Cleveland Browns Week 6 failing grades not the mark of playoff team

Cleveland Browns Offense Grade: F

Yes, quarterback Baker Mayfield finished 19 for 28 for 234 yards and two touchdowns but those stats were deceiving considering he threw an interception and fumbled away the ball twice in important moments where Cleveland was needing a good drive. The Browns showed no consistency in the game on offense.

Playing without their starting running back Nick Chubb was a problem from the get-go and certainly didn’t give the offense that needed run game yesterday. The Browns only had 73 yards rushing on the day, well below their NFL leading 189 yards a game average.

The team started the game going three and out. On their second drive, they were able to move the ball to the Cardinals’ 13-yard line where it stalled and the team faced a 4th and three yards for the first down. And again head coach Kevin Stefanski decided to roll the dice and have the team again go for it instead of taking the three points and more importantly points early in a game. The Browns proceeded to fail again having Mayfield get sacked and giving the ball back to the Cardinals.

When will Stefanski stop trying to force the issue, especially with a fragile and slightly injured quarterback in Mayfield? At some point, Stefanski needs to take the points and give his team some reward for moving the ball on offense.

Mayfield was sacked five times in the game that included two fumbles on his part. That happened on the Browns third drive of the game as he fumbled deep in Cardinal territory. Mayfield followed that drive up with an interception on the next possession and it was 20-0 before they finally scored a touchdown.

The one highlight on the day for the Browns offense was Mayfield’s “Hail Mary” pass to close the half in which wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones caught a 57-yard pass in the end zone. Without that grab, the Browns only score one touchdown in the game.

For Peoples-Jones, it was a career game statistically as grabbed four passes for 101 yards. He had five catches in the game against the Los Angeles Chargers so maybe he will get targeted more by Mayfield as the season progresses.

The run game was nonexistent for the most part and again with the absence of Nick Chubb this team isn’t the same. Those out there in the Twitter-sphere that continue to suggest that running backs such as Chubb are interchangeable just don’t appreciate Chubb and his special abilities as a running back. Getting Chubb back in the mix will be important for this offense moving through the season.

The other running back, Kareem Hunt, did all he could on 14 carries for 66 yards but it’s just not the same missing Chubb. To add to the Browns injury woes Hunt was injured late in the game and will likely miss a substantial part of the rest of the season. The fact the Browns run game has taken such a blow is really going to make this offense move forward almost too much to overcome.

Cleveland now has to play the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football. Can the Browns offense get any sense of rhythm by then? And will our defense be able to stop the Broncos on 3rd downs? A quick turnaround and a win could help stall the downward spiral that this team seems to be on at the moment.