The Cleveland Browns are looking to improve to 1-1 on the season as they travel to Jacksonville to face the Jaguars in Week 2. A win would be huge as it would help them overcome their dismal start to the season. A loss, on the other hand, can be devastating.
An 0-2 start to the season would not be impossible to overcome, but with the drama that has already surrounded the franchise, they would have a hard time getting things back on track if that happens.
That’s why the coaching staff must work hard to find a way to correct these three pressing issues before Week 2. 3. Offensive line play
The offensive line was nothing short of offensive on Sunday.
Most of the focus has been on the tackles, especially with Jedrick Wills, Jr. and Jack Conklin out. But the entire line struggled and the problems were in pass protection and the ground game.
Deshaun Watson didn’t help, as he held the ball too long and looked allergic to the pocket, but there weren’t enough routes for his running backs to move the chains. The good news is that the talent is there and that was the strength of the team. This should give you hope that you can get things back on track.
2. Fairy tales
Deshaun Watson took the blame for the struggles in the passing game, which is fair enough. But it wasn’t just Sunday. Cleveland had four passes thrown, Elijah Moore dropped two, while Amari Cooper and David Njoku each dropped one. Cooper’s pass was particularly problematic as he could have scored a touchdown if he had completed the pass.
Maybe the early upsets threw them off the pace, but if the Browns want to win this weekend, they have to make sure they keep the ball when it hits their hands.
1. Deshaun Watson
Although Cleveland must solve the first two problems, this will be the most important. Deshaun Watson was terrible in Week 1, and anyone still clinging to his 2020 performance as a reason for hope should stop. What he showed Sunday is the same thing the Browns have seen over the past three seasons. He’s inaccurate, has trouble reading defenses and just doesn’t fit well in Kevin Stefanski’s offense.
All season long we heard that Cleveland could win with average quarterback play. There was also a strong belief that Watson could deliver this. In the second week, we wonder if that is too much to ask. That may be the case, but if the Browns want to make some noise this season, they need to find a solution at No. 4. Or maybe they should seriously consider moving on.
Leave a Reply