Cleveland Browns studs and duds from horrible Week 16 loss

Dud: Special Teams

The overall performance on Sunday was as disappointing as any I can remember, and believe me, Browns fans are aware of how many there are to choose from. But once again, another huge disappointment on Sunday was the performance of the special teams.

While they did block two kicks saving the team four points, they continue to have silly penalties. Offsides on an extra point, a block in the back on a punt, a missed field goal that never had a shot, and the missed extra point in the fourth quarter did nothing to help the Brown’s chances.

Truthfully, coaching is to blame more than anything for the field goal to end the first half. Punter Jamie Gillan came on to attempt a 60-yard field goal right before the half. Regular kicker Cody Parkey isn’t known for having a huge leg, but wow, he would have had to be closer than Gillian who was 10 yards short and another 10 yards right.

I would have much rather seen the hail marry attempt. Not only would it have had a better chance, but there was also a less likely chance of it being returned for a touchdown. The pro-bowl left-guard Joel Bitonio made a great tackle to break up the return.

The Browns are a good team, but not quite a great team. Good teams must win on all sides of the ball to have a chance at winning NFL games. On Sunday, the Browns were outperformed on all three phases of the football game.

The missed extra point is what sealed the number one dud on Sunday. Yes, the Browns lost by seven, but it totally changed the momentum being down four instead of just three points at the time. Mayfield knew they needed a touchdown and had to be more forceful than just worrying about a field goal.