- Mania Madness II – Mae Young Region Finals - March 25, 2024
- Deadman Tells No Tales – Six Names Rumored To Have Broken The Undertaker’s Streak - March 22, 2024
- Mania Madness II – Round Of 4: Mae Young Region - March 18, 2024
Going into Week 6, Cleveland Browns fans didn’t know what to think about heading into a match up with the Seattle Seahawks. While Seattle hasn’t been the same world beater team that won the Super Bowl in 2014, they’ve been on pace with the division leading San Francisco 49ers.
After going up 20-6 early, Seattle came roaring back easily before halftime. The second half was where the mental mistakes started to take their toll and eventually it gave way to a Cleveland collapse and a Seattle victory, 32-28. So what went wrong and was there any good to come out of it?
This is Eye on the Browns: Browns Notes!
*Writers note: I’d like to apologize for a lack content for the week five match up on Monday Night Football game in San Francisco. I had to attend a court recommended anger management course for a week following the results of the game. Anyways, I’m back now, so let’s get on with the show!*
The Cleveland defense did not look strong
Defensive end Myles Garrett’s two sacks on quarterback Russell Wilson as well as defensive tackle Devaroe Lawrence’s fumble recovery were two highlights of the game but after a while it was easy to tell this is a second string set of cornerbacks starting.
Wilson’s 295 yards passing and two touchdowns highlighted a great game for the quarterback. It’s easy to see that Cleveland is missing cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams but even from the back ups, it’s unacceptable. Especially since two of the people starting in their place were starters last year.
It’s hard to overlook quarterback Baker Mayfield’s three interceptions
In a season littered with interceptions, it still stood out like a sore thumb. However, one stat you won’t see anywhere is “Quarterback Turnover luck.” It basically suggests that if a ball is thrown and it’s catchable, it falls on the wide receiver, not the quarterback.
The idea was raised by EA Sports’ Andre Weingarten, who claims that five of Mayfield’s league-high 11 interceptions were more the fault of broken routes and drops. Two of those “bad luck turnovers” came in Sunday’s game due to a broken route by wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and a dropped pass by running back Dontrell Hillard that bounced into the hands of linebacker K.J. Wright.
Mayfield definitely has work to do on his throws and accuracy but the receivers also need work on catching the ball.
Halfback Nick Chubb had another electric game
He ran for 122 yards, two touchdowns and even had five receptions for 17 yards. Simply put, Chubb is showing that he could be one of the best running backs in the NFL.
This also needs to be a wake up call for head coach Freddie Kitchens. Baker Mayfield is 5-1 when he attempts 30 passes or less and he’s 4-10 when he attempts more than 30. While teams generally pass more when they’re losing, Kitchens needs to realize that a good running attack can do more damage than a good passing attack. Mainly because it opens up the play-action.
Looking Ahead
Cleveland has some work to do this bye week. They’re showing that they’re a fully competitive team, despite two blowouts. They were able to hang with the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks, two teams that have frequently been high on Ab Stanley’s Power Rankings.
In Week 8 when Cleveland takes on the New England Patriots, they’ll have a tall task. Coach Kitchens will have his work cut out to really make some adjustments and changes. It’s already a hard game, it will get even harder if they can’t fix the bugs.
