Four Cleveland Browns Who Struggled In Week 2

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Aug 13, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns center Alex Mack (55) in a preseason NFL football game at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

2. Has Alex Mack Opted Out Already?

Al Woods. Those are two nouns that Alex Mack will never forget for the rest of his career.He is probably having nightmares about Woods as I’m writing this column. I don’t remember a game in which Mack played this atrocious. He had no answer all game for Woods. It seemed like every other play he was in the backfield and blowing Mack off the ball which is something Browns fans haven’t seen. Woods is an average DT/NT, he is not the second coming of Vince Wilfork or Kris Jenkins.

So what is going on with Mack?

Many are saying that he hasn’t fully recovered from his broken left fibula injury from last season. Some are saying that he has already “checked out” and is ready to move on from the Browns. Whatever the reason, he has looked terrible in both games. Cam Erving, who is potentially his replacement, has been used more as an eligible receiver than on the offensive line–so nobody knows if he can takeover center duties full-time.

Just a year ago, Alex went into the season as the best center in the NFL or at least within the division and he has yet to show that. A prime example is the the way Isaiah Crowell ran today. All his runs were toss sweeps and a few draws between the guard and tackle. Not one play was a draw up the middle which was due to the struggles of Mack. It won’t get any easier for him next week either. He’ll be going up against 330lb Dan Williams and 334lb Justin Ellis. Will he be able to keep these guys out of the backfield? We’ll definitely find out. And if he can’t, then I think the Browns have a serious problem on their hands.

"Alex Mack"

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