3 biggest questions remaining for Cleveland Browns at this point of the season

Despite seeing their three-game winning streak come to an end, the Cleveland Browns are still right there in the AFC playoff picture. They’re 7-4 and have at least three games they should be favored in down the stretch. There are three others that could go either way.

In the end, that should be enough for at least 10 wins and a playoff berth as a Wild Card team. As much excitement as that should bring to Browns fans, there will still be some questions going forward. Here, we dive into this with the three biggest questions surrounding this team down the stretch.

3. Can the Browns stretch the field on offense?

It was really disappointing to see Dorian Thompson-Robinson exit this past game. Not only is it always tough in general to see a player suffer an injury, but he was also starting to fire on all cylinders. DTR just let Cleveland on a long touchdown drive, converting a fourth down to throw his first-ever touchdown pass in the NFL.

He then found Amari Cooper in the end zone for a two-point conversion. That should have tied the game at 14, eliminating the 14-0 Denver lead. Unfortunately, Cooper dropped the pass and that left Cleveland behind 14-12.

Their defense held Denver to a field goal and Thompson-Robinson went out to try and take the lead. That’s when he was hurt and their chances were gone. But even before he left, there was one question left — can he consistently push the ball downfield?

Fans have been irate with the Browns for continuing to throw when the run is working but they’re trying to open things up and make it easier on everyone. Being able to push the ball downfield will back off the safeties and make running even easier. So far, they’ve struggled to make that work, but need to find a way if they want to make any noise in the playoffs.

There will be calls for Joe Flacco to take over, and he should start if DTR is unable to go due to his concussion. Having said that, the rookie is the right man for the job. He’s starting to find his confidence and has been solid in two-minute drills. Now, he just has to find a way to force the secondary to back off.