The Cleveland Browns are 5-3 on the season, but they are coming off an ugly loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the 27-6 loss to their division rivals, all of the Browns’ weaknesses were on full display. Cleveland couldn’t run the ball, and it also couldn’t stop the run.
Those two areas have already been a struggle for the Browns, and it’s especially tough when you allow the other team to take an early lead. One minute into Sunday's second quarter, the Steelers were up 10-0, and things quickly started to unravel for Cleveland.
While the Browns have been able to overcome some early deficits this season, head coach Todd Monken admits that it’s pretty hard for Cleveland to play from behind. Speaking with the media on Monday, Monken acknowledged that falling behind early played a part in many of the team’s shortcomings against Pittsburgh.
With the Browns chasing the Steelers on the scoreboard, Monken said that made it harder to protect the quarterback, run the ball, and also rush the passer. Cleveland gave up eight sacks, only rushed for 34 yards, and recorded just one sack of its own.
With Monken referencing getting behind seven times during his Monday press conference, some may be inclined to call it an excuse. However, it really just highlights how bad Cleveland is early in games, and how that makes it even harder to overcome the things the team doesn’t do well.
With Shedeur Sanders potentially making his first start of the season this week with Deshaun Watson in concussion protocol, that challenge could become even greater.
Browns must start games faster to mask their most glaring weaknesses
Through eight games, Cleveland has been outscored 65-13 in the first quarter of games.
The Browns defense, which is a solid unit overall, has been part of the problem, giving up 38% of its points allowed in the first quarter. The defense typically figures things out throughout the game, but Cleveland is often already playing from behind by that point.
The Browns offense, on the other hand, isn’t a good unit, averaging just 17.4 points per game. They have been bad in the first quarter, the second, and the third. Cleveland has been able to find some magic in the fourth quarter, which is why it has a winning record right now, but that has left everyone wondering if this method is sustainable.
It’d be best if the Browns never figured out the answer to that question because they just started playing good football from the beginning of the game. The offense has to figure out a way to run the ball, and the defense has to figure out a way to stop the run.
If Cleveland can do those two things, it should stop falling behind early in games.
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