The 1-2 start isn’t what any Browns fan wanted to see. All of the excitement and hype from the offseason has largely gone away. It has not gone as well as hoped, that’s for sure.
But hope is far from gone. In fact, there are plenty of reasons to still believe in these Browns and their ability to achieve the wide-held goals of 2019, namely a playoff berth and an AFC North title.
Really.
After three games, these are some of the top reasons why I’m still confident in the Browns this year and why you should still not abandon hope for a brighter season ahead.
Myles Garrett is dominating
Now in his third season, Garrett has elevated his game into being one of the most fearsome pass rushing threats in the NFL.
Garrett has five sacks, good for 2nd in the NFL. He’s also emerged as one of the most productive pass rushers, reliably getting to the opposing QB and disrupting the offense. According to Pro Football, Garrett ranks 8th in rush productivity.
Even better, he’s doing it from both sides. Garrett is getting an almost equal number of snaps from the left and right sides of the formation. His versatility is a major problem for offenses. His personal fouls give him an added element of scariness, too.
The AFC North is terrible
This Sunday’s game against the Ravens is for first place in the division. Baltimore is 2-1 after a setback loss to the Chiefs. If the Browns win, they’re sitting atop the division by owning the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Pittsburgh and Cincinnati are playing on Monday Night Football this week. The winner will improve to 1-3, the loser will be 0-4. Given how those teams have played thus far, neither is apt to catch the Browns from behind even if Cleveland loses at Baltimore.
Outside the division, the AFC just isn’t very good. It’s top-heavy, which means there are opportunities for the Browns to earn a Wild Card once they start playing a little better.
This is the current AFC standings top to bottom, courtesy of NFLGSIS:
Of course the Browns will have to string together some wins, but they are still well-positioned in the playoff race.
The defense is deeply talented
Playing on national television in Week 3 against the defending NFC champion Rams, the Browns defense played without five starters. While there were some gaffes, a patchwork secondary and rookie LB Mack Wilson started and played reasonably well in the loss.
Players like Eric Murray, Terrance Mitchell and Juston Burris are experienced depth with starting experience. Sure, they’re not Denzel Ward or Damarious Randall as talents, but they’re good enough to capably fill in for a start here and there or a handful of series throughout a game and not hurt the team.
The defensive line rotation is stronger than it has been in years. Devaroe Lawrence and Daniel Ekuale are both capable of playing more significant roles. The Browns don’t need them to, however; Larry Ogunjobi and Sheldon Richardson are one of the NFL’s better starting tandems already after just three games together. Even Chad Thomas has flashed some ability as a reserve EDGE.
The NFL is often a war of attrition. The Browns defense has more capable reserves than most teams do, and that can only help over the remaining 14 weeks. Other teams are not so fortunate.
Baker Mayfield will get better
One of the biggest reasons for the slow start has been Mayfield’s poor play. No. 6 is holding the ball too long, seeing ghosts in the pocket and not seeing the field as well as he’s done for, well, pretty much his entire football life.
The Baker Mayfield we’ve been watching is not the same Mayfield who dazzled the league a season ago. The guy who set the NFL rookie passing TD record in just 13 games. The one who showed vision, precision and a swaggering killer instinct that made fans around the world buy his jersey.
That Baker isn’t gone. He’s just missing. We’ve seen glimpses of him, like the quick slant to Odell Beckham Jr. against the Jets or the TD strike to Demetrius Harris versus the Rams. When he trusts his first read or operates an RPO, Mayfield still looks very much like the player who was one of the top 10 in MVP odds over the summer.
Mayfield is too talented to continue playing so poorly. His supporting cast is too. There will always be some bumps in his road. Mayfield is a risk-taker, after all. But he will get past this rough patch soon enough.
The special teams are great
For years the special teams have been a dark place for the Browns. Not anymore.
With a rookie punter and rookie kicker, with two no-name gunners on the coverage units and a smart, verbose coordinator, the Browns special teams have quickly emerged as one of the NFL’s best.
Austin Seibert is a perfect 5-for-5 on field goals, with a long of 48 yards. He has missed an extra point but it was an inconsequential one in the Week 1 loss.
Jamie Gillan won AFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 2 for his magnificent punting. The “Scottish Hammer” has been very effective at not allowing returns and pinning opponents deep in their own territory.
The coverage units have been very good. Special teams coach Mike Priefer gushed over Tavierre Thomas and KhaDarel Hodge and their coverage ability recently, and he’s not just blowing hot air. They’ve been fantastic.
The Browns rank 3rd in Football Outsiders special teams DVOA. Last year they finished 31st.
Back to underdog status
One of the lessons of the early season is that the Browns probably weren’t ready to be the hunted just yet. Now that America is back to doubting the Browns, they’re back in the more familiar and comfortable role of hunter.
That’s right. The chip of disrespect is back on Cleveland’s shoulder. Baker Mayfield wears that chip as well as anyone. It’s where Freddie Kitchens is comfortable, too. They feed on the doubt. They thrive on the outside looking down at them.
It was fun having orange (and brown) being the new black all summer. It was also a little awkward for a Browns team that had not proven anything yet. Now the team is right back where it wants to be, out to prove everyone wrong.
