Cleveland Browns lose to Oakland Raiders, 5 takeaways

Sep 27, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown (13) calls out to his offensive line during the first quarter against the Oakland Raiders at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Nothing will ever change. Or so it seems.

The Browns made countless mistakes en route to a 27-20 loss to the Oakland Raiders in a game the Browns did everything they could to not win.

Here are five takeaways from the brutal loss:

1. Josh McCown will remain the starter, at least for one more week

Josh McCown played an average game. Not great, not awful, just average.

He was forced to throw 49 times due to a variety of factors, mostly the inept defense, but was able to complete 28 of those passes for 341 yards and two touchdowns.

McCown looked comfortable and never made any major mistakes, with his only interception coming on a rushed throw during the final drive. The fans can chant for Johnny Manziel all they want, but McCown is the starter for now.

The key with McCown is that he did not make any mistakes. In fact, he made several big third down throws that I thought saved his job. Because if he failed to convert on third down throughout the whole game, the stadium would have been consumed by Manziel chants. McCown was able to convert and stop the chants before they became overwhelming.

Another game with a lacking run game did nothing to help McCown, who was also sacked five times. The Raiders aren’t the joke they used to be, but this offensive line should not let their quarterback, who is surprisingly mobile, get taken down five times.

He was also able to spread the wealth, as six receivers had at least two catches. This is indicative of the fuller offense put in place when McCown is running the offense, which he will surely be doing next Sunday.

2. The defense is not very good

Just like in Week 1 against the Jets, the Browns defense was cringe-worthy against the Raiders. The worst part came when the Raiders drove 70 yards on only five plays to score a touchdown before halftime. This drive took a total of one minute and 26 seconds.

I am not sure if this is an issue with the play-calling or the execution, but this was a painful drive to watch.

In total, the defense allowed 469 total yards. Against the Oakland Raiders. Latavius Murray ran all over the defense for 139 yards, and Amari Cooper had 134 yards on eight catches. It must be nice to draft a talented wide receiver when given the opportunity.

High yardage is not the issue, it is the big plays. Three receivers on the Raiders had receptions over 36 yards, highlighted by Marcel Reese’s rumbling 55-yard reception in an exhibition on how not to tackle. Reese is their fullback.

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3. Two glaring mistakes on special teams.

When great teams make a mistake, it becomes a story. When the Browns make a mistake, it is accepted as a normal occurrence.

There were two plays against the Raiders that stood out and changed the game just as much as the gashing runs by Murray or Cooper.

The first came on a punt in the second quarter. You know where I’m going with this.

After a three-and-out by the Raiders offense, Barkevious Mingo ran into the punter, resulting in 15 free yards for the Raiders. They went on to score a touchdown and go up 10-0. This is inexcusable in the NFL, there is not much more to be said.

The second mistake, which was a killer, came from local hero, Travis Benjamin. He had a solid game as a receiver, hauling in four catches for 45 yards and a touchdown, but he made an error so great it may have cost the Browns the game. I say “may have cost” because I cannot see into alternate universes to know what would have happened if he had not messed up.

The Browns were down 27-20 with just over four minutes left. The defense forced a punt that barely traveled past midfield. Surely this would lead to a game-tying touchdown drive. Benjamin signaled for a fair catch and dropped the ball. Raiders ball.

The defense forced another punt, but the rushed drive that ensued resulted in a game-ending interception. Benjamin has done a great job on offense, but fumbling one punt in such an important part of the game should be enough to get another player back there to receive from now on.

4. A lack of preparation?

There is a visible problem with this team and starting fast. They looked good last week, but against the Raiders and the Jets it looked like the Browns forgot they had a game on Sunday.

I do not know if this is a lack of discipline, a coaching problem, or just a lack of talent. But this team has shown they are capable of winning when they can put together a complete game. This sounds obvious, but some teams do not have the talent to do even that.

Browns lose to Raiders, 5 takeaways from the loss

By Steven Kubitza | Sep 27, 2015

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