Cleveland Browns have fixable issues, but one major concern is clear
By Dan Justik
The Cleveland Browns showed plenty of issues in the season opener. Some of them can be fixed, but there is one that will be a major work in progress.
Cleveland Browns fans entered FirstEnergy Stadium with plenty of energy and were ready to bring the noise to overwhelm the visiting Tennessee Titans o Sunday. But in the end, it was the Browns who ended up being overwhelmed and caused the crowd to leave the stadium in utter disappointment.
Besides two offensive drives for the Browns, what was supposed to be an explosive offense could not muster much against a physical Titans defense. And the Browns defense was too physical, leading to several penalties that could have easily been avoided.
Penalties were the overall story of the game for the Browns and it created a no-win situation for Cleveland. When things started to go well for Cleveland, a flag would come flying and keep the momentum going for the Titans.
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The Browns made several mistakes, and a lot of them involve coaching. Whether it be over-pursuing on defense or the questionable play-calling on offense, the coaching staff can work on and fix those issues.
Cleaning up the penalties is also something that can be fixed, and it should be a priority for the team during the week. The penalties put the Browns in tough positions on both sides of the ball. The Titans offense had six first downs after Browns penalties, giving them extra chances to move the ball down the field and get points.
Cleveland’s penalties also put the Browns offense in compromising positions and gave them few chances to actually move the ball down the field. During the course of the game, the Browns offense faced 3rd and 13+ six times. No matter what weapons the Browns offense has, it is hard to overcome those scenarios very often.
The Browns will need to enter Week 2 much more prepared than they were Week 1 and they will desperately need to better their discipline and limit the penalties. But one area that is a major concern, and has been since the start of training camp, is the offensive line.
The Titans defense generated a bunch of pressure on Baker Mayfield, sacking him five times and recording seven quarterback hits. Both offensive tackles struggled mightily, even before Greg Robinson’s ejection and the injuries compiled.
But the problems were not limited to just the tackles, as the offensive line overall did not play well. With Freddie Kitchens calling multiple plays that took awhile to develop, Mayfield needed time to sit in the pocket. However, he did not have that time and was forced to make plays on the move.
With the issues the Browns have on the offensive line, Cleveland’s offense may need to adjust to a more quick-pass approach to get the ball out of Mayfield’s hands quicker. Unless the Browns offensive line can perform better, Cleveland will have to adjust their offense in order to cater to their problems up front.
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It was a sloppy game for the Browns and there are few positives to take out of it. They have fixable issues that will help their performance, but the front office’s decision to not address the offensive line is already appearing to be a major mistake, and it has created a concern that will not be so easy to fix.