Browns: 5 defensive takeaways from Week 2 loss

Offensive inconsistencies leaving defense on field too often

The Browns offense couldn’t find any consistency in Sunday’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens. DeShone Kizer threw three interceptions and lost a fumble while backup Kevin Hogan added an interception as well.  Five turnovers makes it difficult for any team to be competitive and quite frankly the Browns were lucky it was only a 14-point game.

Rashard Higgins led the team with seven receptions for 95 yards. No other Browns player had more than three which is a bit odd considering Higgins was recently cut by the Browns just two weeks ago.

Nonetheless, the Browns still attempted to establish an identity on the offensive side of the ball. Tight ends Seth DeValve and David Njoku played well Sunday as did Higgins. However, the reports that wide receiver Corey Coleman broke his hand are certainly worrisome for the Cleveland Browns.

Coming off of a solid 2017 debut, Coleman was hoping to solidify himself as the No. 1 receiver for this team but sounds like he’ll miss some time this season. That’s a blow for the offense, especially with running back Isaiah Crowell only averaging 2.6 yards per carry.

The offense’s early struggles signal that the Browns defense will be heavily relied upon to keep them in games. The running game is again an obvious concern for this Browns team and they can’t continue to abandon it while expecting to stay in games.

Three-and-outs killed Cleveland all day long on Sunday and the Ravens capitalized. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams can’t have this defense play at his preferred energy-level at the rate they’re on the field. The Browns offense must find a flow, get first downs, and run the ball effectively in upcoming weeks.