New Orleans Saints knock the Cleveland Browns out of the playoff race for good.
The Cleveland Browns and the New Orlean Saints somehow had an even uglier game this week, than the Browns had last week against the Baltimore Ravens. Last week was due to bad quarterback play, and uninspiring offenses. This week, the weather had a lot to say as the Saints down the Browns 17-10, eliminating the Browns from playoff contention.
For an idea of how bad the weather was, the Browns stadium looked like it never exceeded 2/5 capacity all game. Considering how cold the weather was, no one should blame those who didn’t show up. The NFL should’ve moved the game, and not made everyone suffer.
The weather for most of the game was near zero, and with the wind chill, was far under zero. That type of weather is never advantageous for good offensive production. Not only is the ball stiffer and harder to catch, but the wind also affects balls thrown or kicked too far. Sometimes the wind will take it with it even further, a good thing for punts but other times the wind will slap the ball and alter its trajectory.
Sometimes by a lot, other times by enough, but either way it hurts the offense. It also hurts the special teams as well, with kicking not being an option in a lot of instances. This forces the Browns and head coach Kevin Stefanski to alter how they call games. Granted, the man has an issue kicking field goals in good weather, but in this weather, his hesitance is justified.
That doesn’t mean the Browns didn’t play badly at times. Despite feeding Nick Chubb a lot, the Browns’ offensive line could not get Chubb the same kind of production. Chubb averaged just 3.8 yards per carry. This was with Ethan Pocic returning to the team.
And while we all agree the winter weather affected performance to a degree, it’s also fair to point out that the embattled Deshaun Watson was anything but good. He held onto the ball too long, overthrew more than a few passes, and was unable to match the Saints’ output.
It’d be one thing if Watson couldn’t move the ball at all through the air. But the thing is, there were a few plays he looked really good. He got the ball to several key receivers, especially on the final drive, highlighting the fact that he could in fact make plays in the weather.
I’d be more inclined to give Watson the benefit of the doubt that it was all the weather’s fault for his poor play if we hadn’t seen Watson play just like this in prior games.
Now, he wasn’t helped out at all by his receivers. Amari Cooper dropped a touchdown pass, and Donovan Peoples-Jones was nowhere to be seen. David Njoku had a predictable drop in the clutch, and David Bell may have been the reason for Watson’s interception. Though one could also argue the ball was off the mark as well.
If he had looked bad all game, you can easily say it was the weather, but that wasn’t the case, so he doesn’t get to use that as an excuse. He’s got to start playing better, no more excuses.
3 Good
Reggie Ragland steps up
Now, I’d rather have four tackles for a loss than 10 tackles four yards downfield, but considering this was Reggie Ragland’s first real action with the Browns since being signed, you gotta respect the guy for leading the team in tackles on his first day.
The Defense
They only gave up 12 points. Considering they haven’t been great at times this year, especially against the run, they really did do a great job. The Saints only scored twice, and considering how bad the run defense has been, this very easily could’ve been a blowout with how often the Saints ran the ball. We talked last week about how the Ravens lost because they stopped running the ball, so clearly, the Browns’ defense was adequately tested.
The Special Teams
The Browns’ special teams did play pretty well, despite the hazardous weather. He only had one kick, but Cade York nailed it. Considering the Browns’ home stadium is arguably the worst stadium to kick in across the entire league, that’s something to applaud. The same goes for Corey Bojorquez, who also showed up big despite the weather. The wind is stronger in the endzone than it is in the center of the field, but it still can affect punts, so it was good to see both of the team’s kickers do their job. Donovan Peoples-Jones and Jerome Ford also looked very good returning the ball, and both made it seem like they could break out at some point.
3 Bad
Kevin Stefanski’s play calling
The Cleveland Browns need a new play-caller. The Browns over-relied on passing the ball, 31 times, in a game where the cold and wind made it harder to be effective. To make matters worse, Stefanski unintentionally made things harder on the team. On three straight occasions, Stefanski would call a pass play on 2nd-and-not-so-long, only for the pass to fall incomplete, setting up a third and long. This happened three times in a row, and for a man who went to an Ivy League school, you have to wonder how he could be so bad at using common sense. If the weather is bad, you run the ball as often as possible until you have no choice.
It’s not rocket science.
Myles Garrett makes no impact
The Browns’ “best” defensive player, Myles Garrett, had just three tackles on the day. None of them was for a loss. Granted the Saints only threw 15 times today, but Garrett is supposedly a “Defensive Player of the Year candidate”, according to some fans, and he made zero plays against the Saints today. Believe me, if it wasn’t for his contract, I wouldn’t hold him to such a standard but he has that contract. This means he doesn’t get the same excuses that other guys would get. If he’s going to be called an all-time great, he has to play like it far more consistently than he does.
The NFL failed to use common sense
The game was below zero with wind chill, and the elements absolutely affected the play to some degree. The NFL should have moved the game due to the conditions, because not only are you going to have an awful and ugly game, but you’re risking the health of the players. You can only be so tough before mother nature wins. This was the third coldest game in Browns’ history, and it really didn’t have to be.