5 Cleveland Browns players who need to improve

It’s no secret that the Cleveland Browns are not where they want to be at this point in the season. If they want to win their division and make the playoffs these players will have to play better.

Let’s get something out of the way early, just because I think a player needs to improve does not mean they are playing bad. It simply means the team needs more from them.

Some good news is the Cleveland Browns just got through the toughest part of their schedule. They have a really good chance to rack up some victories coming down the stretch.

Another good sign is they are still healthy for the most part. Other than linebacker Christian Kirksey landing on injured-reserve, Cleveland hasn’t dealt with season-ending injuries, so the talent is still there.

There were several people who almost made my list but were left off for one reason or another. One that may surprise you is Myles Garrett — that’s right I said it.

Garrett has obviously been a force on defense and leads the team with nine sacks, that is not why he almost ended up on the list. He’s committing far too many penalties. He has committed six accepted penalties for 55 yards.

That doesn’t sound horrible but that is too much for your best defensive player. He has to show more discipline and stop extending drives with mistakes.

Another player that just missed my list is cornerback Denzel Ward and he simply avoided the list because he has been injured and only played in two games. But in those games, he was a far cry from the pro bowl corner we saw last year.

Ward wasn’t tackling or covering well and he appeared to have lost some of his confidence but maybe that is because he was dealing with the injury before it sidelined him.

The last person that almost made it was head coach Freddie Kitchens simply for his playcalling. His game management has not been good but that is expected for a rookie head coach. He got the job because of what he did calling plays at the end of last season.

I didn’t put Kitchens on the list because it is about the players. However, if he improves that could help some of the players highlighted.