Cleveland Browns develop amnesia, forget their identity

The Cleveland Browns and head coach Freddie Kitchens developed a sudden case of amnesia during the second half in their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field.

The Cleveland Browns came out firing on all cylinders in their opening drive versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 13-play sequence that culminated in an Austin Seibert field goal was an even mix of run and pass.

They came away with only three points on the drive, but it was evident that they were going to be able to move the ball up and down the field.

During their third series of the game, the offense went to work. The drive started with two passes but then the Browns ran the ball six straight times, five of those runs being Nick Chubb gashers.

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The drive ended with two passes, the last being a 15-yard touchdown to Kareem Hunt. The Browns found themselves up 10-0 and they were chewing the clock up in the process.

Then, inexplicably, the Browns lost their way. After three straight wins where they finally figured out their identity, they suddenly developed amnesia and forgot who they were.

The curious case of forgetfulness came with 2:56 left in the 2nd quarter. Instead of sticking with their run game and running down the clock, Freddie Kitchens decided to come out throwing backed up in their own end.

The ill-fated three and out only took one minute and eight seconds off the clock. The Steelers took full advantage of the swing of momentum and rode it all the way down the field to tie the game at 10 apiece. Pittsburgh’s drive only took 48 seconds which left the Browns with one minute to work with.

Instead of taking a knee, Kitchens decided to be aggressive. The only success on the last drive came courtesy of two long Kareem Hunt runs. After burning their last two timeouts the Browns decided to take one deep shot to finish out the half.

Baker Mayfield dropped back on 2nd and 10 from his own 36-yard line and threw a deep shot to Odell Beckham. The ball traveled 73-yards through the air but fell to the ground incomplete. While it was an impressive display of arm strength, it was all for not.

On the follow-through Mayfield’s hand struck Bud Dupree’s facemask, leaving the quarterback is significantly visible pain. Mayfield had to leave the game immediately to seek medical attention in the locker room.

With Mayfield limited with a hand injury and the game tied, surely the Browns would look to lean on their immensely talented running backs and take the air out of the ball? Nope, the Browns were almost strictly attacking through the air from the second half on.

Pittsburgh opened the third quarter with a rushing touchdown and then scored a field goal after a Mayfield fumble. The Browns, finding themselves down 10 points went into full-blown panic mode.

Even after pulling to within one score by kicking a field goal, and then getting the ball back courtesy of a Terrance Mitchell interception, Cleveland completely abandoned the run. With no threat of a rushing attack, the Pittsburgh defense was able to pin their ears back and come after Mayfield with reckless abandon.

The pressure proved to be too much, and the Browns were never able to get back into the game. It’s one thing to lose a game by not being good enough, it’s quite another to lose by choosing to bend the knee to your opponent’s will. The Browns played right into the Steelers’ hands on Sunday.

Having two of the best running backs in the league is only an advantage if you choose to make them the focal point of the offense. With the passing game being as inconsistent as it has been, and now with Mayfield’s hand/thumb injury, the Browns must not forget who they are. The Browns are a running team.