Browns Fans: No Need to Panic

There’s no way to sugarcoat anything- that was not pretty. It’s going to sting all week. It has the potential to be as much of a defining game for the season as last week’s victory over Pittsburgh.

The Cleveland Browns have been impressive this season thus far not just for generating a winning record until this afternoon, and not just for the wild, determined comebacks, but for the way they’ve been exorcising some of the demons that have haunted them for the past few seasons. Win home opener: check. Overcome adversity and mount a comeback: check. Win on the road for the first time in a year: check. Hold a lead to win: check. Beat the Steelers: Check.

Just like a year ago, the Browns found themselves at 3-2, and in a position to get a win that would truly put them in the conversation for early playoff contention. Add to the fact that they were favored, playing a winless Jacksonville team that had struggled in just about every facet, and the reason for optimism was well-founded. I’ll be honest, I didn’t necessarily expect the Browns to run the table in this “easy” 3 stretch, but they had to get this one, right? No way there would be a repeat of last year’s meltdown in Cincinnati.

Jacksonville 24, Cleveland 6. Gulp.

Oct 19, 2014; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Clay Harbor (86) gets ready to stiff arm Cleveland Browns linebacker Barkevious Mingo (51) after catching a pass in the second quarter of their game at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

There’s going to be a lot of talk of “the same old Browns,” and with the team’s recent history, they can’t say it’s unfair. But, it’s not accurate. More on that below, but first, a few observations:

1. First the obvious: not a good game by Brian Hoyer. Less than a 40% completion rate and 2 turnovers will get you nowhere. He seemed to keep staring down receivers and was frequently inaccurate. Not to let the receivers off the hook for some drops, but Brian has to play better and he knows it. Look, it was bound to happen eventually. Every QB has a rough game at times. Plenty of not-so-good Browns teams have made much better QBs have bad days. Anyone who proposes a QB change right now is nuts.
2. I was having a difficult time looking out for specific players, but it’s clear that Alex Mack’s absence was felt. Hoyer was pressured a lot from all directions but the right side of the line clearly lost ground more frequently than we’re used to seeing, and running lanes were often non-existent. I’d expect to hear of some different guys getting practice reps this week to replace Paul McQuistan, particularly after they watch the tape of Telvin Smith’s 4th quarter pick of Hoyer.
3. Due to a rough start and a handful of ugly plays, I wanted to still be upset about the defense, but I really can’t. For a large chunk of the game they shut the Jaguars down, rushed the passer and forced a rookie QB into turnovers, which is what a good defense should do. The offense needs to turn that into points. It’s obvious to say it but eternally true- not only do you punish the mistake by your opponent; you let the consequences be known and felt. It’s damaging to the psyche and makes them press to make up for it. Bottom line: the defense certainly has a lot of work to do. The Jacksonville TD drive to end the 1st half was unacceptable, as well as the continued 3rd and long conversions that they allowed. But they certainly played their best 1st half of football on the road so far this year, and created opportunities for the offense.
4. While the Jaguars did a very good job of shutting down the Browns run game, Kyle Shanahan never gave up on it, as the team ran the ball 30 times. I credit him for that, but did anyone else notice the repeated play-action passes on first down? It became predictable in the 2nd half, which flies in the face of its own logic. A good running team needs to run the ball on first down for it to remain established. I’ll be interested to hear what he may have to say about it during the week. The most important thing for this team to do is to not panic. This year is different from last and there’s no reason to suspect that a 1-9 tailspin is on the horizon again. First, despite the rough game from Hoyer, the Browns have a steady quarterback situation. There’s no speculation as to who will start next week or if anyone is being skipped on the depth chart. This will give everyone a clear understanding of what needs to be done and what is possible. Secondly, the Browns are clearly running the ball better, and only 6 games into the season already have more than half of what they had all of last year. This will help them continue executing the offensive formula that has mostly served them well to this point. Even after today, we know what the Browns’ identity is. Last year, it was hard to say at any given point, and erratic shuffle passes certainly didn’t help the situation. Finally is the coaching. Mike Pettine continually states the facts and doesn’t dance around any problems the team has had in a given week. It’s safe to say that he and his staff likely had their worst day of the season so far, but I feel that they’d be the first people to tell you that, even away from a pulpit and cameras. Time will be the ultimate judge, but I can’t help but feel confident in the staff’s ability to address mistakes, hold players accountable and keep the team focused.

Today showed that this team hasn’t arrived quite yet. It was frustrating and disappointing, and frankly, a step backwards. But a win next week just as quickly pushes them back over .500, back into the playoff picture and in control of their own destiny. There have been several “we’re not going to take it anymore” moments from this team so far this year. Next week needs to be the biggest yet.