Grading every major position group following the Cleveland Browns’ 31-20 loss on Sunday afternoon at the hands of the Washington Redskins.
Are the Cleveland Browns trying to lose? Not to start any wild conspiracy theories, but it seems that every citizen of northeast Ohio developed itchy heads on Sunday afternoon while pondering this same question. As the Browns fell 31-20 to the Washington Redskins on Sunday, they just couldn’t get out of their own way.
It was good to see improvement from the offense after being dominated the entire first quarter. The Browns manhandled Washington throughout the second and third quarters, and it appeared the Redskins had no answers. But true to themselves, the Browns gave their opposition the opening, and to the Redskins’ credit, they took advantage.
It must be remembered even in the midst of this heart-wrenching result that their were areas where the Browns improved from previous weeks. These areas will be included in the following report card for each major position group, along with the units who continue to struggle. But in the end, the result was once again difficult to swallow, even if there are positives to take moving forward.
Quarterback: A
Before we get to what really cost the Browns on Sunday, room must be made to recognize one element of the game which went very well. All things considered, third-string rookie quarterback Cody Kessler provided an incredible performance for a depleted Cleveland offense. After Terrelle Pryor‘s surprise appearance at the quarterback position last week in Miami, the third-round draft pick out of USC responded by earning the opportunity to stay on the field.
After Pryor took a snap at quarterback on the second play of the game, Kessler was in for good. He played a courageous game, suffering vicious hits at times, but stuck in the pocket for the most part. Kessler ended 28 for 40 with 233 yards and a touchdown pass to Pryor. It is without a doubt that Kessler did what the Browns asked of him this week.
It is certainly difficult to hand out an “A” to a position group following such a tough loss, but Kessler truly earned it. Moving forward, there is at least one thing fans should feel good about, as their new quarterback is showing signs of maturity. If his growth continues at this rapid rate, the 26th quarterback may just be the one for this reeling fan base.
Running Backs: C
Remarkably, Cleveland’s rushing attack seemed to be their most effective way of moving the ball for most of the game despite Kessler’s solid performance. Isaiah Crowell moved through large holes created by Cleveland’s offensive line with ease, on his way to 112 rushing yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.
Even when the Browns did not block very well up front, the running backs found ways to sneak through holes or push the pile. Crowell showed an immense amount of promise on Sunday, playing quite possibly the best game of his career.
Even so, the running game which fueled the Browns throughout most of the game played a key role in the team’s downfall in the end. On Malcom Johnson‘s first carry of the season, he brought the ball inside the Washington 10-yard-line, but fumbled there just before the Browns could go in for another touchdown. At this point, the Browns were leading 20-17 and were in position to take a two possession lead. As the final score indicates, the team did not score another point following the miscue.
Not to be outdone though, Duke Johnson coughed up the ball around midfield the very next possession. While there was much confusion on the controversial call, Johnson is still responsible for originating the chaos. At this point, the Browns were once again driving down 24-20, and the fumble served as another turning point in Washington’s favor.
Fair or not, these plays prevent the running backs from receiving a successful grade. Unfortunately, their early dominance was cancelled out by late miscues which proved to be costly in the Browns’ defeat.
Wide Receivers: C
In short, it was a pedestrian performance by Cleveland’s wide receivers on offense. Their play could be analyzed to a great extent, both the positives and the negatives. But in the end, it had little impact on the actual outcome of the game.
In the first half, converted receiver Terrelle Pryor got the best of his matchup with Pro Bowl cornerback Josh Norman. He caught Kessler’s only touchdown pass on the afternoon, and had five receptions for 46 yards in total. Unfortunately for the Browns though, none of these receptions occurred in the second half when the Browns needed them most.
Another positive of the wide receiver play was the emergence of rookie Ricardo Louis. The draft pick out of Auburn caught three passes for 28 yards. The same stats apply to Andrew Hawkins, who played a courageous game at the slot receiver position.
Overall, the wide receivers should not concern Browns fans very much. They could have taken command more at the end of the game when needed, but it’s not like they did anything to cost Cleveland the game.
Offensive Line: B
One of the pleasant surprises of Sunday afternoon’s contest was the solid play of the offensive line. This unexpected boost was fueled by Austin Reiter, the young center replacing the injured Cameron Erving. For the most part, both sides of the offensive line created gaping holes for the running backs, something that has been missing up until this point in the season.
Additionally, the offensive line played cleanly, something else that has been a struggle for them to do successfully. There were few penalties for holds or false starts, allowing Cleveland’s offense to sustain drives and move down the field methodically. Most notably, Austin Pasztor had an impressive bounce back performance at right tackle after his five penalties last week in Miami.
With the exception of being ineligible downfield on one play, resulting in a five-yard penalty, left tackle Joe Thomas played exceptional as usual. Right guard John Greco also played well, at least until he was moved to the center position after an injury to Reiter in the second half.
Now, the question is, can the Browns’ offensive line consistently play well? There are signs to indicate that they have indeed turned the corner, but still, this performance was against a weak Washington defensive line. Still, moving forward, there are positives for fans to take away when it comes to the offensive line. They only allowed one sack on the afternoon, and created excessive running room for Crowell. If this continues, the Browns could find themselves among the best offenses in the league sooner than expected.
Tight Ends: C
Another position group which had little impact on the outcome of the game was the tight end position. On a positive note, Gary Barnidge returned to last season’s form, catching seven passes for 57 yards. He found himself wide open in the middle of the field several times, something he made a name for himself doing in 2015.
Beyond Barnidge, there was little action at the position as anticipated. The offense that Cleveland runs often times involves two tight ends on the same side in a formation, as they run what is called “12 personnel” on running plays. This means that there is one running back in the backfield, two tight ends serving as extra offensive linemen on one side, and a receiver out wide on each side of the field. On Sunday afternoon, plays with this formation were extremely successful, as the tight ends contributed to the success of the rushing attack by blocking well.
But still, consistency remains a problem. The Browns lack offensive production at this position beyond blocking, and would ideally like to see more out of their tight ends if they are going to take up two spots on the offense a considerable amount of the time. Overall though, this position group did what was expected of them in this game, going about their business without doing anything extraordinarily good or bad.
Defensive Line: F
For a Washington team with few potent threats on offense, it was shocking to see them move down the field with such ease as they did. When broken down further, the cause of this was the extremely poor play of the defensive line.
Matt Jones led the Redskins with 117 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Chris Thompson chipped in with 24 yards on just three carries. The inability to stop the run against a below-average rushing offense is inexcusable for a team who seeks to model themselves after tough, run-stopping defenses.
To make matters worse, the defensive front had virtually no success rushing the passer. Cousins was able to pick on a young secondary all afternoon not only due to the inexperience and weakness that exists at the second level for the Browns, but also because he seemed to have forever and a day to throw every single play.
The only pressure Cleveland was able to get which did lead to three sacks was when they blitzed, sending multiple defensive backs after Cousins. Obviously though, this led to holes in the secondary which required compensation. When examining the root of the issue, the defensive line’s inability to manufacture pressure without assistance becomes the forefront of the problem. This must change if Cleveland’s defense wishes to see any improvement in the coming weeks.
Linebackers: F
Cleveland linebackers have not played poorly for the most part in the season’s first three contests. This narrative was reversed however on Sunday, as they failed to stop both the run and the pass of Washington, as the defense could not get off the field all afternoon. Washington torched Cleveland both on the ground and through the air with little known players who had career games.
Primarily, the responsibility of the linebackers is to scout, but also to drop back in coverage to cover tight ends or running backs coming out of the backfield. Jordan Reed, Washington’s tight end, had a monster game for the Redskins, taking advantage of the poor play of the Browns’ linebackers. Reed came in to the game with no touchdown receptions on the season, but came out with two, along with 73 yards on nine receptions.
Along with their inability to assist in stopping Washington’s pass defense, the linebackers had trouble rushing the passer even when sent. The unit accounted for no sacks of Cousins, and the most tackles a Cleveland linebacker recorded was four, from Christian Kirksey. Emmanuel Ogbah chipped in with three tackles, but all other linebackers were quiet. Even Demario Davis, a veteran who has been very productive for the Browns thus far this season, only had one tackle. Joe Schobert also struggled immensely, making just one tackle while missing several other opportunities.
Secondary: F
What was most painful to watch, with the possible exception of the costly turnovers at the end of the game, was the Browns’ secondary’s attempt to defend Washington’s passing attack. Entering the game, Cleveland knew exactly what to expect, as Washington is clearly a pass-first offense. But despite this, Cleveland could not find any defensive look that would work to slow down Cousins and his high-powered receivers.
Joe Haden‘s return to the Browns was supposed to provide the Browns a major boost. While it may have at some points against DeSean Jackson, Haden still struggled in coverage. Most notably, his 50-yard pass interference penalty set up a Washington touchdown.
As for the rest of Cleveland’s secondary, it doesn’t seem fair to come down hard on them for difficulty against a good passing offense. But even if the Browns are undersized and depleted as a unit, the team showed little to make fans believe that their pass defense would ever get any better. Briean-Boddy-Calhoun played a gritty game, even recording a sack on a key play, but his missed tackles and blown coverage hurt the Browns more than he helped in any other way. Jordan Poyer had a similar performance, pouring his heart out for the team, but garnering little success.
It was an admirable effort. But the results speak for themselves. Cleveland’s secondary is just not nearly good enough at this point to match up with the passing attacks of NFL teams. Their weaknesses at this element of the game were exposed on Sunday, leaving fans searching for answers.
Special Teams: D
Once again, the special teams play of the Browns was an adventure. On the positive side, kicker Cody Parkey put forth an epic bounce back performance after last week’s three costly missed field goals. He hit one from 51 yards out to tie the game at 17 as time expired in the first half. As an encore, the kicker pounded through a 45-yard attempt to give the Browns their only lead of the game as a result of the opening drive of the second half.
Punter Britton Colquitt had a pedestrian performance, as he was used little in a game where Cleveland’s offense mostly either scored or turned the ball over.
The Browns were clearly trying to mix things up on special teams, even putting Duke Johnson back on the punt return team to return a punt. He did well, but this return was overshadowed by Cleveland’s next bizarre situation on the following punt. During a critical moment in the game after a huge stop fueled by two sacks, the team opted not to put a punt returner in the game. As a result, the ball was downed easily at the two-yard-line, setting the stage for an interception.
Special teams can often make or break a game. In Sunday’s game, this wasn’t necessarily the case, as turnovers and lack of defense proved to be the difference. But at the same time, special teams is still an area which needs to be addressed for a football team seeking to do all the little things right to make up for their depleted roster.
Coaching: F
Excuses can no longer be made for head coach Hue Jackson. Simply put, he and his coaching staff have gotten in their own way time and time again. Sure, he led an injury-ridden team and kept three games in a row close. Many will praise Jackson for this feat. But it gets ridiculous when the team fails to finish games over and over and over again. In the end, the responsibility for this unacceptable trend falls upon the shoulders of the head coach.
“I take responsibility for it all,” Jackson commented in his post game press conference. This is a start. But when he says things like “we just gotta do it better,” fans are left to wonder if Jackson really understands what is going wrong here.
After all, he decided to hand the ball off to a running back who hasn’t carried a football for two years in a situation which required little but ball security. Crowell was on fire at the time, and the offensive line would not be denied. Many will come to Jackson’s defense, saying that the play-caller was trying to “mix it up”, or “keep the defense honest.” But seriously, who cares if the defense is honest or not as long as the Browns are cruising down the field? It appears that this play call is one of many examples in which Jackson has out-thought himself, costing his team.
This isn’t to say that coach Jackson isn’t the right man to get this organization turned around. But so far, he is doing far from that. Still, somehow, he sees optimism.
“I think our guys will rally again,” Jackson continues. “I think the wins are around the corner.”
Surely, Cleveland fans who have suffered through 50 years of losing must feel the same way. There is no other way to slice it. Nowhere to go but up.