5 takeaways from Browns loss to Falcons in Week 4

The Cleveland Browns lost to the Atlanta Falcons, falling to 2-2 on the year. Here are five takeaways from the frustrating loss.

Another winnable game for the Cleveland Browns got away from them as they dropped to 2-2 following a three-point loss to the Atlanta Falcons. It was another outing where the defense struggled to make a stop at the end, and the offense came up just short on their final attempt.

After a win or loss in the NFL, it’s typical for some overreactions, which would be why there were calls for Jacoby Brissett to remain the starter over Deshaun Watson after beating a bad Pittsburgh team. Here, we will avoid the highs and lows while trying to find five realistic takeaways from Cleveland’s Week 4 loss.

5 takeaways from Browns loss to Falcons in Week 4

5. Maybe run defense does matter

Throughout the offseason, the Browns added several players via trade and free agency. They added Watson, Amari Cooper, and Taven Bryan — just to name a few. Then in the draft, they went after guys such as Martin Emerson, David Bell, and Perrion Winfrey.

What they never did was go after a run-stuffing defensive tackle. Instead, they banked on Jordan Elliott and Tommy Togiai making a leap, which really hasn’t happened just yet.

This was evident in Week 4 when the Falcons had their way with the ground game. While it’s true Myles Garrett, Jadeveon Clowney and Bryan were all out, the remaining defensive tackles should have kept Atlanta from racking up 202 yards on the ground — especially when you realize it was Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley doing the damage while Cordarrell Patterson had just 38 yards while dealing with a knee injury.

It was always confusing that a team so intent on winning with the ground game didn’t realize the lack of any true run-stuffers in the middle could be so detrimental. Hopefully, this will lead to them finally addressing the one-tech in the offseason.