Five Cleveland Browns whose stock are down after Week 1 Ravens stinker.
The Cleveland Browns lost another season opener, a tradition like none other that makes everyone in Cleveland want to lose their stomach.
To make matters worse, the Browns didn’t just lose to the Ravens, they got spanked, losing 38-7. In the past two season openers, the Browns have been outscored 81-19!
Fortunately, it’s just one game and Browns fans had a hunch their beloved orange helmets would come up short against a team many are picking to challenge the Chiefs for the AFC championship.
That said, we didn’t think it was going to be the gory, alas, the Browns never disappoint.
If you want to take some positives away from this game, the Browns offense looked somewhat improved in the early going–before Kevin Stefanski channeled Freddie Kitchens and forgot to give Nick Chubb the ball.
However, whatever semblance of improvement the Bowns were showing on offense evaporated when the team fell from behind. Knowing the Browns were going to pass while down big, Baltimore’s defense basically teed off on Cleveland’s newly reconstructed offensive line.
Hopefully things turn around, but for now, Week 1 was bad and these five players saw their stocks take a dive.
1. OBJ
Odell Beckham was targeted 10 times and caught just three passes for 22 yards. He didn’t get a target until the second quarter.
When the Browns tried to force feed him the ball, the offense grinned to screeching halt.
When Beckham did catch the ball, he was a detriment to his teammates. On his first catch, he was flagged for a face mask on a play that maybe went for a yard. The flag moved the Browns back 15 yards and the team proceeded to go full-blown Browns, moving backwards until they had no choice to punt on 4th and 41.
The Browns were humming on the drive, which was sparked by a forced fumble by Larry Ogunjobi inside Cleveland’s red zone and Beckham submarined it with a penalty that could’ve been avoided.
Alas, that wasn’t even the biggest gaffe of his day. OBJ, the supposed superstar receiver, dropped a huge pass on 3rd and 2. A catch would’ve given the Browns a chance for a touchdown. Instead, Cleveland settles for a field goal attempt, which Austin Seibert botched. With 38 seconds to go, Lamar Jackson put the exclamation on OBJ’s non-play by leading Baltimore to a TD.
That, ladies and gentlemen, was the ball game.
2. Andrew Sendejo
Andrew Sendejo isn’t supposed to be starting at free safety, but with an injury to Grant Delpit, the veteran is being pressed into a lot of action and he looks every bit of being 32 years old.
Notably, Sendejo got torched on a pass from Lamar Jackson to Marquise Brown in the first quarter. Later on, Senedjo’s play reminded us of the Cleveland’s long history of being unable to cover tight ends.
Jackson completed a beauty to Mark Andrews in the third quarter, and it’s like Sendejo never saw it coming.
This isn’t to put all the burden on Sendejo, as Jackson did whatever he wanted to against Cleveland’s defense. Denzel Ward noticeably got burned a couple times, while the Ravens made it point to attack the linebackers and secondary. Does anyone remember B.J. Goodson doing anything?
Makes you wish Joe Schobert was still here, who by the way, is 1-0 with the Jaguars after Week 1 action.
Additionally, Sendejo was the protector who got blown up on the fake punt. It was a terrible play call and as proved on the field, executed poorly.
3. Austin Seibert
Can the Cleveland Browns play a season opener without making an atrocity out of their kicking game.
For the third year in a row, kicking, or lack there of, played a big role in the Browns demise.
Austin Seibert missed an extra point following the Browns’ first score, which conjured memories of last year’s opener, when he doinked that first PAT off the upright.
He then proceeded to miss a field goal that should’ve been a gimme. The miss deflated the team and gave way to Lamar Jackson, who marched the Ravens down the field for a touchdown in less than 40 seconds.
I don’t think the Browns would switch kickers on a short week, but Cleveland does have Cody Parkey on it’s practice squad. Parkey of course, has played for the Browns and notably missed a game winner against the Dolphins a few years back.
4. Baker Mayfield
Six points in the opener…it’s bad. Real bad, and being a “young quarterback” can’t be an excuse. Josh Allen threw for 312 yards and put up 27 for Buffalo. Lamar looked like he could do anything he wanted against the Browns en route to putting up 38. Heck even Sam Darnold and the hapless Jets scored 17.
The Browns were selling a Mayfield who would be fixed under Kevin Stefanski, and that may well end up being the case. It’s one game, but it was ugly. There were tipped passes, multiple throwaways, missed receivers and even an overthrow of Beckham.
When under pressure, Mayfield was 2-of-10 for 25 yards and sacked twice. In a clean pocket, the former No. 1 pick was 19-of-34 for 164 yards, according to PFF.
Nothing will change regarding Mayfield’s status, but efforts like this will accrue and have his career trending the wrong way.
5. Kevin Stefanski
Kevin Stefanski’s debut as head coach of the Cleveland Browns felt like a Freddie Kitchens coached game.
Stefanski quite on the running game as soon as the Browns were down 10-0. Nick Chubb had 10 carries. That simply can’t be the case. Kitchens failed when he operated this way, and Stefanski will as well if he doesn’t change.
The Browns offense actually looked decent, until Stefanski and/or Baker started forcing the ball to OBJ. The effort into get No. 13 the rock took everyone else out of the game. Chubb disappeared, as did Jarvis Landry, who was actually catching the ball, had to take a backseat to Beckham. Plus, despite all the talk about getting the balls to tight ends, Cleveland really didn’t make a concerted effort to do so.
Big free-agent signing Austin Hooper had two catches for two yards. Rookie Harrison Bryant caught one pass on two targets. David Njoku of all people had the best game, catching a 1-yard touchdown pass.
All-in-all, and Stefanski’s tight ends had seven total targets.
Is the burden of calling plays going too much for a first-year head coach? It’s a question that will continue to be asked if the Browns don’t improve, quickly.