Week 5 of the 2023 NFL season is here and four teams are already on their bye, including the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland heads into its bye week following a disappointing 28-3 loss to the rival Baltimore Ravens that saw Kevin Stefanski's team drop to 2-2 — good for third in the AFC North.
The Browns are far from a perfect team, meaning the bye week must be used to iron out any kinks. The San Francisco 49ers come to town in Week 6 and we can't afford to start that game flat-footed.
With the fanbase looking for answers as to how the team can bounce back, here are four burning questions that Cleveland must answer during its bye week.
4 Browns Bye Week Burning Questions
1. How Healthy is Deshaun Watson?
After a disappointing start to the 2023 campaign, Deshaun Watson looked more like himself in Week 3. He completed 81.8% of passes for 289 yards and a pair of TDs, playing a big role in the Browns' 27-3 win over the Tennessee Titans.
Fans wanted to see more of the same last week, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. Although he was medically cleared to face the Ravens, Watson opted to sit out due to a shoulder injury that he suffered against the Titans.
That begs the question: how healthy is Watson?
On one hand, the fact that he was medically cleared is encouraging on paper. On the flip side, Watson knows his body better than anyone else and the fact that he didn't feel comfortable playing does raise some red flags.
Hopefully, the bye week is all Watson needs to put his shoulder injury in the rearview. Even if he isn't consistently putting up 300-yard games anymore, he's still a significant upgrade over backup QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson. We need Watson on the field to make the playoffs.
Hopefully Cleveland fans get some clarity in the coming days about whether Watson's injury is serious or not. We can't afford to head into Week 6 with that situation looming over us.
2. Will Andrew Berry Upgrade the WR Room?
The Browns' wide receiver room has left much to be desired since Week 1.
We just aren't getting much production from the position. We're a run-first team, but the fact that no one is producing outside of Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore is alarming. After all, they account for 50.9% of the team's receiving yards.
Even then, Cooper is the only Cleveland WR that's been consistently producing. Moore is only on pace for 629 receiving yards without a touchdown — hardly WR2 numbers. On top of that, there isn't a Browns wideout outside of the duo that's hit the 100-yard mark yet.
That's without mentioning that Cooper is our only wide receiver with a touchdown in 2023.
So yeah, some serious improvements must be made during the bye week. Whether that's swinging a trade for a difference-making wideout (Davante Adams, Mike Evans, etc.) or figuring out new ways to get our WRs involved, something must change.
Nick Chubb's season-ending MCL/ACL injuries mean better production from our pass-catchers is a must. If that issue goes unaddressed, competing with the AFC's top offenses will only be tougher.
3. Can the Run Game Be Fixed?
Speaking of Chubb, it isn't a surprise that our run game has suffered without him.
In the two games that Chubb took part in, Cleveland racked up 404 rushing yards and 2 TDs on 75 carries. In the two contests without our No. 1 RB, we've accumulated a measly 171 yards with 1 touchdown across 56 carries.
Heading into the bye week, the Browns are averaging only 4.4 yards per carry (No. 13) compared to 5.0 at this point last season (No. 8).
At the end of the day, Cleveland's RBs just aren't producing enough to win football games. I know the likes of Pierre Strong, Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt aren't on Chubb's level, but that doesn't excuse the fact that they must be better.
Stefanski needs to find a way to switch up his play-calling, because a lack of run success is a key reason why the Browns only crossed the 50-yard line three times against the Ravens. Or maybe offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt needs a new role, because whatever he's scheming hasn't been producing results.
The run game is a huge part of Cleveland's identity, but if the Browns can't figure out how to adapt to life without Chubb, our outlook doesn't look very promising.
4. How Does GM Berry Plan on Fixing the O-Line?
Before the 2023 NFL season began, a lot of experts and fans alike saw Cleveland as having one of the better offensive lines in the league.
As the last four weeks have revealed, that's far from the case. When it comes to offensive line stats, here's how the Browns rank in the following categories:
- Sacks allowed: 16 (T-4th-most)
- QB hits allowed: 14 (T-10th-most)
- Pressures allowed: 39 (T-9th-most)
The lackluster O-line play has also resulted in Cleveland averaging just 3.1 rushing yards per carry since Week 3. The only team averaging fewer yards per carry during that span is the winless Carolina Panthers at 2.8 — hardly the type of company you want to be associated with.
The injury bug has also made it tough to have faith in our frontline. Jack Conklin and Dawson Deaton are still on the IR while Drew Forbes is still on the NFI list. Starting center Ethan Pocic exited the loss to the Ravens with a knee injury and while he isn't expected to miss time, there's no telling if his knee will be a lingering issue as the season continues.
Whether we're talking about the passing or rushing game, a strong offensive line is paramount to putting up points. If the Browns can't figure out the situation over the next week, it's only going to be harder to turn things around deeper in the season.
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