This season was different in Cleveland, Ohio. For the first time in decades, there was hope. There were expectations. No longer were members of the Dawg Pound going to be ridiculed for their fandom. With another first-round QB, a generational talent at WR, and a defense filled with rising young talent the Cleveland Browns were going to be good. Except, the good never came. The Browns stumbled out the gates and never seemed to recover. With all their talent, who’s behind the 2019 Browns’ struggles?
Baker Mayfield
With the first pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns took Baker Mayfield. The Oklahoma product was barely considered a first-round pick at the end of his final year of college ball before quickly rising in mock drafts, eventually settling as a top pick. Cleveland had just selected Deshone Kizer in the second round the year prior. The selection of Mayfield marked the third-straight year that the Browns took a QB in the first three rounds.
Mayfield was different. He was confident, arrogant, and talented. In his three years as the starter at Oklahoma, he went 34-6 and won three consecutive Big 12 championships. Oh, and he capped it all of with a Heisman. When he arrived in Cleveland, however, then head coach Hue Jackson didn’t have Mayfield in the plans. He was set to watch Tyrod Taylor as the backup and learn until he was ready. That was until Taylor got hurt in Week 3, throwing the first overall pick into the fire. The Browns finished 7-8-1, but they were 7-7 under Mayfield.
There was promise there. The team looked different with Mayfield at the helm. He was extending plays, making big throws, and leading his team on scoring drives(!). Hue Jackson and OC Todd Haley were fired (obviously) and the Browns hired interim OC and former RBs coach Freddie Kitchens to be the full-time guy. They went out and traded for one of the best WRs in the NFL in Odell Beckham Jr. and a strong pass rusher in Olivier Vernon.
All that was expected to work has not for Mayfield. He’s making a lot of mistakes, throwing a league-leading 12 INTs. He’s also been sacked 23 times (eighth in the NFL), which speaks to how much of a problem the offensive line is in Cleveland. I’d give him that excuse if he was learning to throw the ball away or get rid of it quickly. That’s just not happening. He’s taking sacks, throwing picks, and fumbling way too often. But, it’s not like he has a top-three WR, a top-10 RB, or a top-three slot-WR to bail him. Oh, wait. He has exactly that?
Freddie Kitchens/Coaching Staff
It’s not just the offense and Baker Mayfield that are performing poorly. With a defensive line made up of Myles Garrett, Olivier Vernon, Sheldon Richardson, and Larry Ogunjobi there’s absolutely no reason the Browns should be in the bottom half of the league in both yards and points allowed. They’re getting after the QB (9.26% sack percentage – fifth in the NFL), but they’ve been terrible against the run (141.2 yards per game – third worst in the NFL).
Some of their defensive failures fall on injuries. Greedy Williams and Denzel Ward, their top two CBs missed multiple weeks with hamstring injuries. Christian Kirksey, who was supposed to be their best LB, found himself on IR. However, you have to be able to coach guys up and get the best out of your backups. Kitchens hasn’t been able to do that. With Terrance Mitchell and T.J. Carrie (both NFL CBs) starting with the other two out, they played poorly.
Kitchens kept his job because Mayfield liked him and liked how he called the offense as interim OC. Just because a guy is liked doesn’t mean he deserves to be the coach. Right now, in Atlanta, we’re seeing a similar situation with Dan Quinn. The team likes him, so he’s still there despite their horrible season.
Not all of the offensive woes fall on Baker either. Kitchens, and his staff, have to help Mayfield learn and grow. It’s inexcusable that Odell Beckham Jr. has only been targeted 67 times this season (17th most in the NFL). It’s even more unbelievable that he’s only been thrown the ball THREE times in the red zone. He’s one of the most dynamic playmakers in the league. Get him the ball.
Divine Intervention
At some point, we need to look at what has happened in Cleveland and wonder what’s really going on. They’ve been the laughing stock of the league for 20 years. First round picks have busted WAY before their rookie contracts end. Hell, a Browns’ DB just got cut after threatening to kill people on Twitter. Something must be working against the Browns. I’m not sure if you believe in a religion, higher-power, or magic but if there’s anything to make you believe, it may be what’s happening in Cleveland.