Cleveland Browns: The 2016 season could be lost Sunday
The Cleveland Browns cannot afford to start the season with an 0-2 record if the team wants a successful rebuild to take place.
This Sunday’s game between the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens is almost a “must-win” for the home team.
It is unfortunate that the Browns are faced with such a task this early in the season, but so the story goes with this team. An 0-2 start would be disastrous, given the next two game are on the road, followed by a home game against the New England Patriots in Tom Brady‘s return.
The Browns are not expected to win many games in 2016, which is a polite way of saying this team is awful. This is not due to a lack of effort, or even coaching, it is just that this team is inexperienced while the rest of the teams in the NFL entered the season with a legitimate shot at reaching the playoffs. Well, maybe not the Rams.
Starting 0-2, including losing the first home game of the season, would put the team in another state of low confidence, especially for the veterans like Joe Thomas and Joe Haden who have been dealing with the losing for their entire careers. Young players are better equipped at not putting too much stake in an early-season loss, but the optimistic leadership from the veterans may begin to fade if September ends without a win.
The quest to maintain any sort of confidence in 2016 continues Sunday, when the Ravens come to FirstEnergy Stadium. The team finished 5-11 last season, but a dominant 13-7 win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 may be bad news for a Browns offense using its second quarterback in two games.
Having Josh McCown under center may be a good thing, as he lit up the Ravens for 457 yards and two touchdowns in a Week 5 matchup last season. He also brings experience and a reliable presence in the pocket, something Robert Griffin III lacked in the Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Some initial panic and “here we go again” attitudes may have surfaced after Griffin went down, but his play last week against an average Eagles defense may only have been worse against the Ravens. No one is rooting for any player to be injured, but the Browns end up with more wins in 2016 with McCown as the quarterback. That is, if he can stay healthy until Griffin is able to return.
McCown is still healthy now, and he will enter after being the backup quarterback for the past few months. He has the advantage of being on this team last year, but a roster filled with new players and coaches, along with his 1-7 record in 2015, may means we are all fooling ourselves into believing he can turn this team around.
Next: Offensive keys to beating Ravens
Sunday will be a great test for the entire team, including the coaching staff, as the Browns look to avoid starting 0-2. A start like that and fans can begin counting the days until the 2017 draft, if they haven’t already started.