Cleveland Browns: Winning Ugly is still a Win in the End
The Cleveland Browns have shocked the NFL world so far this season and for once it’s not in a negative way. They are in third place in the AFC North which is the toughest division in football this year and are on the cusp of being in second place for the first time since 2007. They are 5-3 going into Thursday against the Cincinnati Bengals. In week nine of 2007 the Browns were 5-3 and last season they were 4-5 after a big win over the Baltimore Ravens. This team is obviously better than last years team and arguably better than the team in 2007. While the run defense has been a struggle all year long, the rush and pass defense have came through when it counted most. Whether it’s Joe Haden knocking a pass down or Paul Kruger getting a huge sack, they just get it done.
This team doesn’t have Braylon Edwards or Kellen Winslow to spread the offense out as they did back then, but the combination of Miles Austin, Andrew Hawkins, Travis Benjamin, Taylor Gabriel and a healthy Jordan Cameron have made up for the production they had and this is without Josh Gordon.
It has been exciting football all year besides the bad loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and the close loses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ravens. The wins have not been the blowouts that most fans and media types felt that they would be, nor have they been the prettiest but it is still a “W’ in the win-loss column and that is all that counts in the end. However, some fans around the city have treated the last two weeks as losses. It is painstakingly obviously that Alex Mack is missed by the offensive line. Camerons presence is also missed as he spreads the offense out and Gordon has been needed all season. The defensive line has been banged up and inconsistent for most of the year. Amid all of this, they are still two games over .500 and are winning!
Que the “Only in Cleveland” saying with finally having a winning team after going 22-57 in sevens years and still not being satisfied because they aren’t playing up to the expectations of some people. I am sure that the Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville would trade records with the Browns in a heartbeat if they could. Some could say that on paper we are better than these teams considering how tough we played against the New Orleans Saints, Steelers and Ravens but this is still the NFL. These are supposedly the greatest players in the world and on any given Sunday David can beat Goliath. The one person getting the most criticism, as expected, is Brian Hoyer.
Nov 2, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden (23) celebrates with fans after the game between the Cleveland Browns and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns beat the Buccaneers 22-17. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
More from Factory of Sadness
- Bet $1 on ANYTHING to Unlock $200 Guaranteed with Crazy Bet365 Ohio Promo!
- 3 reasons why the Cleveland Cavaliers have a good shot to win the East next year
- It might be too soon to say it but it looks like the Cleveland Guardians are back
- Are the Cleveland Browns a Top 10 roster heading into the 2023 season?
- Eastern Conference Solidarity: Back the Heat with $5 Bet, Win $200 Bonus INSTANTLY with DraftKings Promo
He will never be Peyton Manning or Aaron Rodgers but he gets the job done when it counts the most. In his last two games he has thrown for 575 yards and three touchdowns with a QBR of 91.9. His average QBR this year has been 90.3. He hasn’t looked as solid and confident as he has in for the first three games of the season but he is getting wins and that is what matters. That doesn’t mean much to others though. Some still would rather see Johnny Manziel out there running for his life against defenders and possibly burying this team back in the basement of the division.
He has even mentioned how he was not yet comfortable with the playbook. This was obvious when Jon Gruden quizzed him on one of the plays and it took him over a minute to realize what it was being ran. It would be foolish to make a knee-jerk change as that due to how a players performance looks during games. If he somehow throws one touchdown and three interceptions and they win against the Bengals, i’ll take it. I don’t have to see a five touchdown, 456 yard game to be satisfied. I want to be 6-3 and playing for the division title at the end of the year. Be happy that this team is where it’s at this year. Nobody in the country had the Browns being close to a contender and they are. Stop complaining and whining and enjoy the ride this team is taking to a potential playoff berth. Finally have an optimistic view instead of the pessimistic one we’ve all had since 1999. The best is yet to come.
(Ediotr’s Note: Jay gives you a long look at why we need to be happy as Browns fans. Our Voice of the Fan feels the opposite. See who you agree with.)