Browns first quarter report card: Cleveland puts hope behind health

The Cleveland Browns lead in no statistical category to start the 2024 season - no positive category, anyway.

The team is 1-4, dealing with injuries to its O-line and still leaning on RB Nick Chubb to return from a catastrophic knee injury to try and right the ship. Problem is, the ship has already started to fill with water.

As long as the team continues to play QB Deshaun Watson, and as long as the team continues to rely on unimaginative play calling from HC Kevin Stefanski and OC Ken Dorsey, there's just no way this team succeeds. Watson has no confidence in his legs or his arm, and his O-line can barely hold up past the first half of games to provide enough pocket protection for him to try and make something happen between himself and Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, or even Elijah Moore.

That all said, let's grade each unit on this Browns team at this point in the team's early season, and as it sits tied for last in the AFC North.

Offense: F

Points per game: 15.8 (30th)
Rushing yards per game: 96.6 (27th)
Passing yards per game: 142.8 (30th)
Yards per game overall: 239.4 (last)

We can blame a lot of this on the O-line. Without any true gap creation for Cleveland's running back depth, there's no way it can gain any yardage using its legs. In addition to lack of run game, Watson has been pressured relentlessly - sacked a whopping seven times in the team's loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 5, as an example - and has obviously lost the confidence to even try and move in the pocket when there is one.

Commanders LB Frankie Luvu sacked Watson 2.5 times in the Week 5 contest after having not recorded one full sack all season long. Washington's defense also came into this game with the third lowest EPA in the league. The Browns offense did the Commanders a favor by playing so poorly and allowing its defense to get on track to support its electric offense led by QB Jayden Daniels.

This is also not something that'll be fixed by Chubb's return. He's coming off a big knee injury, the second of his career, so to expect him to pop back out on the field like prime Chubb is likely kidding yourself. And, to expect him to find success with this O-line with several injuries and a few backups starting is also kidding yourself.

All that said, Watson has the worst QBR in the league at 21.0, just below Will Levis. He was traded for despite the obvious moral death the franchise would be taking on in doing so and despite the cost. And he just has not delivered anything close to play that would justify keeping him as its QB1. The experiment was an obvious failure.

Defense: C-

Points allowed per game: 24.2 (24th)
Rushing yards allowed per game: 141.6 (25th)
Passing yards allowed per game: 184.4 (8th)
Total yards per game allowed: 326.0 (12th)
1 total interception
4 fumbles forced

The Browns defense was supposed to be its bread and butter headed into this season. Led by DE Myles Garrett, Cleveland looked set to at least be able to hold its opponents to limited scores to aide an offense that needed help. That hasn't happened yet, but, we can't blame the defense for not being able to hold up on so many back to back possessions.

They look exhausted on the field after the second half because they've already exerted a ton of effort in the first half to try and contain their opponent. In this case, it was never going to be easy to contain Daniels and a historically good Commanders offense. But, there were moments early in the game where it was within reach - like when the lead was only 7-0 and the defense was getting stops with ease. Garrett was especially stellar, winning almost all of his pressures.

Unfortunately, the defense may have to be the unit to score if the Browns want to win games as the team doesn't seem to be looking to improving its O-line.

Overall grade: D

This team needs a change that isn't coming. Between lack of flexibility because of Watson's contract, the lack of cap space to make an O-line trade happen barring some maneuvering, and the seeming willingness of this coaching staff to take the blame for how Cleveland's performed so far, we are in for a long ride. The next few games for the Browns feature two divisional games against the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals. If they aren't buried by then, it'll be sure to come soon after that.