Cleveland Browns must be unconventional to win
By Joel W. Cade
Stop kicking field goals! The play is a complete give-up move for this team. The defense is not good enough for the Browns to be settling for field goals. Playing off the previous point, the game would be far more exciting, and the Browns far more successful, if they went for it on fourth down in the red zone instead of kicking field goals.
Against the Bengals, the Browns had momentum when their drive “stalled” on the 12-yard line. Had Jackson predetermined he was going for it on fourth down, he could have changed his play call on third down to put them in a more manageable fourth down. Instead, Jackson has predetermined to play a conventional, conservative game and kick the field goal on fourth.
His third-down call reflected that decision by having the receivers run routes past the first-down marker, which the Bengals completely expected. By playing unconventional, Jackson would have the element of surprise on his side, which might lead to a more efficient offense.
But Jackson trots out the give-up unit to kick a field goal. The fans know that the Browns will not win by kicking field goals. If they fans know it, it is logical to conclude the players know it. If the Browns were going to win by kicking field goals they would have beaten the Miami Dolphins earlier in the year.
On Sunday, after the Browns kicked the field goal, the defense was flat and the Bengals went down the field and scored. At that point, the momentum was gone.
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Jackson took the momentum away from his team by kicking the field goal. Why not go for it on fourth? Give your players a chance and maybe catch your opponent off guard.
The time of conventional football is over. The Browns have a whole front office full of analytics guys. It is time to pass on the wisdom.