Browns stave off Ravens, 4th quarter offense can’t be this bad

The Cleveland Browns outlasted the Ravens for a critical Week 14 win, keeping the franchise’s playoff hopes alive.

Getting the seventh-victory of the season, was more heart-attack inducing than it should been, though, with Kevin Stefanski’s offense producing a grand total of zero points in the second half.

Take a deep dive into the stats, and it shouldn’t be all that surprising, considering Cleveland’s opponents have scored 105 points in the fourth quarter, while the Browns have managed a measly 52.

To add some more stink to that number, the Browns have just seven, I repeat, SEVEN, fourth quarter points since their Week 6 loss to the Chargers.

That’s a number you’d associate with the Browns of 1999-2019–not a group picked by many to make the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Alas, here we are. A win’s a win. I’ll never take ’em for granted. Maybe we just need to accept that if this team wins, they’re going to win ugly.

Browns can’t score in the 4th

1. Baker Mayfield was good enough in the first half. He made some key throws, but let’s be real, the Browns best offensive play call was to draw pass interference calls. No complaints here, as the ghost of Paul Brown knows the Browns have been haunted by whistles that favor the other team.

2. Did you watch the Cincinnati-49ers game? At the end, both of those quarterbacks got it done.. First, Joe Burrow brought his team back from a 20-6 second-half deficit. Then, Jimmy G put his team into field goal position with a shot to win.

In overtime, Burrow got his team three points. Jimmy G one-upped him, throwing the game-winning touchdown pass.

3. I know, I know, McLaughlin shanked a field goal try in the second half, but the larger point is  franchise quarterbacks don’t manage offenses that muster just seven points in the fourth quarters of seven straight games.

4. No Baker bashing, here. I’m rooting for him, but let’s say the quarterback’s name was Luke McCown. We’d all be in the complaint line.

5. Stefanski threw the ball way too much. Running on the Ravens isn’t easy, but I would’ve liked to have seen Chubb hit 20 carries. D’Ernest Johnson looked like a problem for Baltimore as well.

6. Ultimately, the Browns offense produced 17 points. Scoring remains a problem, and with the team coming off a Bye, there doesn’t look to be remedy coming soon.