The Cleveland Browns came up just short on Sunday night, falling to the Los Angeles Rams, 20-13. A last-gasp heave by a harassed Baker Mayfield was intercepted in the end zone, a fitting end to the game.
Nothing came easy for the Browns offense. The line struggled against Aaron Donald, which is perfectly understandable. But they also struggled against Dante Fowler and Michael Brockers. Those are good players but not typically impact talents, but they sure impacted what Mayfield and the Browns were trying to do.
Penalties remained an issue. A careless one wiped out a touchdown plunge by Nick Chubb; Odell Beckham Jr. did not stop his motion when he was aligned on the line before the snap. That sort of lack of attention to detail continues to plague Freddie Kitchens’ team.
At least the Browns still cashed that drive in for a TD. Mayfield made a smart, quick read and found Demetrius Harris for his first target of the night. The plays where Mayfield saw his first read and got the ball out, the offense looked potent and vibrant.
There just wasn’t enough of it.
The defense made some plays, including great takeaways from T.J. Carrie and Juston Burris. Playing without the entire starting secondary, the Browns defense was respectable. Two bad coverage gaffes, one from Carrie and one from Jermaine Whitehead, led to the only Rams’ touchdowns.
But Kitchens again did not have a good game. He needs an honest self-evaluation of his performance. So does Mayfield, who continues to hold the ball too long and throw fadeaways while falling to his right. Those must get fixed if this team is to remain relevant in the AFC playoff race.
