Offensive Tweaks Cleveland Must Make Moving Forward
Photo Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
The dust has officially settled in Cleveland. Four days after a disappointing loss highlighted by a devastating Nick Chubb injury the Browns are ready to look forward. With the defense showing signs of dominance all attention has shifted to the offense and their two subpar performances thus far.
Last week we didn’t just see bad football by the Browns’ offense, we glimpsed some serious frustration from Deshaun Watson. If things go that poorly again, you can bet some finger-pointing is on the horizon.
Looks like Deshaun Watson got away with putting his hands on an official. Usually a no-no. pic.twitter.com/EbEjDiyaxO
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 19, 2023
It feels like every year Week 2 or 3 ends up being a pivotal moment with a make-or-break type game for the Browns. This year, given the events of the past week, will be no different. As Cleveland tries to right it’s offense against the Tennessee Titans they will need to be ready to make some serious adjustments to do so.
Play-Calling Strategy
I’m thrilled to have Kareem Hunt back. He instantly makes this running back room credible again after losing Chubb and has a fine RB2 in Jerome Ford. But any way you look at it, the strategy of this offense is now different.
And no, I don’t think the Browns should line up in shotgun every play and let Watson throw it 45 times. But I do think you will see more play action out of the shotgun, screen passes to the running backs, rolling out of the pocket, and more tempo to get in a rhythm.
Not only did Watson miss some throws last week, he also made some terrible reads. Twice the Browns had an RPO (run/pass option), where Watson is to read the safeties and linebackers to see if he wants to hand the ball off or throw it.
In both scenarios, the Steelers had two safeties back and they brought zero pressure, yet he didn’t hand the ball off and no one was open because the Steelers were in coverage. These are rookie mistakes. It shows just how rattled Watson is right now.
This isn’t all on Watson though. It felt like Kevin Stefanski was thrown last week by the injury to Chubb. While I love some of the pass-play designs, Cleveland became too predictable in the run game. When two tight ends and an extra offensive lineman come into the game, the Steelers just sold out on the run.
Maybe the Browns are playing the long game and, at some point, the play-action pass is coming out of that set. But it felt like they were way more efficient in sets where run or pass felt like true options.
Stefanski is as good a play-caller as exists in the NFL right now. This team took a huge hit last week and, while it’s frustrating how poorly the rest of the game went, he and Watson will adjust.
Offensive Line Adjustments
It’s hard to be upset at the Cleveland Browns’ offensive line, but somehow they have fooled the national media that they are an elite group when they continue to be well below average, especially in pass protection.
While Watson is certainly creating some of his own pressure by not trusting the offensive line, I can’t say that I blame him. Against the Steelers, Jedrick Wills didn’t even get his hands on the defensive end that caused the strip-sack to end the game.
I’m old enough to remember a lot of Browns writers and fans saying Jedrick Wills is good.
I can’t believe he hasn’t been cut yet. pic.twitter.com/Iu5xshaMSb
— Grant Puskar (@grant_puskar_) September 19, 2023
On top of that, Wyatt Teller was driven back five-plus yards from your standard bull-rush. Keep in mind that Cam Heyward didn’t even play, so this was your average, run-of-the-mill NFL defensive tackle bullying him.
The bottom line is, that the Browns’ offensive line is the weak link right now, and they are in a tough situation because of all the money they spent on the situation. With the injury to Jack Conklin, they are also in a tough situation with the rookie Dawand Jones being forced to start early.
Purely as a wake-up call, Nick Harris (right guard) and James Hudson (left tackle) need to get at least a series or two vs. the Titans. I know shuffling around starters is a tough thing to do, but I’ve seen enough of Wills and Teller to think these guys at least deserve a shot.
Hudson has shown a lack of strength but does have far more quickness than Wills. Truthfully, I’m tired of watching Wills loaf around the field. Seeing Hudson give 110% effort while still making a few mistakes would be far less frustrating.
Harris was slated to be a starter last season before a knee injury and the emergence of Ethan Pocic, and I’m shocked he hasn’t got a look yet. He’s an athletic guy who also struggled in the past in pass blocking, but I’d still like to see what he has. We all love watching Teller make pancake blocks when he pulls, but you can only stand him getting dismantled on passing plays for so long.
So while I hate using the make-or-break designation on a Week 3 game, this truly is a pivotal game for the Cleveland Browns. If they can find a way to win (which they should at home), all will be well for fans and players.
But if we this offense continues to struggle and costs the team another game, there are going to be a lot of tough questions to answer.
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