Cleveland Browns studs and duds from horrible Week 16 loss
By Greg Newland
Cleveland Browns suffer a historically bad loss
As the Cleveland Browns were finally in a situation to contend for a playoff spot and possibly an AFC North title, in pure Cleveland fashion they completely choked vs. a 1-13 New York Jets team.
COVID-19 was not helpful, as the Browns’ top four wide receivers were out of the starting lineup, as well as two offensive lineman and two linebackers. While that is a valid excuse, the Browns had to win this game and they just couldn’t get it done.
Fans now head into week 17 wondering if this great season was all for nothing. Just like the 2007 season, a 10-6 record may just not be enough for the Browns to end an 18-year dry spell of the playoffs. On this sad Monday morning, let’s look at the week 16 studs and duds for your Browns.
Dud: Kevin Stefanski, Head Coach
While this was always going to be an uphill battle with so many guys out at the last second, it felt like this team wasn’t motivated to play the Jets on Sunday. This doesn’t mean that head coach Kevin Stefanski didn’t have the team prepared to play, they just weren’t in the right mindset at kickoff.
In a situation where you are playing a team that is struggling and you then find out you will be down seven starters because of COVID-19 protocol, coaching becomes more important than ever. Stefanski has preached all season that COVID would never be an excuse, but it certainly held back the Browns on Sunday.
Stefanski is learning on the fly in his first year as an NFL head coach, and this will be a huge learning experience. The bottom line is, if you don’t show up, any team in the NFL is beatable, and that is exactly what happened on Sunday.