Browns: Case Keenum can’t replace Baker Mayfield and Cleveland may be in trouble

Baker Mayfield is out, Case Keenum is in, and the Browns are in trouble.

It’s time to sound the alarms. The Browns are officially in trouble. Baker Mayfield’s completely torn labrum has taken its toll and Kevin Stefanski only has himself to blame. Cleveland is without their franchise quarterback and now must rely on veteran journeymen Case Keenum. A quarterback that’s so bad he’s living off of his legacy season from five years ago.

Mayfield was told by the team and personal doctors to not play this week. Season-ending surgery is very possible and very heartbreaking. While his touchdowns weren’t a great figure, he was as accurate and effective as ever, and that was while playing with a partially torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder for three and a half games out of five. Well, two and a half, the last game he completely tore the labrum and dislocated his shoulder entirely.

All because Kevin Stefanski woke up thinking “No tackles, why not run an empty set package for most of the game?! BRILLIANT!” Well, that brilliant game plan may have ruined the season. Good call Stefanski.

Now the Browns are relying on Keenum and some people are buying the hype. The stale, past its sell-by, disproven hype.

Case Keenum can manage the Browns but nothing more

One can’t see the future, but he can expect it. So expect the Browns to be nerfed offensively. Keenum’s starting at quarterback, D’Ernest Johnson and Johnny Stanton are your two lead backs. Most of the other injured players on the Browns are day-to-day for the most part. So this could be a wildly awful, or wholly impressive day. It all depends on how much faith Stefanski puts into the running game.

Bill Callahan has created the best run-blocking scheme in football and many, myself included, feel that his system is good enough to make the most average running back look productive. So the Browns need to put that theory to test on Thursday.

More so, to rely on Keenum the way Stefanski relied on Mayfield is only going to lead to disaster.

Taking out the one year of success in Minnesota, when Stefanski wasn’t even calling plays, Keenum has completed just 60.69% of his passes. He doesn’t have a big arm and is generally a losing quarterback. In the six seasons where he had five starts or more, he’s only had two winning records. His stint in Denver is even more telling, as he had a great defense and four really impressive playmakers on offense.

Yet, he went 6-10.

If the Browns had a healthy Nick Chubb, Jarvis Landry, Jedrick Wills, Kareem Hunt, and Jack Conklin, plus David Njoku, Austin Hooper, and Odell Beckham performing far more consistently, the idea of Keenum coming in for a few weeks would be acceptable.

That’s not the case, however. The Browns are in dire need at the moment with half of their offense hurt. Keenum has never shown to be the guy and his greatest claim to fame, that miraculous catch in the 2016 playoffs, was far more luck than anything else.

Luck has defined Keenum’s career but the Browns may be all out of it. The team can’t afford a loss to the Broncos but with Mayfield out and for who knows how long, the team may be done in their chase for a playoff bid.

But on the bright side, if Keenum stinks up the joint, then maybe the Browns realize how lucky they are to have Mayfield and pay him.