This off week is most welcome for the Browns. They need it after taking a real butt-whippin' last week at home against the Ravens. Now two weeks to prepare for maybe the NFL's best team right now, the 49ers.
Last weeks loss was understandable with your QB out on very short notice and a tough opponent in town from your division. But being non-competitive was inexcusable. Last weeks loss was an organizational loss and on Stefanski as well. This organization off the field continues to make gigantic mistakes that come to roost. This off season they gutted the running back room which was a real strength and now is a liability. I wrote and warned against this here a couple weeks ago. But being fair, no one saw the Nick Chubb injury ahead - BUT you have to consider that possibility.
"The running back position has gone from the best and deepest in the NFL to a big question mark. Chubb is the best there is no doubt, but will they use him right? And a big injury there could be a huge problem." 9/10/23 (There Is No Excuse)
And they made a ridiculous decision to make their backup QB a rookie, never being on an NFL field. There is NO clear thinking that honestly believes a raw rookie QB could be effectively tossed into the fire of a team with the playoffs in mind. It's inexcusable and just - not near smart. I wrote about that too......
"They have a backup QB with ZERO NFL experience. OK, if Watson gets really hurt the competitive season is over. But asking a rookie to win you games for maybe a month or so if you need to is a very big ask." 9/10/23 (There Is No Excuse)
Well the last couple of weeks was the wake up call this team needed, but I'm not sure they heard. These and other off season decisions are ones that kill a team regardless of who else is left on the field. They have signed Kareem Hunt a fan favorite, but honestly - that's what was out there. They can't really trade and sign a big time running back because they have no real draft capital to trade, still having one more year to clear out the Watson deal. They seemed to get it right with the new kicker and I'm glad to see this. But many other choices are just awful. These are NOT choices made by top shelf teams that have big dreams. And this franchise still takes no accountability for many of these sophomoric decisions.
Stafanski put DTR in a no win situation, but had no choice. Clearly he was not ready, but was asked to throw almost 40 passes in an important game - that was just clownish and on the coach. They were out manned, out coached, out prepared and in the end, out classed by a far better run organization. Who by the way had a TON of injuries themselves. Both losses this year are by far better run teams. Now here comes the best team in the NFL.
After this game the Browns will end that early season schedule that so many were whining about. Tough teams, blah blah.... I think it was a gift to them they have not taken advantage of. 4 of the first 5 games at home. The Bengals were hurt, the Steelers are not real good right now, the Titans were average and we had them at home, and the Ravens were at home. Then two weeks off to prepare for the 49ers. Now with Watson hurting no one is whining about the early season schedule now. I never understood the problem with a lot of home games at the start against good teams. I mean, what's the problem?
Next week is not a must win. It's far to early for that, but falling to 2-3 after all that home schedule would be an opportunity missed. The good news there are some very winnable games up the road and it's their job to get that done.
To get where you want to go, you need to do what first class organizations do. Have the right people in the right place at the right time, getting football right.
Football people win football games - and football titles
GO BROWNS!
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