Cleveland Browns: 3 pleasant surprises in Week 1 blowout loss
By Cory Kinnan
It’s time to look on the bright side for the Cleveland Browns
It was a long afternoon as the Cleveland Browns suffered a blowout loss to the defending AFC North champion Baltimore Ravens. Reigning Most Valuable Player Award-winner Lamar Jackson picked apart a Cleveland defense mangled by injuries, and the offense has yet to find their groove in the new offensive system installed by new head coach Kevin Stefanski.
However, no need to press the panic button as teams with rookie head coaches enter the 2020 season with their backs against the wall. A shortened offseason, a shortened training camp, and no preseason games to get a real, live simulation of the flow of the game. It is going to take more than six weeks for this team to install all of the nuances that come with a new regime.
The good news is, however, that the Browns return to action in just four days, returning to First Energy Stadium to take on the Cincinnati Bengals. Historically, rookie quarterbacks returning to action on a short week have not fared well, which may play into the favor of the Browns as first overall pick Joe Burrow comes to town.
There is a ton to clean up, fine tune, and improve upon from the beatdown suffered at the hands of the Ravens. However, there were areas and glimmers of hope that shone through as well, and those deserve to be highlighted. There were three players who entered the season with a great deal of hesitation from the fanbase who turned out to be pleasant surprises for the team on Sunday.