Cleveland Must Get Back To Basics
Nov 26, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (17) is hit by Denver Broncos linebacker Baron Browning (56) in the third quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
After winning six of their last seven games, the Cleveland Browns finally met their match on Sunday as the Denver Broncos stuck it to them from start to finish.
Not only were the Browns decimated on the scoreboard last week, they racked up injuries. Myles Garrett, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and Amari Cooper all left the game at some point, and it remains an open question whether any of them will be ready for their game in LA against the Rams next week.
The Browns always seem to struggle to transition to the West Coast, so let’s hope going straight to LA after the game in Denver will help them better adjust. The team seemed to lack focus at the beginning of the showdown with the Broncos; it’s the first time the defense has completely caved against the run all season.
They’ll need to make adjustments if they want to have a chance at winning next week against a Rams team that is finally starting to get healthy.
Get Back to Basics on Both Sides
Over the first 10 weeks of the season, the Browns have slowly found their identity. They got away from that on both sides of the ball on Sunday.
On offense, that means giving the ball to Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt a little more, and not just on halfback dives up the A or B gap. Even though the reverse went terribly wrong last Sunday, I want to see more toss and end-around plays that at least keep the defense honest instead of crashing down on the back.
When the Browns were most successful on Sunday, they were running the ball effectively and then pushing the ball downfield utilizing play action and the mobility of their quarterback. If Flacco is under center on Sunday, you likely won’t see as many rollout plays, but they still need to utilize the run to complement the pass.
On defense, they just need to rebound. Between Garrett being dinged up and Newsome struggling to cover Courtland Sutton, the defense got out of sync early and never recovered. Then, with the added pressure of knowing the offense is limited, they pushed even harder by blitzing to force a mistake and Russell Wilson made them pay every single time.
The Browns need to get back to bringing pressure with four, blitzing occasionally, and not being afraid to get into man coverage. The Rams certainly have a couple of receivers who can toast you in man coverage, but if the pressure is there, Matt Stafford isn’t near the quarterback he was three years ago and can be pushed into a few mistakes.
With limitations at quarterback, it’s imperative that the Browns avoid turnovers and don’t fall behind early. That could be said for every single team in the NFL, but it’s absolutely critical for Cleveland given the current circumstances.
Get Healthy
I know this one is a little out of the Browns’ control, but they must find a way to get healthy before next week’s game. The defense was without two major pieces last week (Anthony Walker and Denzel Ward), and their absence was felt early and often.
With Garrett also getting dinged up last week, they can’t be without three key pieces. Garrett was finally limited in his production because of the injury and all the attention the Broncos gave him, but if he misses it changes the entire strategy of the defense and will cause them to blitz substantially more.
I love to be negative about Ward and Walker at times, but Greg Newsome was quickly exposed in one-on-one coverage, and the Broncos gaining over 150 yards on the ground shows just how valuable Walker is even though he can be limited in pass coverage.
After hearing Kevin Stefanski talk on Monday, I feel confident that Garrett will at least try to play. The question will be how healthy he is. Getting Ward back for the Rams’ passing attack would be huge, but at this point I would settle on just getting Ward or Walker back on the field.
On the other side of the ball, the Browns also saw DTR and Cooper leave the game with injuries. The Cooper news on Monday was that X-rays were negative, but with DTR in concussion protocol, it’s tough to say if he will be ready to go.
If DTR can’t go the big question becomes if it’s P.J. Walker or Joe Flacco? Personally, I’ve seen enough of Walker even though he got the Browns two wins. He really struggled on Sunday against the Broncos, and I think Flacco may be the better option given his experience.
The loss was tough on Sunday, but seeing all the injuries that came along with it made it even tougher.
I’m yet to call this showdown with the Rams a must-win as the Browns are still in good shape in the Wild Card race, but this is certainly a winnable game the team has circled and the team needs to show up in a much bigger way than they did last week.
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