Cleveland Browns Showed No Signs of Progression in Big loss at Baltimore
This offseason sparked hope for the new and improved Cleveland Browns. Changes to the coaching staff, major free agent signings, and new uniforms were all thought to contribute to a potential playoff run this season.
Yet in a hopeful week one game against the Baltimore Ravens, the Browns were blown out 38-6 in a discouraging loss, shockingly mirroring the same poor offensive struggles as last season.
Baker Mayfield, the former number one overall pick in 2018 exhibited an atrocious performance, throwing an interception on the Brown’s opening drive and struggling to hit receivers in stride throughout the game. In contrast, Lamar Jackson, who was taken thirty-second overall the same year as Baker, lit the Browns defense up, throwing for 275 yards and 3 touchdowns. Lamar seemed to carve up the helpless Browns defense, utilizing his tight ends and wideouts, and was assisted in controlling the flow of the game through Baltimore’s monster three-headed backfield.
Although a blowout loss to the defending AFC North champions was not unforeseen, the Browns similarly began the 2019 season by losing to the Tennessee Titans 43-13. In last year’s season, the Browns finished with a disappointing record of 6-10 behind a Steelers team that was plagued with injures throughout the entire season. However, this year will be even more challenging as the Ravens and Steelers are both Super Bowl contenders with two top-five defenses in the league.
In the next two weeks, the Browns will face two opponents in the Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Football Team that struggled on both sides of the football last year and finished with a combined five wins between them. The Browns will look to bounce back in week two and three and attempt to finish the season with their first playoff appearance in eighteen years.
Who is to blame for the Brown’s struggles?: Many people would be quick to blame Baker Mayfield for the team’s poor seasons in the last couple of years. However, Mayfield has had four coaches and two general managers going into his third season. Also, the unprecedented offseason did not help with the quarterback’s development and chemistry with his receivers, and it was not surprising that he did not look sharp in week one. At times in his career, Baker has shown potential but more often than not he has played abysmally, often hurting his team late in games.
Odell Beckham Jr. who was acquired last season from the Giants for a mid-first and third-round pick has been disappointing thus far. OBJ played with lingering issues during the entirety of last season but still managed to start all sixteen games for the Browns. From 2014-2016, Odell was able to procure over 1300 yards and 10 touchdowns every season with a mediocre Giants offense and an aging quarterback in Eli Manning. Since his first three seasons in the league, Odell has not been able to replicate the numbers that led many to view him as a top 3 wide receiver.
Towards the end of last season, Beckham often looked disinterested in games and showed negative body language both on the field and the sideline, which has been a common occurrence throughout his career. On Sunday against the Ravens, Odell was targeted ten times but was only able to snag 3 balls for 22 yards, dropping a crucial third-down catch at the end of the first half that resulted in a missed field goal by kicker Auston Siebert.
Baker Mayfield’s struggles do not help OBJ but the blame is mutual. If Odell continues to exhibit poor body language followed by subpar performances, the Browns may look to move on from the 27-year-old veteran. Likewise, if Mayfield cannot turn things around in these upcoming weeks, backup Case Keenum may be given the keys to the offense. If the Browns have any real shot at making the playoffs, key players such as Mayfield and Beckham must step up to lead this team in a stacked AFC North division.
