Saying that a team in the NFL “could be good” is not difficult. The league’s salary cap and draft process make it generally easy for a team to go from bad to decent quickly, and also attempt to keep teams from forming long-term dynasties. The Cleveland Browns have been the exception to the rule since “The Return” in 1999. Their current stretch under HC Kevin Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry is the best they’ve had in their quarter-century run in their current form.
It isn’t good enough and hasn’t been
good enough.
In many ways, it all goes back to the QB Deshaun Watson trade. Dealing away all of those draft picks and paying all of that guaranteed money not only brought the Browns a bad quarterback, but it also significantly limited the team’s ability to add cheap talent (in the NFL draft) or talented veterans (via free agency). The two things the league has set up to help bad teams were blown out of the water with one move.
The 2025 team is paying the price with what looks like a soft reset of the roster with younger, cheaper players. Shockingly, the 1-3 Cleveland squad should be 2-2. Missed kicks in Week 1 versus the Cincinnati Bengals pushed the outcome in the other direction. Even in the Browns two big losses, the team was relatively competitive into the third quarter.
The problem, as it seems to be with the franchise, is that they can’t do the little things right. Making extra points and field goals of relative lengths, catching footballs thrown directly to you and in your hands, making tackles on special teams, etc., are not difficult assignments. Cleveland hasn’t been beaten this season because some amazingly talented players are dominating games:
- Missed kicks not Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Joe Burrow beat the Browns
- Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry were not elite in Week 2, Cleveland’s slot cornerbacks were eaten alive and DC Jim Schwartz struggled to adjust the scheme
- The Detroit Lions offense was good, but didn’t take over the game; the Browns offense and special teams provided them most of their points:
Obviously, the other teams play the game as well, but unlike many of the seasons since The Return, Cleveland is good enough to win if they could just do some very simple things. Would better quarterback play help? Sure, or just don’t throw stupid interceptions. Would better receivers help? Sure, or players who have done well catching the ball in the past should just catch the ball now. Would a better offensive line help? Sure, but of the big negative plays on offense, only the strip sack this week was really due to poor line play.
Thankfully, Andre Szmyt has seemed to right the ship on kicks that should be automatic.
Monday’s trade for Cam Robinson is a sign that the Browns see themselves as a good team that just needs to play better instead of a team that needs to tear things down. Make a kick, catch a pass, don’t throw directly to the other team and tackle the return guy. Do more of those simple, easy (for professional football players) and more wins will come.
Will they? Can they? We shall see as Cleveland’s schedule could get a little easier in the next few weeks.
What do you think the Browns could do to start winning games this season? Is it more complicated than noted above, in your opinion, or just that easy?
Share your thoughts in the comment section below
