Who is to blame for the Browns’ offense?

Sep 27, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Brian Hartline (83) makes a catch during the second half against the Oakland Raiders at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Raiders won 27-20. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Browns broke camp with a group of wide receivers that were never going to be confused with a Pro Bowl attack, but they are a group where the whole can be great than the sum of its parts.

But outside of Travis Benjamin the receivers have been mostly invisible through the first three games.

When tight end Gary Barnidge is tied for the most receptions on the team, you know there is a problem. (No offense to Barnidge, who had a nice game on Sunday against the Raiders.)

A year after catching 63 passes, Andrew Hawkins has only eight receptions (none for more than 20 yards) and Brian Hartline has just seven (only one for 20-plus yards).

Then there is Dwayne Bowe, who the Browns signed in the off-season to a contract that guarantees him $9 million.

Bowe has been inactive in two of the first three games, and did nothing in the one game he did play. In the process, he has become Public Enemy No. 2 among Browns fans (after McCown), who are blaming Bowe for everything short of the Browns moving to Baltimore.

“He’s going to play, it’s a long year,” Pettine said of Bowe on Monday. “The decision came down from a number standpoint. With K’Waun Williams being down, that number was needed on the defense, particularly on the special teams part of it.

“Dwayne will help us, but he’s just not there yet. The setback that he suffered during training camp, it’s just hard to make those reps up, especially now that we’re in a practice week. We’re hopeful that we’ll get him out there and he’ll contribute at we expect him to.”

It is hard to know how much of a difference Bowe would make to the offense, or even if re-aggravating his hamstring would really be such a bad things, as his numbers have been on the decline for the past three seasons.

It is also a positive that the coaching staff won’t play him just because of his contract status.

While the season is only three games old, at this point it would be nice to see the Browns start getting some kind of return on their investment.

Blame the receivers: 25 percent.

Next: Is it the offensive line?