stronger as he settles into his groove and gets into a rhythm. If he's at his best and running downhill late in the game? Nobody's stopping him. Absolutely nobody. But he can't to that point if Kevin Stefanski refuses to run him in the situations where he's needed the most.
Contain Lamar Jackson/Stop the run
I was pleasantly surprised with how well the Browns defense performed against Lamar Jackson. That was the most uncomfortable I've seen him in a while against them. They sacked him three times, and hit him five times. He only went 9-16 for 120 yards. But where the Browns failed was in making critical stops late in the game. They absolutely could not get off the field until it may have been too late. Jackson ran 10 times for 59 yards. But he converted at least two or three third downs the Browns had to have late in the game in order to give Brissett and the offense more time to work with. Ravens running back Gus Edwards ran the ball 16 times for 66 yards. But he scored two touchdowns. The Browns were decent in containing Lamar Jackson. But someone else stepped up for the Ravens to bring it home. And that was Edwards. Good teams have guys who step up with the game on the line.
Unleash the defensive front!
This one definitely seemed like the tale of two halves for the Browns. In the first half, Myles Garrett and the rest of the Browns defense actually brought the juice. They actually made Lamar sweat it out. Jadeveon Clowney was even back in there making plays or teaming up with Garrett on tackles or sacks. The Browns registered three sacks against Jackson. But the Ravens must've made some adjustments in the second half, because I didn't hear their names called as much, and the Ravens were able to make plays late when they needed to, and convert first downs in order to win.
I still feel like this one was lost thanks to boneheaded coaching by Kevin Stefanski in the final 2-3 minutes of the game. I personally don't usually blame the coach during most losses, as losses tend to result from a lot of different miscues from a lot of different people. But if Stefanski hadn't been so pass-happy late, at the very least the Browns would've went to overtime and won or lost it there. That I could've lived with. Or he could've taken advantage of a legitimate chance to win the ballgame. He just didn't use common sense. Screw sabermetrics. Screw "what the odds say." Screw Ivy League book smarts. Draw up the play in the dirt, have the ball in the hands of your best guy at the most critical point in the game, and live with the result. It's that simple. Good coaches make common sense decisions with the game on the line to put their team in the best position to win. And once again Kevin Stefanski didn't do that.
It doesn't get any easier for the Browns as they host the Bengals on Monday Night Football next week for Halloween. And Joe Burrow and Cincinnati will be confident going into that one since their offense was firing on all cylinders in a 35-17 win over the Falcons today at home. Kevin Stefanski and the Browns need to find a way to stop the downward spiral. Or this will turn into a truly hideous season!
Statistical Leaders
Jacoby Brissett: 22-27, 258 yards
Nick Chubb: 16 carries, 91 yards, TD
Amari Cooper, 3 rec., 74 yards
Source: ESPN
Picture Credit: pressboxonline.com
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