It was fun while it lasted. The Cleveland Browns winning streak, that is. In a game in which the Meadowlands was dealing with the remnants of Hurricane Isaias, the Browns saw their winning streak come to an end at the hands of the New York Jets. It was a weird game, but it’s the NFL; you’ll have a weird game every now and again. For Cleveland, those weird games usually happen in the Meadowlands.
1st Down: This wasn’t a trap game
Let’s get this out of the way. Many fans believed that this game against the Jets was a trap game and it
couldn’t be farther from the truth. New York were favored to win this game. The Browns weren’t. Despite what people will say, the Jets aren’t a bad football team. Are they good? Not necessarily, but they are in the same boat that Cleveland is in.
The only difference is that the Jets have looked like a poorly coached team more times than not this season. Leading up to Sunday’s game, safety Grant Delpit said this:
As he said, this is a team that is trying to figure things out, and they haven’t played their best football as of yet. In terms of the game, it was an uneven performance from both teams. Offensively, both units were bad, but the defenses did enough to keep their team in the game. The Jets were finding ways to give the game away, but the Browns failed to capitalize on those mistakes. I don’t believe this game was as winnable as many believed, but that’s fandom in a nutshell.
You might believe that this was a trap game, but in reality it wasn’t; it was just a weird game with a result that the fans aren’t going to like.
2nd Down: Let’s talk about the running game, offense
I am not at DEFCON 1 with this Browns running game. As stated before the season started, the running game will be a work in progress. It’s week 5, and the running game is still a work in progress. The running back isn’t the problem; the same can be said for the offensive line. What’s the issue behind the running game struggles?
The lack of consistent push is making it harder for the running game to materialize. The lack of a blocking tight end is also missed. It’s not hard to find a blocking tight end (TE2 for that reason); you can trade for one or just sign one off the street. Cleveland should consider either at this point.
Staying on the offense, the entire unit was bad. From an operational standpoint, quarterback Deshaun Watson was abysmal. Watson did make plays with his legs and had a decent throw here and there, but it’s about finding consistency, which has eluded him. Wide receiver Denzel Boston and tight end Harold Fannin were barely involved, and the offensive line had their issues.
Overall, not a great day offensively.
3rd Down: Team is still searching for a complete game
Five games in, the Cleveland Browns have yet to play a complete game in all 3 phases. Defensively, the unit held up their end of the bargain (despite a few missed tackles), but it was the offense and special teams costing the team at the worst possible time. The mistakes were eventually going to catch up to them; it just happened against a team that is in the same situation that they are in (in terms of expectations for the year). The Browns are searching for that consistency that has been eluding them since the start of the season.
4th Down: Team is ahead of schedule; everything is in front as of now
Losing stinks, I know. However, it could be a lot worse. Yes, the quarterback play has been inconsistent, and the running game has been nonexistent. Yet, the team is 3-2. It’s hard to win in the NFL week in and week out, and Cleveland is still trying to figure that out. It’s too early to say that this team is a playoff team, but they aren’t as bad as people say they are. The Browns will still be playing for 1st place in the AFC North next Sunday. Next Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens shouldn’t be considered a must-win in any capacity.
Controversial to some, but it shouldn’t be. Progress is being made, but the team has to figure out how to play complementary football on a consistent basis.
Extra Points
- Not completely out on wide receiver Isaiah Bond, but we see why his snaps are limited. He didn’t do himself any favors today with his performance. Outside of his speed, his route running isn’t great, and too often he jumps trying to catch the ball when he doesn’t have to.
- New York Jets safety Minkah Fitzpatrick isn’t beating the “dirty player” allegations. Committing two personal fouls on wide receiver KC Concepcion. Whether it was the facemask or the helmet-to-helmet hit that knocked Concepcion out of the game, it is enough evidence to prove it. He might be public enemy #1 in Cleveland after his hit on RB Nick Chubb’s knee a few years ago.
- Re-shuffling the offensive line will not fix the running game; it just creates more instability and more problems.
- Didn’t think right tackle Dawand Jones would reach unplayable, but it’s looking that way. The injuries might have something to do with it.
- 3-2 is better than 0-5.
A day later, how are you feeling about the Browns loss in Week 5?
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