Losing every week gets mind-numbing
Coach, front office share blame for this dreadful 1-27 streak.
Two wins? CINCINNATI —
One win?
What’s the difference? The Cleveland Browns should just lose all their games to make sure they end up with the No. 1 pick, right?
If the NFL had nothing to do with people...
If this simply was a computer game...
Then the case for severe losing with no thought of winning could have some merit. Get the highest draft pick possible becomes the ultimate goal.
But after watching the Browns lose, 30-16, to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, I kept thinking, “What are these guys learning?”
The Browns have 21 draft picks on their 53-man roster from the last two seasons.
Toss in several others who were claimed on waivers or signed as undrafted free agents — and slightly more than half of their players have known nothing but losing since coming into the NFL.
OK, the players who were with the team in 2016 had one win.
But that’s it.
One win in the last 27 games.
The Browns players are learning a lot about Xs and Os. And they certainly have experienced how hard it is to win an NFL game.
But what they aren’t learning is how coaching and teaching can actually translate into victories.
Feeling frustrated
This is not about claiming the players have quit. I believe the majority do care.
After the game, Chris Kirk- sey gave a passionate speech to the team about not giving up.
He later talked to the media about “having (coach Hue Jackson’s) back.
At the age of 26 and with four years of experience, he qualifies as a veteran on this team.
The running game was much better and DeShone Kizer continues to show toughness.
But they also make so many “losing plays,” the kind of mistakes that haunt a team.
I t hink a bout yo u ng receiver Bryce Treggs being flagged for taunting when the ball wasn’t even thrown in his direction.
I think of Zane Gonzalez missing a 38-yard field goal. He is a mediocre 11-of-16 on field goals this season.
I think of Corey Coleman, who dropped a pass in the end zone. It was a perfect throw from DeShone Kizer. Coleman had a beautiful grab on a 44-yarder earlier in the game, but muffed the most important pass thrown to him.
I think of several dumb penalties at bad times. I think of the Browns still having trouble covering tight ends.
I think of rookie Myles Garrett making a key sack but young right tackle Shon Coleman flagged twice for holding.
I think of Briean B oddy-Calhoun having a chance at a game-changing intercep- tion. “I just dropped it,” the defensive back said, shaking his head.
I think of Kizer bouncing back from his four-turnover game last week with none this week. But he could only score one TD in four trips to the red zone
“It’s not about develop- ment anymore,” said Kizer. “Guys are putting their bodies on the line. They need to get rewarded (with a win).”
Off-the-field blame
The front office brought in some significant veterans: Kevin Zeitler, JC Tretter, Jamie Collins and Jason McCourty.
But veteran receiver Kenny Britt seemed disinterested from the moment he reported to training camp. Once in a while, he becomes engaged and does some- thing like when he caught a 38-yard pass Sunday. That’s not enough. A veteran quarterback would have helped the coaching staff as a viable alternative when Kizer played like an overwhelmed rookie.
The massive problems at quarterback and wide receiver have undercut progress made in other areas.
But the coaching has left a lot to be desired.
When some people want to blame the front office for the vast majority of all the problems, I’ll simply say this:
Chris Palmer had a 5-27 record in 1999-2000, the first two years of the expansion team. That was with a young and often overwhelmed Tim Couch at quarterback. It was with a roster that wasn’t necessarily superior to this group.
The inability to cover a tight end in the red zone is far more about coaching than moves by the front office. The same is true when Jackson becomes obsessed with passing so much.
The front office and coaching staff are both to blame, and it doesn’t help the situation when they are viewed separately.