Cleveland Browns Getting Some Much-Needed Time Off
After Sunday’s 25-15 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, it appeared that the sky was ready to fall in Cleveland. The Browns once again disappointed an optimistic fan base, ready to see the team improve on a victory against the San Diego Chargers the week before.
More than anything, the blame fell on head coach Pat Shurmur, who once again made a series of baffling decisions. Not surprisingly, the call for him to be fired has been loud and unrelenting.
At the same time, quarterback Brandon Weeden struggled against the Ravens, completing 20 of 37 passes for 176 yards and two interceptions. His frustration carried into his weekly press conference.
"“I’m frustrated ’cause I knew what kind of questions I was gonna get, and I came in prepared,” he said. “We’ve won two games. We’ve been in games when we’ve had a chance to win and I feel like I need to do more to help this team win. This position, when things are going great, you’re getting too much praise. When things are going bad, you’re getting too much negativity.” (Source: Cleveland.com)"
Weeden’s frustration represents that of many players on the team. Obviously, none of the guys in that locker room want to be 2-7, and it is especially painful when one considers how many close games the Browns have played.
But this bye week comes at the perfect time, right when the pressure and scrutiny surrounding this team was beginning to bubble out of control. That doesn’t mean the pressure will suddenly stop when the Browns return to action against the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 18, but the team has a chance to collect its breath and regroup.
Winnable games are on the horizon, and a fresh perspective could be exactly what the Browns need.