With the Cleveland Browns finishing the season 5-12, and recently hiring a new coach, many people would probably argue that the franchise is a long way from appearing in a Super Bowl.
Critics were saying the same thing about the New England Patriots last offseason. While the Pats were ultimately dominated by the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 60, their journey from 4-13 to runner-up in Year 1 under Mike Vrabel is impressive.
The Browns certainly could learn a lot from New England’s journey, including a lesson that came from the Super Bowl loss. The Seahawks were the overall better team, but the way Seattle dominated New England’s offensive line really decided the game.
That should serve as a clear message to Cleveland that its rebuild this offseason needs to start with the offensive line.
Super Bowl 60 should motivate Browns to aggressively rebuild offensive line
Because of some fourth-quarter action, the final score and stats don’t quite paint the picture of how thoroughly the Patriots' offense was dominated. New England entered the final quarter of the game with zero points, after struggling to make anything happen all game. The reason why is that Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was under constant pressure. The Seahawks finished the game with six sacks, 11 quarterback hits, and a ton more pressures.
Hidden in the final outcome is that New England’s defense actually played a good game. The unit held on for as long as it could, limiting the Seahawks to just four field goals entering the fourth quarter. However, none of that mattered, because the offense wasn’t able to help out in the slightest.
That reality should have sent a loud and clear message to the Cleveland Browns. It doesn’t matter how good a team’s defense is or who they have at quarterback; without a solid offensive line, they will fall short.
That understanding should shape Cleveland’s offseason plans. The top priority for the Browns needs to be building a quality offensive line. While investing in the wide receiver room and evaluating the quarterback group is necessary, putting together a competent offensive line has to be the first order of business.