Cleveland Browns: Woke up feeling… in danger

The Cleveland Browns suffered another embarrassing loss and things could get worse before they get better.

The Cleveland Browns were throttled by the San Francisco 49ers, 31-3 and it felt every bit as painful as the score indicates. The offense supposedly found a rhythm last week, and the defense was playing well, but neither of those things mattered much on Monday night.

The offense mustered just 160 yards and a field goal. While the defense gave up 446 yards—275 on the ground for 6.9 yards per carry.

Getting Antonio Callaway back from his suspension was supposed to add another element to the offense. Instead, he came out rusty. Getting a false start early in the game and dropping a would be touchdown that turned into an interception with the game still hanging in the balance.

More from Dawg Pound Daily

• How the Browns could maximize Nick Chubb in 2023
• Can Deshaun Watson get to Patrick Mahomes level for Cleveland Browns?
• 3 Cleveland Browns who should see an expanded role in 2023 and 1 who should not
• Is Marcus Davenport on the Browns radar in 2023?
• 5 Free agents from Super Bowl LVII Cleveland Browns should target

Baker Mayfield has had an up and down start to the year. I’m not sure he woke up feeling dangerous today or yesterday, but he has to wake up feeling in danger after the 49ers pass rush assaulted him all night long. Nick Bosa finished with two sacks and some revenge for Mayfield’s flag plant against Ohio State in 2017.

Baker’s wide receivers showed him very little help and it started early. Odell Beckham Jr uncharacteristically dropped the first pass of the game on a quick screen. Then again on the second drive of the game Odell dropped a pass on an out route that would have been a first down.

From there, nothing went right. The 49ers dominated this game in every way possible with the exception of the punt game. Jamie Gillan has been as great and was the only bright spot on the night.

The season is young, but the danger is real. The danger of now being 2-3, a game behind the Baltimore Ravens who play the 0-5 Cincinnati Bengals next. While the Browns face the current number one seed in the NFC next, and the one seed in the AFC to follow.

The danger of building bad habits with untimely penalties and dropped passes. The danger of Mayfield not making it through the season if the onslaught of the offensive backfield continues. The danger of Mayfield playing like one of the worse quarterbacks in the league with 2:1 interception to touchdown ratio completing just 56 percent of his passes.

Mayfield was quick to say he isn’t pushing the panic button during his postgame presser, but with a noticeable limp after the game and four sloppy offensive performances, maybe he should. The Cleveland Browns can’t continue this up and down trek or the danger will strike and it will strike hard.