Browns: Greg Newsome thinks his worst game of the year wasn't 'that bad'

It's hard to point at one person and say they deserve all the blame for the Cleveland Browns loss in the Wild Card Round. Looking at the 45-14 score, it's easy to see that the Browns never stood a chance. On defense, they couldn't stop C.J. Stroud nor could they get any real pressure on him. Offensively, they struggled to sustain drives and then started to turn the ball over themselves.

That falls on several people but it's still fair to say Greg Newsome II had easily the worst game of his career. He struggled to keep up with Nico Collins, who beat him deep several times. He also didn't react quickly enough on a touchdown pass from Stroud to Dalton Schultz.

Again, Newsome was far from the only player who struggled but his response to the outing was somewhat unexpected. When asked about the game, Newsome said "I don't think I played too bad." He added that he could have been better but it felt as though he wasn't quick to look in the mirror after this embarrassing loss.

To be fair to Newsome, he did help limit the Texans on one drive. On a third-and-goal early in the game, he broke up a pass intended for Robert Woods. That meant Houston had to settle for a field goal, but they were also in range thanks in large part to Collins beating Newsome on an earlier third-down play.

Browns have a decision to make on Greg Newsome

Newsome, who was a first round pick in 2021, is entering his fourth season in the league. That means the Browns have a decision to make on his contract. They'll need to choose whether or not to pick up the fifth-year option on his deal.

There's a chance that might not happen since they're already paying Denzel Ward and might prefer to keep Martin Emerson -- who has been more durable than Newsome. This final outing might not weigh too heavily in the overall decision but it will be a factor. As will his nonchalant attitude toward his own struggles.

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