By: Andy Davies

Last season, the Cleveland Browns earned their first playoff appearance since the 2002 campaign and their first postseason win since New Year’s Day in 1995. 

As a result, they went into the 2021 season with plenty of hype. However, it hasn’t worked out like this. The team’s current record is 5-5 and they are in a division where every team has at least 5 wins. 

So, what has gone wrong for a team that many had down as AFC North division winners? Is there still a chance to win it?

Inconsistent Division

The short answer is yes, they can. The AFC North is fast becoming one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL, but no team has managed to get some sort of consistency. Baltimore Ravens fans will certainly tell you that. 

They had a 5-1 start, which included a 46-35 win over the reigning AFC Champions Kansas City Chiefs. The week after beating the Los Angeles Chargers 34-6, a team that many have as a Super Bowl dark horse, they lost 41-17 to division rivals the Cincinnati Bengals. On Thursday night, they lost 22-10 to the Miami Dolphins, who were 2-6 before the game. More worryingly for the Ravens, the Dolphins appeared to show the entire league the blueprint as to how to beat them. 

The Cincinnati Bengals were briefly top of the division just a matter of weeks ago but now sits in 3^rd place. We have seen the excitement of the Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase partnership but have equally seen the defense allow at least 34 points their last two games as they suffered defeats to the Browns and New York Jets.

There was a difficult start made by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Despite the surprise 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills in Week One, they lost their next three games to go 1-3. However, they have not lost a game since and now sit 5-3-1. Head coach Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season, but they still have to face the Chargers, Ravens twice, the current AFC number one seed in the Tennessee Titans as well as Cleveland.

Cleveland themselves have to also play the Packers on Christmas Day and the rest of their AFC North rivals, but also get to play a 0-8-1 Detroit Lions and an inconsistent Las Vegas Raiders. Their schedule is fairly favourable, but they have to cut out their own erratic performances if they are to succeed.

Sorting Out Their Own Inconsistencies

The Browns have really struggled for consistency this season. They won three straight games after their opening day loss to the Chiefs but have failed to win consecutive games since. 

If a team is to win championships, then they have to win games consistently. Whilst is it more important how you play in January than how you play in October or November, but you have to make sure you play in January past the regular season.

What have the great New England Patriots sides done in the past? Gotten a consistent run of good form down the stretch. This is exactly what the Browns need to do as runs like this help build momentum and confidence in the crucial postseason games.

The Baker Conundrum

Quarterback Baker Mayfield is easily one of the more polarising players in his position. There are some that feel he is the guy. There are others that view him as nothing more than a ”˜game manager’. 

So far in 2021, he has 1,990 yards, 9 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. This has him projected to finish the campaign with just under 3,980 yards but crucially just under 18 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. This would have him at around his career best in terms of yardage but his worst season when it comes to touchdown passes.

His career so far has defined patchy. He had amazing seasons in both the 2018 and 2020 campaigns but has been poor in 2019 and 2021. He will be expecting a good season in 2022 judging by how his time as a pro has gone, but there is no guarantee he will earn his new contract. This ends after the conclusion of the 2022 season, which may see him raise his game. He has to be careful that he doesn’t suffer a further dip in form. 

Quarterbacks such as Jimmy Garoppolo and Tua Tagovailoa may be available that would fit into the game manager role and allow the excellent run game to flourish. He will have plenty of suitors due to being the number one overall pick in 2018 and the two excellent seasons he has had but he will want to succeed in Cleveland. This is clear to see. One thing that hasn’t helped is the broken-down relationship with wide receiver OBJ.

The OBJ Dilemma

Say what you want about Odell Beckham Jr, the dynamic around him and Baker’s relationship cannot have helped things in Cleveland. Throughout Beckham’s time in Ohio, the talk of a lack of chemistry between the pair has been a constant talking point.

There is substance to this, with the fact that the Browns made the playoffs last season with Odell injured. 

The loss of running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt to injury hasn’t helped, despite the best efforts of D’Ernest Johnson. The one-two punch of both backs reduced the need for Baker to throw to ball to. Instead, these injuries have meant Baker has had to throw to ball to. This can be seen by his stats, with Baker projected to throw for career highs in completed passes and his second highest total in attempted passes. 

OBJ’s dad has posted videos on social media of the amount of times Beckham has been open and not received the ball. There is clear frustration from the Odell camp. Now that he has gone, along with the return of Chubb and Hunt, will help ease the tension at the franchise. Should the struggles ease, with such a good plethora of offensive and defensive talent, this should see head coach Kevin Stefanski guide them to another playoff appearance (or two). Should things further unravel, then Baker will be vastly looking over his shoulder at Free Agency and the 2023 draft quarterback prospects.

The post Looking at the Browns Inconsistent 2021 Season appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By Calvin K (Twitter: @Calvin_SGF)

On the surface, the Cleveland Browns appear to have a great opportunity to contend for the AFC title this year. The Browns retained most of their key players from 2020, and they had a very successful offseason, both in free agency and in the draft. This team certainly has an opportunity to make a playoff run, but in this article, I’ll play devil’s advocate and make the case against them. Here are three reasons why the Browns won’t take a step forward in 2021.

1. Quality of Victories

The Browns finished 11-5 in 2020, losing in the divisional round to the Kansas City Chiefs after defeating the Steelers in the Wild Card game. However, five of those victories came against teams with four or fewer wins, and they also had an embarrassing loss to the 2-14 New York Jets. Eight of their victories came by single-digits, and they had three double-digit losses, including two coming by over 30 points.

Granted, the Browns did get some big wins throughout the year, with a win over Indianapolis and narrow victories over Tennessee and Pittsburgh. They also rebounded from their earlier 32-point loss to Baltimore, losing by just five, and they also came within one score of the Chiefs in their divisional-round game. However, most of their wins were extremely close games, and they were in one-possession games against Houston, Philadelphia, Jacksonville, and Cincinnati (twice). They managed to get the job done in those, winning all five, but a little bit of variance in just two of those could’ve completely changed the landscape of last season. A 9-7 (or even 10-6) Browns team would’ve missed the playoffs last season, which leads nicely into my next point: the tough competition in the AFC.

2. Competition

Even if the Browns have a great year, it could still be difficult to take a step forward and reach the championship game in 2021. The AFC had seven teams with records of 11-5 or better last year, which caused the 10-6 Dolphins to miss out on the playoffs despite the postseason expanding to seven teams per conference.

The Browns themselves had to deal with this tough competition last year, playing a grueling game against the Steelers in the Wild Card matchup before facing the juggernaut Kansas City Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes was injured for nearly half of that game, but Kansas City’s supporting cast was still good enough to hold off the Browns, exemplifying how elite they really are. The Bills, Ravens, Titans, and Colts are also teams that range from very good to dominant, and we can’t forget about the threats posed by the Patriots, Chargers, Dolphins, and Broncos, who will all have a chance to take a major step up this year. It just doesn’t seem feasible that the Browns would be able to defeat a healthy Chiefs team, and even if they could, the Bills’ high-powered offense and improved defense is in a much better position to do so anyway. The tough AFC competition will make a playoff run difficult for Cleveland, and while they could contend with most NFC teams, it isn’t smart to bet on the Browns as anything more than a Super Bowl long shot.

3. Quarterback Play

Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield is hardly a bad QB, but it is possible that he won’t be consistent enough to take this team to the top. The Browns have very few weaknesses on their overall roster, but quarterback is such an important position that even a slight disadvantage can derail a Super Bowl chance.

Mayfield certainly displayed plenty of brilliant flashes last season, but his overall body of work was mediocre, at least statistically. His worst stat last year was completion percentage, where he actually finished 30th among qualifying passers. He was also just 18th in passing yards and 15th in passing touchdowns, although those totals can be partially attributed to the run-heavy nature of the Browns’ offense. Mayfield was also 10th in ESPN’s QBR (Total Quarterback Rating), so he’s certainly not a bad player by any means, but he has struggled with decision-making at times. It’s certainly possible Mayfield is able to be a great QB, but his statistics don’t match up with elite passers in the NFL, and that could potentially become a hindrance for Cleveland’s Super Bowl hopes.

Conclusion

All of the reasons given paint an unfavorable picture for the Browns, but we shouldn’t forget the many positives that this team has as well. The Browns made many depth signings to improve their defense, and they added an edge-rushing playmaker in Jadeveon Clowney, who has the physical traits needed to wreak havoc on opposing offensive lines. The NFL draft additions of CB Greg Newsome and LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah will also be vital for this defense, and those two players could both make immediate impacts for the team.

Overall, Cleveland will enter the 2021 season with a very strong roster, and there’s no arguing against the talent that the team possesses. On paper, this team looks like a borderline Super Bowl contender. However, due to the reasons stated above, there are major obstacles standing in the way of a big next step. These obstacles are ones that can be overcome, but even so, the end of the 2021 season may not come with as rosy of a picture as Browns fans hope.

The post Why the Browns May Not Take the Next Step appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Michael Welsh

With each day that passes, we are getting closer and closer to football season. Before we get to the pre-season, training camp has to happen. There are always intriguing position battles to watch for each team, and with the Browns, there are a few in particular that should be on the front of fan’s minds.

Cleveland has one of, if not the most complete roster in all of football. This means tough decisions will have to be made on who makes the team and who ends up being the week one starters. The offensive side of the ball is basically set as is, so most of these interesting battles will be taking place on the defensive side. Let’s take a look at the two position battles to keep an eye on during training camp

The defensive line as a whole

The toughest decisions for the coaching staff will be on the defensive line. The edges are set with superstar Myles Garrett and the well-known Jadeveon Clowney, with free agent acquisition Takk Mckinley on rotation. Where it gets interesting is the interior defensive line. Below are the players on the interior fighting for a roster spot and a starting job:

Malik Jackson (free agent signing)

Sheldon Day (2021 signing from practice squad)

Jordan Elliot (Browns draft pick, 2020)

Malik McDowell (2021 free agent signing)

Damion Square (2021 free agent signing)

Tommy Togiai (Browns draft pick, 2021)

Marvin Wilson (2021 undrafted free agent signing)

That is a massive amount of talent fighting for a few roster spots. General Manager Andrew Berry is very high on Jordan Elliot, who showed flashes in his 2020 rookie year. Malik Jackson will most likely take Sheldon Richardson’s spot, so if all goes well he will be first on the depth chart. Tommy Togiai was drafted this year, so one would think he has a spot solidified. Malik McDowell is interesting as well, but he doesn’t have much experience. Perhaps the one to watch the most is undrafted free agent Marvin Wilson. At one point, he was one of the best defensive tackles in college football. His talent is undeniable, but he got caught up with some on and off the field issues at Florida State. If he puts it all together, he could be a massive steal that makes the roster.

Overall, the coaching staff will likely keep three or four of them on the roster, so it will be exciting to see what happens. A scenario of Jackson, Elliot, and Togiai making the roster with Square and Marvin Wilson on the practice squad is fairly likely. But we will know soon enough.

The Cornerbacks

Besides Pro Bowler Denzel Ward, the cornerback room has a long way until the other starter is decided. Rookie first round pick Greg Newsome has a substantial amount of hype and has looked good so far in minicamps, but he is still a rookie after all. Greedy Williams hasn’t played football in awhile, but he had plenty of flashes in 2019 of being a good player in this league. It is going to be fascinating to see who ends up winning the starting job between Newsome and Williams. They’re both incredibly talented and liked by the front office quite a bit. They will both definitely make the team, but who starts opposite of Denzel Ward likely won’t be decided until the end of training camp, possibly even the end of pre-season. Odds are it will be Newsome since he is this current front office’s guy, but don’t sleep on Williams. He has something to prove. Troy Hill is probably the only other player within the cornerbacks that has a starting spot secured. He will be the Nickel corner and can possibly jump outside as well if needed.

Turning to the depth side of the roster, the battle between Robert Jackson and AJ Green should be intense. Green was an undrafted free agent signing in 2020, and was giving a generous rookie contract. There were whispers that he looked good on the practice squad in 2020, but he needed more development. Seeing how far he has come since then during training camp will be fun to watch. Robert Jackson stepped in as a starter in 2020 due to injuries, and his play was fairly rocky. But he is good on special teams and can snag a roster spot if he continues to excel there. Will Green be able to show special teams skills and get Jackson’s spot instead? Or will they both make the roster? Time will tell, but get your popcorn ready because it will be electric.

The post Two Position Battles to Watch In Cleveland’s Training Camp appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Michael Welsh

The Browns finished the 2020 season with the 21st ranked defense, giving up a total of 5,735 yards. Clearly there were many areas to improve in, and in the 2021 off-season, Andrew Berry did just that with the draft and free agency. Outside of Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward, and Ronnie Harrison, there was a lot left to be desired on that side of the ball last year.

You could say every area of the defense has improved dramatically and they are poised to potentially be a top 5 unit in the NFL. The defensive line should be much better with the additions of Jadeveon Clowney, Takk Mckinley, and Malik Jackson. Taking a look at the linebackers, there are still some questions but with Anthony Walker and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, they should be faster and far more dynamic.

All of those additions are great, but the area that improved the most overall is the secondary. In 2020, it was tough to see games where the offense would get a big lead, but then slowly let teams back in games as Andrew Sendejo blew yet another coverage. It wasn’t just Sendejo, though. Outside of Denzel Ward, who missed 4 games, the entire secondary was often dreadful and hard to watch. Andrew Berry knew this and aggressively attacked that weakness in the 2021 offseason. Let’s take a look at the new additions and how they can make a substantial impact this fall, along with returning players and how they fit into the defensive back room.

John Johnson III – Safety – 2020 team, Los Angelas Rams

Perhaps the best overall signing of free agency, the Browns picked up John Johnson for a 3 year deal worth $33 million. Johnson reportedly turned down more money to come to Cleveland, calling it an “opportunity of a lifetime.” That is music to Browns fans ears, and it will only get better when he steps on the field. Johnson played on the number one ranked defense in all of football last year, finishing with an 85.6 Pro Football Focus grade. The former third round pick also had the green dot on his helmet and called defensive plays, which makes him even more valuable if Joe Woods wants to go that route. He has potential to be the ball-hawking safety Cleveland has been looking for since returning to the league in 1999.

Troy Hill – Cornerback – 2020 team, Los Angelas Rams

Following in Johnson’s footsteps, Troy Hill signed with the Browns shortly after his deal was made official. Hill is going to be a huge addition as a nickel corner that is versatile and has a nose for the football. Hill scored two defensive touchdowns and had three interceptions in 2020, finishing with a 74.2 Pro Football Focus grade. Having arguably the best nickel corner in the NFL is a huge step up from Kevin Johnson and Terrance Mitchell who often played the position the last few years. Expect Hill to make an immediate impact.

Greg Newsome – Cornerback – 2020 team, Northwestern (college)

Andrew Berry was all smiles when pick 26 came around in the 2021 NFL Draft and Greg Newsome was still on the board. He has all the makings of an All-Pro cornerback in the NFL. Throughout college, Newsome thrived at Northwestern. He allowed a 31.7 passer rating in 2020, including a 0.0 rating on 3rd and 4th downs. Adding to that, Newsome allowed only 1 touchdown on 471 coverage snaps. He is the definition of a shutdown corner, and although he has much to learn at the next level, there is a good chance he makes the Pro Bowl his rookie year like fellow teammate Denzel Ward in 2018.

Denzel Ward – Cornerback – 2020 team, Cleveland Browns

Speaking of Denzel Ward, he’s one of the returning players to Cleveland’s defense in 2021, and he actually has a fair amount of pressure on him. Ward has played great in his young career, but has yet to play a full season. In 2021, we need to see him play every game and earn a contract extension from the front office. Either way, when he is on the field, he plays like a top 10 corner in the NFL. He finished with two interceptions and a 72.8 Pro Football Focus grade in 2020. Hopefully he can put it all together in 2021. Oh, and give us more slide tackles.

Ronnie Harrison – Safety – 2020 team, Jacksonville Jaguars/Cleveland Browns

Needing safety help last year after some injuries, Andrew Berry traded a third round pick for Ronnie Harrison. There had been flashes of him being a good safety in Jacksonville, and when he came to Cleveland, there was an immediate impact. Defensive Coordinator Joe Woods wants to run a lot of Dime packages with three safeties on the field, so Harrison should have a significant role on the defense. He finished with a 74.7 Pro Football Focus grade and a pick-six interception. If he stays healthy.

Grant Delpit – Safety – 2020 team, Cleveland Browns

It was devastating last year in training camp when Grant Delpit went down with a torn achilles. The hype around him was real and fans were dying to see him in action. Joe Woods had plans to use him in various ways, but had to change up his defense completely due to his injury. Delpit was a force in college, finishing with 8 interceptions and 120 tackles. His rehab is going very well and should be good to go for game one of the 2021 season.

Greedy Williams – Cornerback – 2020 team, Cleveland Browns

It is easy to forget about Greedy Williams since he missed all of 2020 due to nerve damage. At one point, Greedy’s career was in jeopardy. But after all that uncertainty, Greedy appears to be good to go for the 2021 season. It will be very interesting to see if he can win the starting job over Greg Newsome, but with whatever happens he will have a role in the nickel or rotating on the outside. In 2019, Greedy showed flashes and finished with a mediocre 54.6 Pro Football Focus grade. This is a big year for Williams to prove he can be a starter.

The post The Most Improved Area of Cleveland’s Defense: Secondary appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Michael Welsh

The AFC North is arguably the best division in all of football. With the Browns, Steelers, and Ravens all finishing with 10+ wins last year and the Bengals on the come up, the competition is at an all time high. The Steelers won the division in 2020 and the Ravens finished second and have former MVP Lamar Jackson at QB. On the flip side, the Browns are coming off their best season in over 20 years and they convincingly beat the Steelers in the playoffs. Could they be the favorites to win the AFC North in 2021? It is more possible than you might think. Let’s see how it all stacks up.

Let’s start with Free Agency and the NFL Draft. One could argue that the Browns improved the most in these categories out of any team in the AFC North. They only lost a few players and who they lost were replaced with far more talented players. Some notable additions are below:

John Johnson

Troy Hill

Anthony Walker

Jadeveon Clowney

Greg Newsome (rookie)

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (rookie)

Anthony Schwartz (rookie)

With the defense completely overhauled and the offense returning with little to no changes, the Browns could be extremely scary in 2021. Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski made it a point to become more versatile and unpredictable with all of their signings and draft picks. Clowney and Owusu-Koramoah are the two guys to contain Lamar Jackson, something Cleveland struggled to do in 2020.

Speaking of Lamar Jackson, the Ravens had a mixture of solid additions and key losses. The most surprising thing was that they didn’t aggressively go after the top wide receiver free agents, and instead settled on the injury prone Sammy Watkins and they drafted Rashod Bateman in the first round. Their losses outweigh the additions. Some notable losses below:

Mark Ingram

Matthew Judon

Yannick Ngakoue

Matt Skura

Willie Snead

Orlando Brown Jr (Trade)

The Ravens did draft well as usual, but they definitely lost a lot of talented players. They will be the biggest threat to the Browns winning the division in 2021, but they are more vulnerable this year than they have been in the past and with the additions Cleveland made on defense, it could get very interesting.

Turning now to another AFC North team, the Steelers had a fairly weak draft and lost some key players. Plus they have Big Ben coming back at QB and at this point in his career, he’s not even close to what he once was. Some notable losses are below:

Bud Dupree

Mike Hilton

Tyson Alualu

Matt Feiler

Maurkice Pouncey

Vince Williams

That is a lot of key losses, especially to an already struggling offensive line. They added the dynamic running back Najee Harris, but that was arguably their best pick in a low graded 2021 draft. It doesn’t do much to bring in a good running back when your offensive line is below average. The Steelers also managed to bring back Juju Smith-Shuester, but he’s proved to not be a number one game-changing wide receiver at this point in his career. There is a good chance that Pittsburgh regresses in 2021, similar to how they fell off in the back half of 2020.

It’ll come down to which team wants it more, but the Browns could easily be considered the favorite to win the division with eleven or twelve wins. The Ravens will be the biggest threat and the Steelers could have their first losing season in a long time. The Bengals aren’t expected to be a threat, but they could have an exciting offense to watch. They’re still few years away from contending for the division. It also helps the Browns that they have a third place schedule in 2021, so they’ll be beating up on a lot of lesser teams.

The post Are the Browns AFC North Favorites Right Now? How it Stacks up appeared first on Pro Football Mania.