Cleveland Browns: Grades from home opener vs. Ravens

Handing out grades to Cleveland Browns players on each side of the ball after the 25-20 loss Sunday afternoon against the Baltimore Ravens.

There is little to explain when it comes to the Cleveland Browns’ 25-20 loss Sunday in their home opener against the Baltimore Ravens. The team simply collapsed after a fast start and proved to Browns fans that they continue to be experts at finding ways to lose.

After a remarkably solid start on both offense and defense which got the Browns off to a 20-0 lead late in the first quarter, the team changed their offensive strategy to something known as the prevent offense, and failed to score for the remainder of the game.

But at least the team played better, right? For one quarter anyway. Fans have a lot to look forward to if the Browns can capture their first quarter magic and turn it into a full 60 minutes of solid play. The only problem is, the recurring theme of blowing leads and losing in bizarre ways has established itself within this franchise’s identity.

Of course, the players didn’t seem to be entirely at fault for the epic meltdown. The officiating was questionable at best on multiple occasions, obviously including the phantom taunting call with just seconds remaining.

Despite this however, it is far from acceptable to blow a 20-point lead, especially in a home game against a fierce rival. While there may have been improved individual outings for certain players, the result remains the same, and the Browns are 0-2.

The following is a complete breakdown of Sunday’s debacle, in the form of letter grades for each major position group.