The Cleveland Browns somehow pulled out a victory on Sunday afternoon, defeating the Green Bay Packers 13-10. The low-scoring affair bolstered the conversation about the Browns' defense being among the best in the league, despite issues at corner, but also encouraged discourse over what issues plague the offense. Joe Flacco was anything but helpful against the Packers' stout defense, and the receivers continue to prove their worth, or lack thereof, in helping win games.
Yet, a lot of the passing woes can be attributed to timing. Flacco, who's slower than a stationary boulder, was on the run a lot, forcing him to rush throws, or throw underneath in hopes of getting something, anything that looks like positive yards. The Browns offense doesn't have the time necessary to do anything beyond a three-stop drop or a short pass out of shotgun.
The Browns' offensive line is a disaster right now. Especially at the tackle positions. While Joe Bitonio is cementing his Hall of Fame career with a spectacular season and Wyatt Teller is still playing at a high level, just about every other player on the offensive line is underperforming.
According to PFF, Ethan Pocic, the team's starting center, is struggling to open up holes for the running game, posting a grade of 60.0 for the Browns' running game. He's not the biggest issue, but he is an issue. No, the biggest issues remain at tackle, where Jack Conklin, Dawand Jones, Cornelius Lucas, and KT Leveston continue to struggle against any and all opposition.
Even interior O-lineman Luke Wypler has been used at tackle in some packages due to the lack of reliable blocking from the position. Much like his teammates, he's struggled out there. The Browns succeeded in moving the ball on the ground, but only because the duo of Teller and Bitonio is able to move guys off the line of scrimmage and open up holes still.
If it weren't for them, this offense would be truly awful. Everything in football starts and ends at the line. If you have a bad defensive or offensive line, you will have a bad unit. The Browns are witnessing that in real time. Their defensive line is on fire, while their offensive line is embracing the term 'offensive' to all of its literal conclusions.
The Browns are not a bad team, and while they lack talent at wide receiver, they are good enough to make the playoffs. They just have to invest in the offensive line. If they don't, it doesn't matter if it's Flacco, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, Josh Allen, or Lamar Jackson behind it; the offense won't produce.
No quarterback can produce when you're running less than two seconds after you snap the ball. It may seem antithetical to the direction the team is going, but the team may want to bring back Jedrick Wills. Otherwise, they are just going to waste a year of potential.