Cleveland Browns Week 8 grades: Failures rule as dysfunction prevails

Cleveland Browns Offensive Grade: F

There are too many players and coaches to blame for the failures on both sides of the ball. The offense was awful on Sunday. Yes, quarterback Baker Mayfield was good with his throws at times, but he wasn’t as good as some are suggesting today.

Let’s start with the opening drive of the game where the Browns moved the ball nicely down the field. The drive ate up seven minutes of clock and the Browns worked 13 plays meticulously, putting them in a first and goal from the eight-yard line.

The critical play in the drive was the first down and goal throw that Mayfield made to tight end Austin Hooper, in which Hooper dropped the pass. Watching the play at a very good vantage point from my seat at First Energy Stadium, Hooper was wide open, with no defender within 10 yards of him when Mayfield made the throw.

Mayfield’s throw was very high, like many of his passes are in general. Some have been complaining in the social media hemisphere that Hooper should have caught the ball because on replay it shows he got his fingers above the height of the ball and thus should have held on.

Well folks, it was another lousy pass from Mayfield, period. If Mayfield throws that ball anywhere else, like, let’s say at Hooper’s numbers on his chest he walks into the end zone.

Because the Browns reverted to an offense on the day that was no different than the past,  Pittsburgh could put the entire team, it seemed in the box, as the predictability of the Stefanski offense is getting too easy for opponents to zone in on.

What got Cleveland into the playoffs a year ago was a little bit of everything including some trickery and trying to go for the big plays down the field. Where has all that gone? Wherever it went, it needs to come out of the dusty storage bins because the team is on life support.

At 4-4, the Browns have put themselves in a position that is not favorable for a great finish. The team is struggling to find an identity and too many players are not coming through in crucial times to save the day.

What took place a year ago was so much different than years before that maybe we were taken for a ride that wouldn’t be able to repeat itself or get better because it was so out of character of these Browns teams of the past 20 years.

On to Cincinnati where hopefully these failing marks turn around. There’s always hope.