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.

4. Shutting down Cooper stops the Browns offense

Through the first four weeks of the season, Jacoby Brissett has had two really good games and two to forget. What was the difference? Amari Cooper.

In Week 1, the Browns beat Carolina but Cooper had just 17 yards on three receptions. He was finding openings in the defense but he and Brissett just couldn’t connect. Even with that being the case, he was leaving things open for the other pass catchers and Donovan Peoples-Jones had six receptions for 60 yards.

In Week 4, Brissett again struggled and Cooper was beyond quiet. The veteran wideout had just one reception on four targets for nine yards. Again, the defense focused on him, daring DPJ to beat them. The Michigan product had 71 yards on five receptions, but it wasn’t enough for Cleveland to get the win.

Brissett felt the Cooper effect as he had a quarterback rating of 74 in Week 1 and just 68 this past weekend. In the two games where Cooper had 101 yards receiving in each, Brissett had a rating of 98.9 and 109.6.

Clearly, the key to shutting this offense down is to take Cooper out of the equation. It’s not an easy thing to do with his insane route-running but if the defense continually focuses on him and dares DPJ or David Njoku to beat them, it seems to be a good gamble.

That might not always remain the case but right now, the quarterback has looked vastly better when Cooper is making catches than when he’s throwing it to everyone else.

3. Joe Woods is not the only problem

The calls for Joe Woods to be fired have grown to a deafening level. Browns fans have completely turned on the defensive coordinator and it’s hard to blame them for their frustrations. Cleveland could very well be 4-0 — and their win in Week 1 would have been far less dramatic — if the defense didn’t give up deep passes while being gashed on the ground.

Woods does have to get something figured out. It’s hard to say if the answer is something such as simplifying the defense or taking out underperforming players. What we can say is this defense doesn’t have to be elite to win, they just have to be average — and it seems as though they have the talent for that to be their floor.

Having said all that, not everything is on Woods. For some reason, the Browns have constantly had one of the longest injury reports in the league every year. They’re continually having to fill in the holes and against Atlanta, there were four starters out. Three were on the defensive line with Myles Garrett, Jadeveon Clowney, and Taven Bryan joining Anthony Walker who was a huge loss as the MIKE linebacker.

They also couldn’t lean on Chase Winovich, the only experienced edge rusher they had on their original 53-man roster since he’s also been out with an injury. On top of this, there’s the aforementioned absence of a run-stuffing defensive tackle.

So while Woods does deserve to be looked at with a magnifying glass, pretending his ouster would fix their issues would be setting yourself up for heartache.

2. Nick Chubb is still elite

As frustrating as it is to suffer a second loss in a game they should have won, Cleveland fans can still unite around one fact — Nick Chubb is the best running back in the NFL.

While the defense has more holes than swiss cheese and the offense drops faster than the elevator in the Hollywood Tower, Chubb continues to plow his way through defenders with ease. On Sunday, he had another great performance with 118 yards on 19 carries. He also scored from 28-yards out to put the Browns on top.

Chubb’s play is so impressive that he’s reached superhero status. That can be seen on social media as people are claiming the answer on the final drive would have been to give the ball to Chubb rather than trying to throw it. That’s a major stretch since there were just over two minutes to go and Cleveland had no timeouts.

Should he have been on the field? Maybe, but Kareem Hunt is a beast in the passing game, so it’s not as if they put some scrub out there. In the end, it wouldn’t have made a difference whether it was Chubb or Hunt on the final drive but he’s such an impressive player that his simple presence on the field gives everyone hope that good things will happen.

During a season where things seem bleak, Chubb is becoming the hero we need even though he might not be the one we deserve.

1. It’s obvious why they went for Deshaun Watson

Through four games we have seen Jacoby Brissett be exactly what he’s supposed to be. He’s been an efficient game manager capable of helping a team win. He’s not, however, going to be someone who can put a team on his back.

Twice this season he’s needed to lead his team down for a field goal to either win or tie. Against Carolina in Week 1, he was able to do so thanks primarily due to a 15-yard penalty against the Panthers. That allowed Cade York to knock in a 58-yard field goal for the win.

This past weekend, while trailing by three, Brissett couldn’t get it done and his final pass was picked off. This isn’t meant as a knock on him but it’s a harsh reminder that he’s a journeyman for a reason — and the calls for him to stay under center even when Deshaun Watson returned were absurd.

Cleveland’s front office understands that quarterbacks move the needle in the NFL. Can you win a few games and make a run with a backup? Sure. But they don’t want to make a singular fluke run, they want to be perennial contenders and in order for that to happen, an elite quarterback is needed.

The Super Bowl won’t be won every year by the same team but the ones with Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Matthew Stafford will always have a realistic shot at winning it. Cleveland wasn’t going to be in that boat with Baker Mayfield and Brissett is a reminder that a free agent addition wasn’t going to do it either.

Rather than gamble on another rookie, they decided to put all their chips on the table and land an elite playmaker. They’ll take a major PR hit and have to endure 11 games with him sidelined but by 2023, this is going to be one of the teams capable of making a run for the next several years.