Mid-week thoughts

It sure seems as though the 2022 season has become, in the words of head coach Kevin Stefanski, a season where "the focus . . . is looking at ways we can get better." Nothing wrong with that. Except it arrives on a weekly basis. 

They reside in postmortems after games and in the run-up to the next game. Week after week and yet precious little gets resolved. This team consistently finds ways to lose games they shouldn't lose. Its only consistency is its inconsistency.

That's not the way it should be after five weeks with a team loaded with a roster believed by many around the National Football League to be one of the most talented. As it has turned out, though, it wouldn't be incorrect to label them underachievers, the defense in particular.

The overall performance on that side of the football has been alarmingly unsettling because it was believed at the beginning of the season, wrongly as it has turned out, it would be the antidote to an offense handled by a backup quarterback. 

This offense is solid. But it has not kept up with the numerous mistakes by the defense in an effort to outscore other teams in order to win. The high-scoring 2020 team that was 11-5 did that with a worse defense, if you can believe that, than the current one. This team averages 26.6 points a game. It shouldn't be 2-3.

It seems when one hole is plugged, another pops up when the opposition owns the football. Thumb meet dike. That's the mark of an average, at best, team. Smart teams that minimize and then eliminate mistakes are the ones that qualify for the postseason on a regular basis. The Browns right now are flirting with average with six straight tough games dead ahead.

As the head man, Stefanski cannot dodge bullets. Goes with the job. Everything goes through him. The bad defense? His fault. Below-average special teams? Ditto. Bad decisions when calling plays for the offense? Where do I start? 

What has happened is solely his fault. Think buck stops here and desk. His "that one's on me" bullet-taking has grown stale. At this rate, he'll need a flak jacket to weather the season. 

The way the season has unfolded, how much longer will Stefanski wait before he looks at himself in the mirror and seriously questions what has gone wrong thus far because very little is working; and why are the Browns 2-3 instead of unbeaten.

***

As for the pathetic run defense, which has regurgitated 440 yards in the last two games after surrendering only 251 in the first three games, Stefanski told the Cleveland media it's "never one thing. It can't be one player. It can't be one position. 

"It's everybody We have to own it and we have to fix it . . . because if you don't stop it, teams are going to always continue to do that." Yep, got that right. He later acknowledged "it is my responsibility to get this fixed." Then do it. Saying it means nothing.

Until coordinator Joe Woods determines the best way to turn things around is by playing aggressive, nasty football for four quarters. nothing will change. This defense plays on its heels. Time to make things happen instead of waiting for them to happen.

***

As for beleaguered (in my estimation) quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who has flunked three tests this season (all losses) with the game on the line, Stefanski issued a pat on the back, sometimes known as a vote of confidence

"I have a lot of faith in Jacoby," he began. "I think he is playing well and that (his latest interception in the Chargers loss) was bad. . . .  He's beating himself up about that. . . . He'll be in those moments again . . . And I expect him to come through." The odds say he's way overdue. Brissett that is.

***

Stefanski also addressed the plus-minus ratio -- the Browns are flat at zero -- with regard to the difference between winning and losing. Interestingly, the Browns won the turnover margin in both victories; tied in one of the losses; and lost the margin the last two games, both losses.

They have lost the ball four times -- three Brissett interceptions and a David Njoku fumble -- with four takeaways -- picks by Denzel Ward and Grant Delpit and fumble recoveries by Ward and Jadeveon Clowney on a strip sack. Four takeaways are way too few after five games,

"It's a major, major point of emphasis for us," Stefanski said. "The No. 1 stat in this sport is turnover margin. We have to do a better job of taking it away." He mentioned punching, stripping and tipping the ball to create the takeaways. "Do anything we can to get the ball when we're on defense and special teams."

***

It went unnoticed in the Chargers' loss, but the Browns caught a huge break un the latter stages of the second quarter. Down, 17-14, Brissett marched the offense down to the Chargers' four-yard line. On third and goal, Brissett failed to connect with Amari Cooper, but tumbled after releasing the ball.

Referee Adrian Hill reached for and threw a flag. "Personal foul," he announced. "Roughing the passer, No. 69, defense. Half the distance to the goal. First down." Terrible, terrible call. Wasn't even close to roughing.

Chargers defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day made the mistake of putting his hands on Brissett a second after he released the ball and almost playfully shoved him with both hands. Not hard, It was not malicious. The Cleveland quarterback sold it by flopping down. He did not appear hurt. 

Guessing it was an overreaction by referees around the NFL after the lack of such a call in the two incidences that resulted in concussions suffered by Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.  

Nick Chubb scored the second of his two touchdowns on the next play from the two to give the Browns a 21-17 lead, not the 17-17 tie it should have been with a Cade York field goal. It was a gift. So much for the notion officials are always against the Browns.

Monday left-overs

Jacoby Brissett sure has a high opinion of himself. It's one thing to be confident of what you do for a living. It's quite another to be unrealistic about how well you do it.

The backup Browns quarterback said something after he and his teammates combined to drop another winnable game Sunday, this time to the Los Angeles Chargers, after twice blowing an opportunity to win the game.

For the third time this season, each time with the game on the line, Brissett completed a pass to the opposition. The first two were desperation heaves and could be excused. Not the one he threw against the Chargers, though. He hadn't reached desperation stage yet. That one was unforgivable. 

"I know I'm better than that," he declared, "and I just made a bad decision" Therein lies the problem. He is not better than that. If he were, he wouldn't be filling in for Deshaun Watson while he serves his suspension. He'd be starting for some other team.

Brissett is average at best, unreliable at worst and proved it Sunday. He shouldn't beat himself up for not being the guy he thinks he is. He had two chances, thanks in large part to a tactical blunder by Chargers head coach Brandon Staley, to prove he is better than he thinks he is. And failed both.

The first chance. Third and seven at the Chargers' nine-yard line, inside three minutes left in regulation and trailing, 30-28, with kicker Cade York warming up on the sideline. With a chip-shot field goal -- and the lead -- in his back pocket, Brissett had two options once the ball was snapped.

He had an opportunity to run toward the wide-open right flat and gain a few yards to assure the three points. Or he could throw to Amari Cooper, whom he said he saw in the back of the end zone. How he missed Chargers strong safety Alohi Gilman standing directly between him and Cooper is a mystery.

He chose unwisely and threw rather than run. Gilman had an easy pick. Brissett threw the ball right to him. Not "better" at all.

The second chance. Moments later, Chargers ball, fourth and a yard at their 46, 73 seconds left and Staley on the verge of shockingly going for it. Quarterback Justin Herbert misconnected with Mike Williams and the Browns were back in business, albeit with no timeouts.

Time once again for Brissett to prove he, indeed, was better. Second chances like this don't come along often in the National Football League. Time for redemption. Until it wasn't because Brissett moved his offense just 10 yards (on a hookup with Cooper), hurling three uncatchable passes to Anthony Schwartz and Donovan Peoples-Jones. 

It proved once and for all that Brissett was not "better than that" because he is not. He was just being himself in situations such as this. If he were better, York's field-goal attempt would have been closer to 40 or 45 yards rather than the 54 he was tasked to make and avoid another tough loss.

***

Call it a coincidence, but there could be a change or two on defense after the Browns acquired linebacker Deion Jones from the Atlanta Falcons Monday. After what has taken place the last two games, such a move might elicit an "it's-about-time" cry from frustrated fans.

The Cleveland run defense has upchucked 440 yards the last two games, both losses, and there seemed to be no help in sight until General Manager Andrew Berry acquired Jones, a six-year pro who has averaged nearly 110 tackles a season and achieved Pro Bowl status in 2017.

Jones, 28 in a few weeks, was on injured reserve after off-season shoulder surgery when the trade was made. Because of his physical status, it is not known how -- or when -- he'll be be ready to play or where, for that matter, he will play.

He is an outside linebacker by trade, but the Browns have a cavernous hole at middle linebacker with Jacob Phillips, another outside backer, struggling in an effort to fill the shoes of Anthony Walker Jr., who is done for the season with a torn quad tendon.

Jones, on the small side at 6-1, 225 pounds, is fast and quick. He's not your prototypical inside backer who plays downhill and is strong enough to fill gaps and make tackles at or behind the the line of scrimmage. Once healthy enough to dress, it will be interesting to see where defensive coordinator Joe Woods plays him.

Berry now has to set his sights where he needs the most help -- defensive tackle. The line, even with Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney back, is ineffective. It has been exposed the last two weeks and you can bet other teams have noticed. 

It was a problem in training camp, too, along with the wide receivers room. Berry had to know that. The acquisition of Jones is a nothing more than a Band-Aid. Hint: Trading deadline is Nov. 1. 

***

York seems to have the correct attitude to what has transpired thus far with just five games on his NFL résumé. He has experienced the highs -- the sensational 58-yard field goal that won the season opener -- and the lows -- missing his first two field goals after eight straight makes, including what would have been the game-winner.

"Gotta get over it," he said. "That's my first time missing twice in a game. It wasn't like I went out there and was just going, 'Oh, I missed one before.' I hit it hard. I hit it strong, I just missed it."

The one pitfall York needs to avoid is allowing misses -- he also missed two extra-point attempts to go with his latest misses -- to bother him. Putting past failures in the rearview mirror is generally the best antidote. Remember the good ones and learn from them; and forget the bad ones quickly.

Twenty-four hours of reflection and then it's on to the next game. He has been assured by his head coach and many of his teammates that the current events have not lessened their faith in him. 

***

Finally . . . Having fun with stats: The Browns totaled 846 yards of offense the last two games . . . and lost both; they have lost games thus far by one, three and two points; they have scored 133 points and allowed 125; and they have accumulated 400 yards or more of offense in three games . . . and lost all three. . . . Jones becomes the sixth former Louisiana State player on the roster. Grant Delpit, Greedy Williams, Ethan Pocic, York and Phillips are the others. . . . Final word goes to cornerback Greg Newsome II, who sums up the season this way: "It's definitely frustrating. We know what talent we have in the building. We're just not showing it every play on Sunday." 

The other side of the coin

Remember Cade York? He's the young man the Browns selected in the fourth round of the last college football draft to solve the seemingly never-ending placekicking woes that have hounded them ever since Phil Dawson left town 10 years ago..

He became semi-legendary right out of the chute when his unthinkable 58-yard field goal with eight seconds left produced the first club's first opening-game victory in two decades. A new hero was immediately born. Time to be celebrated.

Problem solved, enthused Browns fans. What's next? 

Hold on just a minute. Talk about being quick to judge. One game, one kick does not foretell the future in the National Football League. Get the motion out of your mind that York walks on water. He is fallible. Two failed extra points, one of which was the difference in an earlier loss, is more than ample proof.

After Sunday's difficult -- can't call it heartbreaking because I'd be repeating myself -- 30-28 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in front of the home folks, he is learning to live with how it feels on the other side of the coin. 

He nailed his four extra points Sunday, but missed two field goals, the latter from 54 yards out with eight seconds left for yet another one of those games where winning becomes losing when you least suspect it. For whatever reason, the Browns just do not know how to close out games, let alone win them.

It looked extremely hopeful when Chargers head coach Brandon Staley inexplicably gambled on fourth and short and lost in Los Angeles territory near midfield instead of punting to give the Browns poor field position with 78 seconds left in regulation.

It gave them a second chance to win after blowing the first opportunity moments earlier when Jacoby Brissett, who had room to run on a third down play from the Chargers nine, chose instead to hit Amari Cooper in the end zone but was picked off with York warming up on the sideline for what would have been a chip-shot field goal and the sixth lead change of the game.

After getting the ball back and the Browns now out of timeouts, clutch football was mandatory. They still needed only a field goal for the victory. But with a very average quarterback in charge, that rarely comes to fruition.

And Brissett proved it with only one completion, a 10-yarder to Cooper that moved the football to the 36, in four opportunities, coming not even close on throws to Anthony Schwartz and Donovan Peoples-Jones twice. On this day, 54 yards was a bridge not wide enough. The ball sailed wide of right upright by a yard.

York missed a 45-yarder wide right by at least three yards in the waning seconds of the first half that would have given the Browns a 24-17 lead. It was his first miss this season after nailing the first eight. 

How the two teams got to this point is somewhat extraordinary because it unfolded quite differently than a normal Chargers game. They entered the game riding the arm talents of quarterback Justin Herbert, who averages more than 300 passing yards a game. 

This was supposed to be a battle between the dangerous Chargers passing game against the relentless Browns ground game with the defenses absorbing most of the punishment. The Browns shot out to a 14-0 lead on the first two possessions, mostly on the ground, Nick Chubb bolting 41 yards for the first score and Brissett hooking up with Cooper on an 11-yard touchdown.

Then something very unusual happened. The Chargers, who had entered the game averaging a league-low (by far) 64.5 yards a game on the ground, matched that total the second time Austin Ekeler carried the football. Cleveland cornerback Greg Newsome II saved a touchdown, catching Ekeler after a 72-yard romp.

The defense, which played well in the red zone all day, held the Chargers to a field goal, but a trend was taking shape. The run defense, which was battered last Sunday in Atlanta, was battered even more Sunday. It was 202 yards in Atlanta, 238 Sunday with no answers to the problem in sight unless you factor  sloppy -- no, make that poor -- tackling in the equation. 

The Chargers entered the game with an offense that produced 80% of the yards through the air. Sunday, it was only 49%. Ekeler checked in with 173 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown. Joshua Kelley added 49 more yards and a score. Herbert threw for a pedestrian (for him) 228 yards and a touch, quite content to spend most of his afternoon handing off to Exeler and Kelley.

All the Browns starters along the defensive line with various ailments who sat out last week were back. But Myles Garrett, Jadeveon Clowney and Taven Bryan were non-factors. The Los Angeles offensive line owned the line of scrimmage. So did Cleveland's offensive line, which had to deal with the frustration that came with this loss. All that hard work for what?

Until now, and rightly so, the Browns' secondary has taken the brunt of the criticism. Can't blame this one on them. Time to shift the blame. When one leak is plugged, another shows up. The new motto on defense: It's always something.

It might be just a coincidence, but the maulings the last two weeks occurred after Jordan Phillips replaced the injured (for the season) A. J. Walker Jr. at middle linebacker. Phillips was tied for the lead in tackles with 10, many of them well beyond the line of scrimmage. He was also generously awarded the game's only sack when he shoved Herbert out of bounds on a scramble a yard shy of the line of scrimmage.

The Cleveland offense, meanwhile, hummed along smartly as it has for the large majority of the season, reeling off time-consuming, chains-moving, defense-resting drives of 75 yards (five plays), 72 (9), 75 (6), 45 (8), 75 (11) and 73 (12). Chubb and Kareem Hunt gouged out 181 more yards and three scores.

With stats like that, one normally would assume a victory is the end result. But when you factor in a defense that plays soft against the run and a kicker who fails twice to do what he was drafted to do, that's how you wind up on the wrong side of the final score.

Points blitzkrieg

There is at least one certainty as the Browns enter the gauntlet that is the next seven games on the schedule when they welcome the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday.

The Cleveland secondary, which has failed way too many challenges this season, will be very busy. As in all afternoon. Because if there is anything the Chargers do exceptionally well, it's throw the football. A lot. Like two out of every three plays. An astounding 84% of the Chargers' offensive yardage comes via the forward pass.

Which means that secondary, arguably the weakest part of the defense, will get "torched if we're not locked in," admitted free safety John Johnson III the other day. And because they have had trouble locking in, especially late in games this season, the Chargers' game plan won't be difficult to figure out.

The defense has not faced a quarterback like Justin Herbert this season. The 6-6 Chargers gunslinger populates a quarterback stratosphere that includes Patrick Mahomes II, Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson. He has risen to elite status is just two seasons.

Herbert suffered fractured rib cartilage a couple of games ago, but that didn't stop him from throwing his normal 300+ yards a game. As a result, the Chargers average a mere 64.5 yards a game on the ground. The Browns' run defense, abused in last week's deflating loss in Atlanta, should get this week off.

The only hope the Browns have in this one is to make sure their season-long ability of controlling the football by moving the chains and sustaining drives -- they average nearly 36.5 minutes of ball ownership  a game -- is good enough to keep Herbert tethered to the bench and limit the damage. 

It will also be interesting to see if head coach and chief playcaller Kevin Stefanski learns his lesson from the Atlanta setback and leans more heavily on the ground game against a Chargers defense that really hasn't been challenged much at all in that area.

After Jacoby Brissett showed last week he is incapable of taking control of a game and lifting the offense on his shoulders in comeback fashion, Stefanski is likely to keep his quarterback in game-manager mode and feature Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt and safe, high-percentage passes.

The Chargers' secondary has allowed opposing offenses to complete 68% of their passes for 240 yards a game. Much like the Chargers, the opposition doesn't run the ball much, either. All of which sets up an interesting scenario.

It is entirely possible this one could develop into a clash between an exceptional ground game against an exceptional aerial game with the losers, at least conceivably, being the defenses of both teams. One strength against another. In other words, a scoreboard fiesta is a distinct possibility with the team that owns the ball last winning.

The Browns' defense is buoyed by the return of Myles Garrett on the edge after totaling his late model car and missing the Atlanta loss. But it is not known how much the injuries sustained in the crash will affect his performance. But if Jadeveon Clowney sits out another game with ankle miseries, Garrett will draw plenty of company.

He will face rookie tackle Jamaree Salyer, who drew high marks in his National Football League starting debut in last week's victory over Houston. He and his linemates have allowed just four sacks this season, enabling Herbert, who will be without Keenan Allen for the third straight week with a hamstring, to target the likes of Mike Williams, Joshua Palmer, tight end Gerald Everett and running back Austin Ekeler.

The Cleveland offensive line, which has allowed just five sacks this season, no doubt will keep an eye on the dangerous Khalil Mack, who owns five of the Chargers' 11 sacks. They won't have to deal with the equally dangerous Joey Bosa, on inured reserve with a torn groin muscle.

It all boils down to two bad defenses and two good offenses pointing to a what very well could be the kind of game that excites fans.This one just might come down to the final moments with ownership of the football determining the winner. So why not go for it? It's Herbert vs. Chubb and Co. in a flurry of points. Defense be damned. Make it:

Chargers 38, Browns 34

Mid-week thoughts

Observations after week four . . . 

Nothing but high marks for the offense. Ground game is special. Jacoby Brissett is playing, with a couple of notable exceptions, just the way the Browns believed he would when they signed him to warm Deshaun Watson's seat until his ironic return from his suspension Dec. 4 against his old team, the Houston Texans.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the offense that better playcalling from head coach Kevin Stefanski can't improve. The offensive line, especially with the return of right tackle Jack Conklin, sizzles when Stefanski goes old school.

Guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller excel at creating holes for the ground game and protect the quarterback zealously. Left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. is having his best season thus far. And Ethan Pocic, who replaced the injured Nick Harris in the pivot in training camp, has been a pleasant revelation.

Whenever Brissett doers what he does best, defenses struggle to shut this offense down, let alone slow it down. And what does he do best? Manages the game. That is until his head coach goes off script and turns the game over to him as he did Sunday in the loss in Atlanta.

Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are premier runners. No, make that elite runners. Stefanski's refusal to utilize them more lessens the opportunity to win games. You go with the big guns behind one of the best offensive lines in the National Football League. Stefanski is misusing Hunt by not giving him more touches.

With a quarterback like Brissett, who is limited in what he can do, you should lean heavily on the big artillery. Brissett excels at minimizing mistakes. His only two interceptions this season have been desperation throws in the final minute of both losses. 

This is a team built to milk the clock. tire opposing defenses and frustrate edge rushers because he is excellent at getting the ball out quickly. The offensive line probably loves blocking for him, at least from a statistical standpoint. He has been sacked only five times in 134 dropbacks, mostly on blitzes.

The very average receiving corps is beginning to come around. Amari Cooper is having an up and down season -- a pair of 100-yard games with two touchdowns counterbalanced by a brace of games with four receptions and 26 yards. He's due for a big game Sunday at home against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Tight end David Njoku has become somewhat of a force with 14 grabs -- several of them acrobatic -- for 162 yards and a touchdown in the last two games, while Donovan Peoples-Jones is either feast of famine in game plans with 29 targets in games one and four and just four in the other two.

The eyes say there haven't been as many dropped passes as last season, but a check reveals the eyes are wrong. With six this season, Browns receivers are on pace to equal last season's total of 25.  Must be time for a refraction. 

Now then, the defense. Ugh, the defense.

The erstwhile pillar of strength that entered the 2022 season is playing more like a pillar of salt in the final 15 minutes of games. The first three quarters thus far haven't been that bad -- just 45 points, including scoreless third quarters -- and just like that, members of that unit turn into something quite different and exceedingly damaging in quarter four.

With one exception, the Pittsburgh victory in week three, the Cleveland defense became a bunch of hapless, hopeless professional football players who either forgot how to play the game or didn't realize a game contains four quarters.

The secondary has been awful in those 15 minutes. Pointing out individuals to blame with numerous busted coverages is futile because it has happened so often, indicting the whole group is not incorrect. It is apparently unfixable. Why? Because it hasn't been fixed. It is the main difference between 2-2 and an unbeaten season thus far.

And with Justin Herbert of the Chargers, one of the NFL's top quarterbacks on tap Sunday, even one member of that secondary fears what the immediate future holds. ". . . I think each and every play we've got to be locked in or we're going to get torched," said free safety John Johnson III, "because they've been doing it to anybody dating back to last year."

Up to now, the secondary has been fortunate to face Baker Mayfield, backup Joe Flacco, the mediocre Mitch Trubisky (now benched) and journeyman Marcus Mariota. Herbert is a gigantic step up.

The pass rush this season has been spotty at best. Myles Garrett has three of the eight sacks thus far. At this point last season, that figure was 14. And with Jadeveon Clowney iffy at best with an ankle, that total won't budge much. Furthermore, not much help off the bench.

The Atlanta Falcons exposed an enormous weakness at tackle a few says ago, ripping off 199 yards, mostly in the second half of their improbable victory. It's a weakness that needs to be addressed pronto, but the front office doesn't seem to be too concerned, thinking perhaps that might have been an aberration. It wasn't.

Now the linebackers. The immenseness of the loss for the season of Anthony Walker Jr. cannot be stressed enough. He will be severely missed for the next 13 games. Jordan Phillips is not the answer. He is fast. He is young.  He is not ready. He's got the rest of the season to prove he can be the player they think he is.

The biggest disappointment, though, is Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. The former Notre Dame star has not been as aggressive as he was in college. Not certain whether it's because of the comparatively timid scheme defensive coordinator Joe Woods prefers.

At Notre Dame, the ball sought -- and found --  him. He was around the ball a lot. Aggression was a big part of his game. He was a playmaker. He is not a playmaker with the Browns. He's the kind of athlete who needs to be turned loose -- run downhill, so to speak -- so he can make plays.

As for special teams, there seems to be nothing about which to be concerned unless you're bothered by the two extra points Cade York missed. One cost them the Jets loss.

Now let's see how the remaining 13 games unfold and these units play. From the looks of the schedule, it looks rather grim until Watson returns. By then, it might be too late.

Monday's leftovers

It's the day after the game that should have been won but wasn't and the sting of losing still burns. In fact, it's even worse than the original feeling because the numbness has worn off.

The Browns lost a game Sunday down in Atlanta that never should have been close to begin with. It will resonate for a very long time because the head coach betrayed the men whose performances ultimately determine how long he remains on the job.

Kevin Stefanski is the head coach of the Browns. The head coach. Not the offensive coordinator. That's Alex Van Pelt, who is really the offensive coordinator in name only (OCINO). Stefanski has deemed himself the playcaller whenever the Browns have the football. That's a problem.

This playcaller is hurting his team big-time and his head coach by extension. Sunday's loss is a perfect example of the playcaller overruling what a sound-thinking head coach would almost assuredly do when putting points on the scoreboard comes into play.

Last time I looked, points were valuable no matter when they are scored. Three points are just as valuable in the first quarter as they are in the last quarter. They don't count any more or less at the end of a game.

One of the worst feelings a losing head coach can experience are regrets. Wudda done that (but). Cudda done that (but). Shudda done that (but). But what? Didn't do that.

Stefanski is experiencing more "that's on me" moments this season than in his first two seasons. To me, those are regrets. Regrets do not win football games. And a 2-2 record at this point is unacceptable because this team is good enough to be unbeaten after playing the softest part of the schedule. 

Yes the Browns are tied for first place in the AFC Central. That's the good news. The bad news? A dangerous seven-game gauntlet lies dead ahead beginning with the Los Angeles Chargers at home Sunday followed by games against New England, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Miami, Buffalo and Tampa Bay. That division lead is precarious at best. The basement beckons.

Stefanski likes to say his main job is putting players in the best position to . succeed. Says it all the time. And yet, he continues to avoid following that philosophy.

For example, why dial up a pass play on second and goal at the Atlanta one-yard line in the final minute of the first half with the best ground game in the National Football League aching to score? No need to get cute. Run the damn ball with Nick Chubb and/or Kareem Hunt. 

Instead, he settled for a Cade York field goal after a Wyatt Teller hold on the pass play pushed them back. He put Teller put in a position to be subjected to the possibility of a penalty. He and his linemates should have been blocking for Chubb or Hunt on downs two and three, not dropping back to protect the quarterback.

It is becoming more apparent Stefanski, the head coach, is having problems with his playcaller  retrospectively. It's so much easier to see the screwups after the game. Smart decisions during the game is the perfect antidote for that malady.

He is coaching and thinking like a coordinator, not a head coach. He is hurting this very good team. He needs to look at the big picture and do what's best for the team, not just one side of the ball. He needs to remind himself daily to take the points when they are available and not be greedy.

Someone in the Ivory Tower should tell him what's best for this team is ceding the playcalling to Van Pelt and becoming the head coach for the entire team. They are hurting right now and most of the fault for that rests on his shoulders. 

***

It would be easy for some to write off the loss in Atlanta to the fact the defensive line was operating at a distinct disadvantage due to injuries along the front four that saw only two veterans suit up. It took the Falcons an entire half and then some to discover that.

For a while, it looked as though they were content with trying to win on the arm of quarterback Marcus Mariota. Once they realized that wasn't going to work, they uncorked a strategy for which the Browns had no answers. 

It actually began in the late stages of the third quarter after consecutive three-and-outs and a Denzel Ward interception convinced them to try something else. That something else made Browns fans think of defensive ends Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney and defensive tackle Taven Bryan.

Caleb Huntley (a practice squad call-up)) and Tyler Allgeier (a rookie) ran the football like grizzled veterans 10 consecutive times -- it looked as though Mariota need work with his handoffs -- for the entire 75 yards, the shortest gain of the bunch was the final five yards for the score by Huntley, who lugged the ball eight of the 10 times.

That worked so well, they stayed with it on the next possession and were rewarded with chunk runs of 21 yards by former cornerback and kick returner Avery Williams and 41 more yards by Allgeier, all with starter Cordarrelle Patterson resting a sore knee on the bench. The Cleveland line looked helpless and didn't get much, if any, help from the linebackers.

If nothing else, it proves two things: Garrett and Clowney need to be healthy to give the Browns a decent chance to snuff out -- or at least slow down -- opposing ground games. And the bench is too young and inexperienced to be a factor.

***

Questions, questions, questions: Why was Amari Coper targeted only four times Sunday? . . . Was the Falcons' pass defense, ranked 27th in the NFL entering the game, that good? . . . Why didn't Brissett just throw the ball away instead of taking a sack in the final moments in Atlanta territory and York warming up on the sideline for another long-distance field goal try? . . . And finally, why did Brissett throw into triple coverage (leading to a pick) when at least one other receiver was open along the sideline?

Answers, answers, answers: Beats me. If Cooper is that good, he should be open a lot. . . . And no, that defense is not that good. That's why they're 27th. . . . Good question. He's been around long enough go know sacks are drive killers. . . . Desperation, I guess. Either that or he didn't scan the entire field. Another reason he is a journeyman quarterback. Just good enough to play backup in the NFL, but not good enough to make plays when needed the most.

***

Finally . . . Can't remember the last time the Browns compiled 403 total yards, 177 of them on the ground, controlled the game clock for nearly 36 minutes and ran 71 plays and lost. . . . How many more blown coverages does Stefanski need to see to step up and give his defensive coordinator some help? Oh that's right. He has enough problems managing the offense. . . . Nice to see rookie wide receiver David Bell creeping into the game plan. Caught four of five targets (he was the target on Brissett's pick) in the last three games for 47 yards, including two grabs against the Falcons for 35 yards. . . . Also nice to see Donovan Peoples-Jones back in the rotation. After being targeted just four times in games two and three, Brissett threw to him nine times against the Falcons, connecting on five for 71 yards.

Losing the hard way

Kevin Stefanski is a straight shooter. When something goes wrong, the Browns' head coach is the first to admit it. "That's on me," he says. And he has said it several times this young season.

I'll say it for him this time. The 23-20 loss in Atlanta to the Falcons Sunday lies squarely atop the shoulders of an Ivy League graduate who gulped numerous stupid pills en route to what should have been victory number three. Yep, this one's on him.

Victories in the National Football League are precious. You have only 17 opportunities to win games. So you better win them when you play well enough to win. But when the head coach and playcaller for the offense screws up, victories become losses.

Stefanski has been head coach of the Browns  for a little more than two seasons. One would think he would know by now you never leave points on the field when you're that close to putting points on the board. Don't waste good opportunities.

He seems to be a different playcaller the closer his offense gets to the goal line. That offense on three occasions was within five yards of the Atlanta end zone Sunday. Three touchdowns seemed imminent. Until Stefanski reached for the stupid pills.

The result was only 10 points when common-sense coaching would have resulted in at least 17 points and no concerns about another blown coverage in the secondary that gave the Falcons life when it appeared it  was on the verge of another clean game.

What happened on the game's opening drive sort of foretold what would happen about three hours later. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett moved his offense to the Atlanta three-yard line, highlighted by 45 yards of passes to tight end David Njoku, but the drive bogged down. 

That's when Stefanski swallowed his first stupid pill, going for it on fourth down and failing badly when Jacoby had no one to throw to in the end zone. Analytics undoubtedly dictated the call. Common sense would have preferred a chip-shot Cade York field goal. There's three points.

Two possessions later, jackpot when Brissett capped a 16-play, 75-yard drive with a scrambling, rumbling four-yard run on third down that seemed more like 20 yards. No decision making from Stefanski required here.

Here's where it begins to get a little maddening. On the next possession, this one a 13-play journey, the Browns wound up at the Atlanta one-yard line on a gorgeous pass from Brissett, who dropped a 42-yard dime into the outstretched hands of Donovan People-Jones as he fought bright sunlight to make a terrific catch.

Time for the Browns' outstanding, league-leading ground game to finish it off, right? Think stupid pills. Nick Chubb, who later on romped 28 yards to give the Browns a 20-17 lead with about 10 minutes left in regulation, ran behind a jumbo formation (seven offensive linemen), but was stacked for no gain on the first attempt.

Okay, why not try it again with the NFL's leading rusher? Makes sense. Think pills. Instead of handing off to Chubb again, Brissett dropped back, but failed to connect with Njoku. A completion wouldn't have counted, anyway. Right guard Wyatt Teller was detected holding. 

If it had been a running play, Chubb probably scores, Teller probably delivers the key block cleanly and no penalty flags fly. Two incomplete passes later, York kicked a 29-yard field goal to achieve the halftime 10-10 tie. That's four more points.

Why even throw in that situation when the Falcons' defense was beginning to wear down?  Run Chubb or Kareem Hunt. They're the best running tandem in the NFL for a reason. 

The defense, operating with a young, relatively inexperienced short-handed line due to injuries, benefited from the offense's domination and shut down the Atlanta offense in the first half with only 120 yards from scrimmage, just 31 on the ground.

The Falcons' only touchdown, a Cordarrelle Patterson 13-yard run, followed the first of the Browns' two turnovers late in the first quarter, a Njoku fumble. Marcus Mariota, who connected only seven of his 19 passes, was in the midst of a miserable afternoon.

The offense dominated the first 30 minutes, owning the football for 20 minutes and 34 seconds. And yet,  only 10 points. 

Then Stefanski made the mistake in the second half of putting the game in the hands of a journeyman quarterback even as his ground game was slicing and dicing the Atlanta defense. Brissett is not a game-changing quarterback. He is a game manager. Period.

The head coach must have fallen in love with the Brissett-DPJ connection in the first half and dialed up 16 more passes in the second half, but his quarterback connected on just half of them for only 65 yards. The Falcons, notably cornerback A. J. Terrell took away his favorite receiver. Amari Cooper, coming off two straight 100-yard games, was held to one catch for nine yards on four targets.

The game changed dramatically when the Falcons, after back-to-back three-and-outs to start the second half, decided to ram the football down  the throats of the young and inexperienced Cleveland defensive line since Mariota wasn't helping, It worked.

Mariota became a facilitator as running backs Caleb Huntley, fresh off the practice squad, and Tyler Allgeier, combined to rip off the 75 yards on the ground bridging the third and fourth quarters in a stunning display of bully football. Huntley carried eight times for 54 yards and the touch for a 17-13 lead. The Falcons offense tacked on 171 more infantry yards in the final 30 minutes to wind up with 202

The Chubb touchdown early in the fourth quarter and the first of Younghoe Koo's two field goals squared the score at 20-20 halfway through the final quarter. And that's when the dreaded blown coverage struck again for the fourth time this season.

A pretty good afternoon of pass coverage was wiped out when Mariota, on a desperate heave from his goal line, found wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus all alone at the Atlanta 32. And I mean all alone. No member of the Cleveland secondary was within 20 yards. 

To make matters worse, 15 more yards were tacked on to the 42-yard play when cornerback Denzel Ward corralled him by his face mask, making it a 57-yard swing. Can't blame that on Stefanski. That's Joe Woods territory. Koo's second field goal untied it with 2:25 remaining.

Working with no timeouts, the Browns managed to get to the Atlanta 41 with a minute and a half left and with York warming up on the bench, thoughts of the season opener wafting in the air. A Brissett sack, the only one of the afternoon, and an interception, ditto, closed it out as the Browns now enter a brutal seven-game stretch at 2-2.

Would all that have occurred had Stefanski just taken the points and not turned greedy at the goal line? We'll never know.

Fun in Atlanta

It was almost exactly four years ago the two teams last met. And it was memorable for one well-remembered moment.

It was game 10 of the 2018 National Football League season. The Atlanta Falcons arrived in Cleveland on the heels of a three-game winning streak to take on the floundering Browns, two games removed from the firing of head coach Hue Jackson.

After the 2-6-1 Browns knocked off the 4-4 Falcons, 28-16, Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield uttered a phrase that became extremely popular with Browns Nation for a large portion of the next four seasons.

"When I woke up this morning, I was feeling pretty dangerous," said the rookie, who was 17 of 20 for 216 yards and touchdown connections with Rashard Higgins, Duke Johnson Jr. and Nick Chubb, who later romped a club-record 92 yards to close out the Falcons.. "I just woke up feeling really dangerous."

Never heard that one before. Of course the fans loved it. They glommed onto the phrase even as they embraced Mayfield as the face of the franchise. Here (finally) was the quarterback they yearned for throughout all those dank and fruitless seasons. 

The two teams meet again Sunday in Atlanta for the first time since then and my how the times have changed.

Mayfield, who now has the Carolina Panthers huddle, extricated himself from the Cleveland sports scene due to the complexities surrounding the Deshaun Watson saga. The Browns have changed head coaches twice since then, Kevin Stefanski succeeding interim Gregg Williams and Freddie Kitchens.

Both teams have new quarterbacks. Marcus Mariota, the No. 2 overall selection by Tennessee in the 2015 college football draft, arrived in Atlanta by way of a two-year backup stint in Las Vegas. Jacoby Brissett is keeping the seat warm for Watson for the next seven games after this.

These teams have a relatively brief and disinteresting history because they get together just once every four seasons due to residing in different conferences. They have met only 15 times over the years -- just five times since the 1999 return -- with the Browns winning a dozen games.

Traveling to Atlanta has proved bountiful over the years, the Browns losing just once in seven trips, the lone loss coming in 1993. So can anything be gleaned from these facts? Not really. Too many things are different.

That was then. This is now.

And now the 2-1 Browns appear to have zoned in on an offensive formula that would have had them entering Sunday's game 3-0 if not for a monumental meltdown by the defense in game two against the New York Jets.

Stefanski's highly disciplined offensive scheme has produced nearly 25 first downs a game, a ground game averaging 191 yards, a quarterback who has thrown only one interception and that was in desperation, and features an offensive line that not only creates sizable holes for running backs, it has allowed just four sacks (corrected from an earlier piece that said seven).

The whole idea is to gain a stranglehold on time of possession, arguably the most vital statistic in a game. It's no accident the Cleveland offense has owned the football this season for an astounding -- and league-leading -- 35 minutes and 36 seconds a game. Chief benefit: It  keeps the defense fresh.

It also appears the previously disjointed defense, most notably the secondary, seems to have turned a corner, much as it did last season after a brutal start. That side of the ball, however, probably will operate at a physical and personnel disadvantage up front against the Falcons.

Savvy middle linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. is gone for the season, replaced by the faster but far less experienced Jordan Phillips, who will call defensive signals. Defensive end Myles Garrett, fortunate to be vertical after his harrowing car crash several days ago, will sit this one out and watch the game on TV.

With Jadeveon Clowney not fully recovered from a sprained ankle and unlikely to suit up, the pass rush will be handled by rookies Alex Wright and Isaiah Thomas and veteran Isaac Rochell. All of  which could alter defensive coordinator Joe Woods' original game plan.

Taven Bryan has also been ruled out with a hamstring, which means Tommy Togiai and rookies Perrion Winfrey and Roderick Perry II will rotate with Jordan Elliott at defensive tackle against an Atlanta ground game that averages 157 yards and features the dangerous Cordarrelle Patterson.

The 10-year veteran, who was converted to running back last season after spending his first eight NFL seasons as a kick returner and wide receiver with Minnesota, Las Vegas and New England, owns a pair of 100-yard games this season and averages 6.2 yards a pop.

Much like Chubb's value to the Cleveland attack, Patterson's success allows Mariota to be successful with play-action passes. He has targeted rookie wide receiver Drake London (16 receptions, 214 yards and a pair of touchdowns) and budding All-Pro tight end Kyle Pitts with 57% of his passes. 

The Atlanta defense, however, has had trouble preventing the opposition from converting third downs, a stat the Browns excel at, converting nearly half of them. This falls in line with the Browns' success with ball control.

The Falcons limit opposing runners to just 109 yards a game. But they have not faced the likes of Chubb and Kareem Hunt, who bludgeon opponents behind the efforts of the aforementioned offensive line. Therein lies the difference for this one.

Look for Stefanski to stick with his successful formula. Numerous doses of Chubb and Hunt along with low-risk, high-percentage passes from Brissett to Amari Cooper, David Njoku and Donovan Peoples-Jones with keeping the chains moving the main goal.

Defensively, Woods might be a little more cautious (code for conservative) working with a line loaded mostly with inexperienced youngsters. The guess here is he might dial up a few blitzes off the edge from members of the secondary to keep Mariota guessing.

Bottom line: The Browns stick with the formula and continue massaging the time clock with Chubb and Hunt wearing down the Atlanta defense and Brissett continuing to look more like a starter than a place-holding backup. Cade York misses another extra point, but kicks two field goals. And the defense picks off Mariota twice. Make it:

Browns 26, Falcons 15

Mid-week thoughts

As one who was a victim of a major auto accident many years ago, I can only imagine what Myles Garrett went through earlier this week when he totaled his vehicle while returning home following practice. His late model Porsche 911 traveling at an excessive speed hit a ditch and a fire hydrant before flipping over a few times before coming to a stop.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol crash report, Garrett reported pain in his right hand, left shoulder and cuts and abrasions on his right hand and left side of his face. He also did not remember the crash.

The accident in Medina County fortunately was not life-threatening to Garrett and his female passenger, but caused enough physical damage for the Browns to list the All-Pro defensive end as questionable for Sunday's game in Atlanta.

According the National Football League's Personal (Injury) Report Policy, questionable indicates an uncertainty whether the player in question will play. It is vague from a nomenclature standpoint because it is not definitive. It sort of means he might play; then again, he might not.

This is where common sense enters the picture. Garrett is easily the best player on the Browns defense, the one player they can ill afford to lose. Right now, the front office indicated the team doctors will make the call whether Garrett suit ups and plays.

These are the same doctors who irresponsibly greenlighted Baker Mayfield to play most of last season when the quarterback was seriously hampered by a multitude of injuries that would have idled most other quarterbacks. 

Sure it would be nice to see Garrett out there against the Falcons, albeit under 100%, which in his case is still pretty good. Again from a common-sense viewpoint, why not sit him just this one game, let him fully recover and then bring him back?

If he does play, there's a chance he might cause further damage from the accident. Wouldn't it be wiser to give him another week to heal rather than chance losing him for a longer period of time if he aggravates his injuries?

Most of the damage is soft-tissue related with a sprained shoulder and strained bicep, parts of the body he uses quite a bit to achieve his ultimate goal of harassing opposing quarterbacks in an effort to take them to the ground.

I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on the Internet, but I know the hardest types of injuries to determine length of recovery from them are of the soft-tissue variety such as tendons and ligaments associated with issues affecting arms and legs. 

Hamstrings and quadriceps injuries, as well as groin muscles, tend to linger. Most teams are extremely cautious not to put players back too soon in an effort to prevent recurrence and an even longer stay on the sidelines. 

But when it comes to trauma associated with a car accident, full recovery is not immediate. And when you play a sport where a large part of your job is colliding with the opposition, extreme caution is generally the way to go.

I was T-boned at an intersection while driving home from work -- it wasn't my fault -- and remember nothing about the crash. Everything seemed surreal. Slow motion. I was dazed and confused. (Don't even think about it,)  I'm guessing that was due to shock. I began remembering what happened in bits and pieces later in the hospital.

Garrett's reaction on video provided by the Highway Patrol looked awfully familiar. He looked and acted disoriented. Know that feeling. It truly is surreal.

Garrett later was cited for failure to control his vehicle and traveling at an unsafe speed (65 mph in a 45 mph zone). It was determined alcohol and drugs were not involved and Garrett and his passenger wore seat belts. 

Since signing with the Browns in 2017 as the No. 1 overfall choice in the annual college draft, Garrett reportedly has been cited at least six times in the Greater Cleveland area for excessive speeding. 

Who would've thought?

I sure didn't see it coming. Neither, I suspect, did many Cleveland-area sports fans. 

It definitely feels a little weird typing the following: The Cleveland Guardians have taken Major League Baseball by storm.

Hyperbole? Fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and New York Mets probably think so. Those are franchises built to -- and are expected to -- win divisions, playoff games and World Series. 

When the Guardians clinched the American League Central Division Sunday in Arlington, Texas, baseball took notice. How in the world did this relatively unknown little team climb into the spotlight? Quietly. And by playing old-fashioned baseball.

Fans of the game these days fall in love with players who hit the baseball enormous distances with regularity. Stuff like launch angle, bat speed, exit velocity and distance are now ensconced in the game's glossary of terms. The Guardians don't do power. Only 122 bombs.

With power comes an innate ability to miss the baseball entirely with a fair degree of regularity. The Guardians don't do that, either. 

These guys grind out their at-bats. They wear down pitchers. They strike out less than any other MLB team. Their swing-and-miss percentage is also one of the lowest. Putting it simply, they are hard outs. It's a young team playing like grizzled veterans with a bat in their hands.

Speed and smart base running are seemingly not as important or romantic compared to the long ball. The Guardians believe otherwise. Manufacturing runs is one of their strongest attributes. They are fast, smart and aggressive on the base paths.

Stolen bases? Love 'em. Third in MLB with 112 of them. Five men with at least 17, three of them at 19.

Add all that to a solid starting pitching rotation, the sport's best bullpen and a defense that improved as the season progressed and you have a formula for success, all of which arrived with not many people paying attention. Quietly.

The youngest team in the majors did it the hard way, parading 16 players throughout the season who made their Major League debut. That's more than half the roster. Fans no doubt wondered how in the world can you win anything with neophytes? Who are these guys and what is the front office trying to do?

The season unfolded predictably with the Guardians playing just well enough to keep their heads above .500 water, winning a little here, losing a little there after winning just seven of their first 19 games. Manager Terry Francona noodled with the lineup in an effort to find the winning formula.

The turning point arrived shortly before the midway of the season. The light seemed to come on after a 2-8 run lowered the season record to 41-42 on July 10. Long story short, the Guardians are 45-25 since then heading into the final six games of the season this week. That includes an 18-3 record down the stretch with a seven-game winning streak..

How did that happen? Solid pitching and defense, timely hitting, lots and lots of running and challenging opponents to make plays. The Guardians became a fun team to watch. Home runs were a bonus. It is just good fundamental baseball. Throwback baseball. The only things missing are flannel uniforms and high stirrups.

Francona's best move? Moving Steven Kwan into the leadoff spot where he became a fire starter. Kwan brings a contagious, boundless energy to his job. He sets the tone with his approach. He also plays a terrific -- some say Gold Glove caliber -- left field. To me, he is the team's most valuable player. 

The infield of the peerless Jose Ramirez, Amed Rosario, Andres Gimenez and Josh Naylor are steady, very productive and extremely reliable on a daily basis. Automatic write-ins in the daily lineup for Francona.

The outfield, which began the season rife with uncertainty and wild speculation on who would play on either side of center fielder Myles Straw, was settled with the arrival on May 26 of big Oscar Gonzalez, who began hitting immediately and hasn't stopped while adding power to his repertoire.

The catching corps represents a hole in the offensive lineup. But their importance lies in what they do behind the plate. Austin Hedges and Luke Maile are veterans at handling pitching staffs. Proof of their value lies in the steady improvement of the staff's earned-run average and WHIP.

The Guardians began this season with a new name, a new attitude, a new approach. Full confession: I was -- and still am -- against the name change. Way too politically correct for me. 

But I have found myself keeping track on a daily basis as they crushed Minnesota and Chicago down the stretch to win the division handily. Still don't like the name change, but I do like good baseball. And that's exactly what this team plays on a daily basis. It is a pleasure to watch.