The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Browns beat themselves in demoralizing loss
Back in August, most Browns fans with even a slight knowledge of the last 20 years would have signed up for 5-3 at the bye. Yet the feeling today, especially in the locker room, is the record should be better than it is.
The Browns head to their week of rest and recuperation smarting from being outworked and out-desired by the Las Vegas Raiders, 16-6, on Nov. 1 at FirstEnergy Stadium.
All the momentum built from pulling out a 37-34 thriller in Cincinnati last week when Baker Mayfield threw five touchdown passes was blown away in the 35 mph gusts that whistled through the stadium along with the rain, sleet and snow that fell throughout much of the game.
The Browns lost the opener to the Ravens, 38-6, and they lost to the Steelers, 38-7, because those two teams were clearly superior. This time the Browns beat themselves.
“Not anywhere close to where we want to be,” Mayfield said on Zoom after the game.” We have a 5-3 record. It should be a lot better. We believe that. That’s why our locker room is pissed off.”
The Browns might have lost more than just a game. Defensive end Myles Garrett sustained a knee injury in the second quarter.
He returned after a medical examination. But he did not finish the game and was not on the field on a Raiders fourth quarter drive that lasted nearly nine minutes and ended with a 24-yard field goal by Daniel Carlson to expand the Vegas lead to 10 points. Garrett will have an MRI on Nov. 2.
“As long as I can walk on it or run on it, I’m going to try to play on it,” Garrett said. “No matter how it feels the next two weeks, I’ll try to be out there unless they make a point of holding me out.”
Fans who blame May
field (12-for-25, 122 yards) for the loss are picking low-hanging fruit. He got precious little support from his playmakers on offense.
The Browns lost because the defense couldn’t get off the field — three Las Vegas scoring drives each lasted more than eight minutes — and because the receivers, even sure-handed Jarvis Landry, could not hang onto the ball.
Landry dropped three or four passes, depending on how harshly one grades. One in the third quarter was ruled a touchdown, but the call was reversed when the play was reviewed and referee Bill Vinovich determined the ball hit the ground as
Landry dove in the end zone. Another pass hit him in the hands in the end zone in the fourth quarter, but the ball fell to the ground when he was hit viciously in the upper back by Raiders cornerback Lemarcus Joyner. No flag was thrown.
“I have very high expectations for Jarvis,” Coach Kevin Stefanski said. “He has tremendous ball skills. I think he’ll make those plays. I didn’t have a loss of any faith whatsoever in him. I think he’ll always tell you every ball that comes his way, he should catch. That’s just his mindset.”
Tight end David Njoku on third-and-8 dropped a pass that hit him squarely in the hands at mid
field with 13:20 left in the be one-and-done if they fourth quarter and the don’t stop opponents betRaiders up, 13-6. Of all ter on third down. the drops, Njoku’s was the The Raiders had the clearest because it was unball for nearly 38 minutes contested. (37:43 to be precise). The
A fumble by rookie tight Browns had only six posend Harrison Bryant at sessions — the fewest by the Vegas 32 ended the an NFL team in 30 years. Browns’ first drive. RunConversely, the Raiders ning back Kareem Hunt are just the third team in dropped a pass in the the last 25 years to have fourth quarter. three drives of longer than
Most of the offensive eight minutes in the same issues — although, I’m game. not sure about Njoku — The Raiders rushed 45 are fixable. Landry won’t times for 208 yards. The have the dropsies like he Browns knew what was did against the Raiders coming and it didn’t mat
ter.“Time of possession is and Hunt is usually surehanded.
The defense is another a great team stat,” Stefanmatter. The Browns are ski said. “Offensively, you currently the seventh playhave to possess it by susoff seed in the AFC despite taining drives, making losing to Vegas, but it will first downs on third down
or finding ways to just get first downs. Obviously, we didn’t do that on offense.
“We were just getting knocked back (on defense). Ultimately, we have to stop the run, whether we play shell or single high. They late in that game were running it. We knew they were running it and we weren’t able to stop it so that’s something we’ll look at long and hard to find a way to get better.”
The Browns’ next game is Nov. 15 at home against the Texans. A great deal of self-scouting is in store between now and then.