Reporter claims Cleveland Browns have no chance, should rest starters

Jan 3, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) celebrates after the Browns beat the Pittsburgh Steelers and secured a playoff berth at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) celebrates after the Browns beat the Pittsburgh Steelers and secured a playoff berth at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 3, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski during the second half against the Pittsburgh Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

The Browns can win, however unlikely that may be

Offensively, the Browns have to protect Baker Mayfield, which will be difficult considering they’ll be down to their fourth-string right guard against perhaps the best front-seven in the NFL. But if the Bengals can do it, so can the Browns. Jedrick Wills Jr., J.C. Tretter, Wyatt Teller, and Jack Conklin are far superior to what Cincy was trotting out on their line.

Stefanski was soundly beaten in the team’s Week 1 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, but when he was given another chance at Baltimore, he was brilliant, and the Browns would have won that game if not for a defense that provided the approximate resistance of a wet paper bag. The same thing happened in Week 6, as the Browns were pounded by Pittsburgh. Baker Mayfield was under constant pressure and was hit a ton in the worst game of his NFL career.

The Browns are a different team now, and Mayfield is a completely different QB. Stefanski may not be on the sidelines, but his work will be visible nonetheless.

The last thing Ruiter said was a rushed “I’m not writing them off! I’m just being realistic!”. It’s fine to be realistic, but there’s no need to be unnecessarily negative. The Browns are likely to lose this week, but that’s not a sure thing, and coining another “The” term is just stirring the pot for the sake of doing so.

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Cleveland can win this. It may be unlikely, but it’s far from impossible. How do the Browns beat the Steelers? They overcome adversity. It’s a good thing they have a lot of practice doing that.