Despite what the Cleveland Browns looked like for most of the 37-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals at home on Sunday, they’re a talented team. In my mind, they probably have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, pound for pound. But for the second straight week, they spent most of a Sunday afternoon looking discombobulated, lost and, at certain times, defeated.
That said, one week doesn’t make a season. No team has been perfect 16 (now 17) weeks in a row. That’s life in the NFL. But even with that, talented teams find a way to win (or at the very least, stay in a game) when it’s not their day; that’s one of the perks of being a talented team. But for that to happen, there must be cohesion as a team and unit. And that’s not there right now for Cleveland.
Before the Denver Broncos come to town Thursday at 8:20 p.m., here’s what we learned from the Browns loss to the Cardinals.
The Browns defense is out of excuses. For the past year and a half(ish), the Browns defense has always had a valid excuse, whether it was injuries, personnel, COVID or something else, for some of its poor play. That wasn’t the case Sunday. The Browns defense was the healthiest it’s been all year and got boat raced. Sure, there were factors that were out of the defense's control (like being on the field for nearly 10 minutes in the first quarter) but those are the type of situations that good defenses manage, which, to be fair, the Browns did in the second quarter, as the Cardinals were forced to kick field goals on two possessions that started in Browns territory. The only problem was Arizona was already out to a 14-point lead. This defense is athletic and can, in theory, play sideline to sideline. It’s time for them to prove it.
It wasn’t a good start. As an extension of the previous takeaway, it’s worth nothing that anyone not wearing Arizona red had a tough start to the game. The Browns punted and turned the ball over on downs on their two first quarter possessions while also racking up 56 penalty yards in the first quarter that were… questionable at best. Still, that’s not an excuse. It’s no secret that NFL officiating hasn’t been at its best this year, so that’s something every team deals with. The penalties weren’t all the refs' fault either; some of those pass interference calls when Cleveland’s defensive backs had been beat. Good teams roll with those punches and respond.
What’s next at running back? With running Nick Chubb out, the entire tri-state area figured we would see a steady diet of Kareem Hunt on Sunday. And then we never really did — who knows if that was because of the game script changing because of the early deficit, Kevin Stefanski assuming the Cardinals would put an extra emphasis on stopping the run or the lack of Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin. Either way, it was puzzling to see the Browns only run the ball three times on the first two possessions. Things went from bad to worse in the fourth quarter when Hunt was carted to the locker room after suffering a calf injury. After the game, Stefanski confirmed Hunt suffered a calf injury. After Hunt and Chubb (who was also out with a calf injury), the Browns have D’Ernest Johnson and Demetric Felton at running back. I’d be surprised to see either Chubb or Hunt suit up on Thursday.
…And at quarterback. With six minutes left in the third quarter, FirstEnergy Stadium held its breath. After being hit by J.J. Watt, Mayfield went down hard on left shoulder — the same one he hurt in week two. While he didn’t miss any time due to the injury, he said postgame that the shoulder “felt like shit” while also saying that he feels like he’ll be able to play through it. Prior to the injury, Mayfield had another up and down game, as he finished 19-for-28 for 234 yards and two touchdowns while also turning the ball over three times. Both touchdown passes went to Donovan Peoples-Jones, one of which was a catch and run where he flattened a defender on his way to the end zone while the other was on a Hail Mary that traveled 66 yards in the air. If Mayfield can’t go on Thursday, Case Keenum would get the start and Nick Mullins would presumably get the call up from the practice squad as the backup.
What a time to have a short week. First, the bad news: the Browns top two running backs are out, their starting quarterback potentially has a bum shoulder and their defense looks lost. And they take the field again in four days. The good news? They’re taking on the Broncos, another team that spent a good portion of Sunday looking lost. While I’m sure Stefanski wouldn’t mind having Hunt and/or Chubb active, having Wills and/or Conklin active is just as (if not more) important. Chubb and Hunt are franchise backs, but Felton and Johnson can also do some damage behind the Browns line, as long as it’s healthy. The biggest thing to watch will be how the defense responds. There are clear schematic issues that need to be fixed, but I highly doubt those issues can be fixed in four days while also preparing for a new opponent. With a longer week on the horizon after Thursday’s game, I’d imagine that’s when those changes will be made. But no matter what, they need to be better on Thursday.