Five thoughts on the Browns preseason win against Tampa Bay
By Thomas Moore
Aug 29, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
So after last night’s performance should Browns fans starting saving their pennies for playoff tickets?
Well, not so fast.
As well as the defense looked at times, and as encouraging as the offense looked, there is still a long way to go and a lot of work to do before we will find out just how good this team can be.
Offensively it all revolves around McCown.
“We know there are a lot of things we’ve got to get cleaned up. But it was good for us to have the momentum.” – Head coach Mike Pettine
As solid as McCown looked last night, he was either unable or unwilling to throw the ball downfield against Tampa Bay. Pettine chalked that up to Tampa’s willingness to give up underneath passes on defense, and McCown deserves come credit for not trying to force the issue.
But the reality is that the Browns are not going to be able to survive if they have to go 16 plays every time they score a touchdown. Too much has to go right, making that an offensive model that is not sustainable.
It would also be disingenuous to say that McCown will be fine running the offense because he looked good against the Buccaneers, while ignoring that he looked poor against Buffalo.
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The Browns are going to have to live with the fact that both McCowns will make appearances this fall. But if the McCown that played last night shows up more often than not, the Browns should be in a position to win more games than they lose this year.
We also have to wonder how many injuries this team can withstand before it starts impacting the play on the field. Having key players miss practice and games during the preseason is one thing; missing time when the games start to count is another.
For one night, though, you could see what this Browns team can be if everything comes together.
“This is a team that played well a week ago against the Bengals,” Pettine said of Tampa Bay. “We feel good about our performance. We know there are a lot of things we’ve got to get cleaned up. But it was good for us to have the momentum.”