Analytics fail the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 loss to Steelers

The Cleveland Browns went all in on analytics, so when the team doesn’t produce and the analytics fail, it’s worth pointing out what went wrong.

1. Kenny Britt rated as one of the worst receivers in football. Pro Football Focus rated 85 receivers in Week 1, and Britt was the 79th.

He was targeted just three times and had one catch. He’ll be most remembered for being wide open and dropping a DeShone Kizer pass. The drop let the air the air out of first energy stadium.

And the play the Browns’ front office consider his equal, Terrelle Pryor, didn’t far that much better in his Redskins debut according to the analytics. Pryor rated 68th in Week 1.

If you want to look past the analytics, Pryor at least contributed in Washington, catching six passes for 66 yards.

2. At center, the Browns can’t put the blame on Cameron Erving any longer. They replaced him with J.C. Tretter, and the first-year Brown had a forgettable day.

DeShone Kizer got sacked seven times, and while Tretter can’t be held responsible for everything takedown, there’s no bones about it, he didn’t play well.

Of the eligible centers PFF ranked, Tretter was dead last, coming in 27th overall. The website gave him very low marks for pass blocking.

3. The money the franchise delivered to Kevin Zeitler appeared to be worth it, as the free agent signing ranked 10th among guards.

4. Just Joe Thomas ranked well blocking the run, and that’s to be expected from the future Hall of Famer. PFF’s reviews deemed Zeitler and Shone Coleman were just average, while Joel Bitonio and Tretter received low marks.

How much blame can you put on an offensive line though, when the team consistently hands the ball off from the shotgun formation?

5. I’ve written a little about Jamar Taylor‘s emergence as the team’s No. 1 corner, and now I’m worried.

True, Taylor’s not the last corner Antonio Brown is going to make look foolish this season, but a lot of fans are wondering if Joe Haden would’ve done at least a little better in stopping the best receiver in game.

Taylor’s got a great story. He was a high second round pick who was written off in Miami and traded to football siberia. He had a great 2016 season and earned a three-year contract.

He’s now a captain and someone the Browns will rely on heavily.

It’s that last sentence that worries me. It’s forgotten that Taylor really thrived as a slot covering corner last season.

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In Miami, Taylor covered slot receivers just five percent of the time and he rated as one of PFF’s worst corners with a 32.8 rating.

When he came to Cleveland, he covered the slot on 32 percent of his snaps. He excelled at shutting down slants and crossing routes.

But now that he’s on the outside, he’s got to go deep, and his pass interference penalty against Brown during the first half was one of the biggest setbacks of the contest.

6.Briean Boddy-Calhoun moved to the slot and was credited for having a stellar performance, allowing just one reception for six yards.

7.Emmanuel Ogbah spent Week 1 much like he did Training Camp, playing the role of the invisible man. Ogbah rated 64th and the 75 edge rushers ranked.

You’d think Carl Nassib would’ve ranked higher, but he got low marks from PFF, ranking 60th overall.

Next: Lessons learned against the Steelers

If you revert to the eye test, Nassib had a much better day, and even collected a sack.

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Analytics not kind to Cleveland Browns in Week 1 loss to Steelers

By Nick Dudukovich | Sep 11, 2017

The Cleveland Browns went all in on analytics, so when the team doesn’t produce and the analytics fail, it’s worth pointing out what went wrong.

More from Factory of Sadness