The Cleveland Browns opened the 2025 NFL season with a slate of September games that were expected to be difficult.
True to form, the Browns have struggled through the first month of the season, and currently
find themselves tied with the Baltimore Ravens at the bottom of the AFC North Division standings.
There has been more ugly than good, especially on the offensive side of the ball, through the opening four games, but there have also been some bright spots despite those three losses in four games.
With that in mind, let’s run through a “thumbs up, thumbs down” exercise now that the Browns are one quarter of the way through the season.
Thumbs up: The defense
Cleveland’s defense has been unquestionably the strength of the team and is among the league’s best in several categories. And they have even forced a turnover in two consecutive games!
Outside of a few coverage breakdowns against the Baltimore Ravens, the defense has been the reason the Browns have a chance to be competitive. Even in the games where the scores got out of hand, that had more to do with the Ravens and Detroit Lions having short fields to work with.
The fear is that unless the offense gets its act together, the defense will wear down from having to carry so much of the weight of the team. But, for now, it has been fun to watch when Cleveland’s defense is on the field.
Thumbs down: Joe Flacco
The idea of bringing Flacco back into the fold, especially with a pair of rookies filling out the quarterback room, was a nice idea at the start of the summer.
However, it is now clear that age has caught up with Flacco in a significant way.
Cleveland has only scored more points than the 0-4 Tennessee Titans, and their minus-46 point differential is only ahead of the New Orleans Saints, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Titans. Of Cleveland’s 45 offensive drives, 62 percent have ended in either a punt or a turnover. And the Browns have yet to score more than 17 points in a game.
It is not that Flacco doesn’t know what he is doing; it is that he has reached the point in his career where he can’t do anything about it. Never a running QB to begin with, Flacco’s immobility limits what the Browns can do on offense, and he doesn’t appear to have the arm strength or reaction time to take advantage of opposing defenses.
It was always going to be when, not if, the Browns made a quarterback switch during the season. And if the time is not here, it is drawing near.
Thumbs up: Quinshon Judkins
After missing all of training camp, the preseason, and the first game of the season, rookie running back Quinshon Judkins has quickly shown why the Browns selected him in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Judkins is the clear No. 1 running back and leads the team with 237 rushing yards, is averaging 4.8 yards per carry, and has scored a rushing touchdown in the past two games.
Against the Packers and Lions, Judkins has 39 of the 42 rushing attempts from the running backs, so it is clear that the Browns are ready to ride Judkins as far as he can take them.
Thumbs down: Jerry Jeudy
Jerry Jeudy put up career numbers in 2024 during his first season in Cleveland.
That Jerry Jeudy has yet to show up this season as the presumptive No. 1 wide receiver is third on the team with 13 receptions and has yet to find the end zone, although he is averaging a team-best 14 yards per reception.
He also continues to deal with dropped passes, most notably against the Lions when a drop cost the Browns the opportunity to cut into Detroit’s 10-point lead. He also had two drops in Cleveland’s Week 1 loss to the Bengals and another drop against the Ravens.
There is plenty of blame to go around for the struggles from the offense, and not being able to rely on your top wide receiver is one of the biggest ones.
Thumbs up: Harold Fannin Jr.
Cleveland’s rookie tight end is off to a hot start with a team-high 17 receptions and is second in receiving yards at 160.
Fannin also has the most forced missed tackles among tight ends, according to Pro Football Focus, which has contributed to his 77 yards after catch.
Thumbs down: The offensive tackles
The situation at offensive tackle went from bad to worse very quickly for the Browns.
Right tackle Jack Conklin was injured on the first series of the season and has not played since, while left tackle Dawand Jones was lost to another season-ending injury early in Week 3.
Their replacements, veteran Cornelius Lucas and second-year player KT Leveston, have given it their best shot but have come up lacking, especially in pass protection, as Lucas posts a PFF grade of 35.6, while Leveston checks in at 24.1.
The Browns made a minor deal on Monday for veteran tackle Cam Robinson, and if he can at least stabilize one tackle spot, and if Conklin can get back on the field, they may be able to reverse the current downward spiral at the position.
Thumbs up: Isaiah Bond
Like fellow rookie Quinshon Judkins, wide receiver Isaiah Bond missed all of training camp and the preseason after signing with the Browns in mid-August.
And while he has not had the same impact, Bond has shown a nice, albeit slow, progression. From just two catches for 11 yards in the first two games, Bond has five receptions for 74 yards, including a long of 35 yards against the Lions, as he works himself into the rotation.
With Cedric Tillman now out for several weeks with a hamstring injury, Bond should continue to see an increase in offensive snaps. For that to happen, he needs to improve his catch rate, which right now is just seven catches on 14 targets, but he is trending in the right direction.
Thumbs down: Special teams
Where to begin?
- A missed field goal and extra point from rookie kicker Andre Szmyt contributed to the Week 1 loss to the Bengals.
- In Week 2, the Ravens converted a blocked punt into a two-play, 24-yard touchdown drive to put the Browns in an insurmountable 10-point hole.
- Against the Lions in Week 3, Kalif Raymond’s 65-yard punt return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter put the game out of reach.
The poor state of the offense has made the gaffes from the special teams that much more damaging. But punter Corey Bojorquez is still solid, and Szmyt has calmed down since his Week 1 jitters for the most part, so hopefully the unit can start putting the “special” back in special teams.
What do you think, Browns fans? Who do you believe deserves a thumbs up or a thumbs down through the first four weeks of the season?
