Monday leftovers

A lot to unpack as the Browns' 2020 season grinds to a close. Let's start with . . . 

The punt that was and the punt that wasn't. Their connection explains the tale of why the Browns have turned their attention to the 2021 National Football League season.

First, the punt that was. 

Midway through the fourth quarter Sunday in Kansas City in a divisional playoff game. Eight minutes left in regulation and the Browns, trailing by five points but with momentum, begin what ultimately became their final drive of the afternoon after an end-zone interception by Karl Joseph.

Two minutes later, Baker Mayfield sneaks a couple of yards for a first down at the 31-yard line then is force to call a timeout on first down -- the second after losing a replay challenge earlier -- due to a communications problem with the bench. 

Three plays yield one net yard. Four minutes and 19 seconds remain and Kevin Stefanski is faced with a decision. The season is in the balance. Punt to get better field position and put the fate of that season in the hands of a defense that has struggled most of the season, or go for it on fourth-and-9 from your 32.

Situation: The Browns had the Chiefs back on their heels. Patrick Mahomes II was in the dressing room with a concussion. Journeyman Chad Henne, who threw the earlier pick, was the Chiefs' quarterback. Decisions, decisions.

Stefanski chose the former. Did not hesitate. Jamie Gillan's punt pinned the Chiefs at their 28 with 4:09 left. All the defense needed was a stop. Somehow get Chiefs punter Tommy Townsend on the field for the first time.

Six plays and a couple of minutes later, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett dropped Henne for a six-yard loss. The decision to punt sure looked good as the Chiefs faced a third and 14 at their 35. Henne gained all but a foot of that as the Browns lost contain to bring up fourth down at the Chiefs 48,

Which brings us to the punt that wasn't.

Just about everyone watching from the press box, on television, those few seated in Arrowhead Stadium and on the Cleveland sideline believed Chiefs head coach Andy Reid would punt. Didn't think anything else even as the Chiefs lined up as if to run a play. 

It sure sounded as though Henne, in shotgun formation with less than a foot to go, tried to pull the Browns offside with several attempts using a hard count and get a cheap first down. The Browns didn't budge. Until center Austin Reiter snapped the football to Henne with two seconds left on the play clock.

Wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who tortured the Cleveland secondary all day, jab-stepped cornerback M. J. Stewart out of position long enough to break wide open in the right flat for a short pass and gave himself up after making the first down.

Bottom line: Reid gambled and win. Stefanski gambled and lost. The old master bettered the rookie. He was outcoached.

Nevertheless, I can't quarrel with Stefanski's original decision to punt. Conventional wisdom at that point,  especially with Mahomes out of commission, was the correct call even though it didn't turn out as he had hoped. Too much time remained to go for it so close to his end zone.

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The rule that took away what almost probably would have been a Cleveland touchdown late in the second quarter is being battered again by pundits and NFL critics all over the media landscape. And because it doesn't occur often enough to reconsider, it probably will remain in the rules book.

If Rashard Higgins' fumble at the Kansas City one-foot line had skittered out of bounds there instead of rolling into and out of the end zone, the Browns would have had a first and goal at that point and in position to trim the Chiefs' lead to 16-10.

As it turned out, field judge David Meslow was totally correct to immediately rule it a touchback, according to the rule. The call survived the replay, which was generated automatically by the turnover.

It's one of the dumbest old rules in the book and eventually will be removed, replaced by one that covers the same situation, but makes more sense. Punishing the offense and rewarding the defense in that case makes absolutely no sense. 

The Chiefs probably don't think so. It all depends which end of the play you occupy. In this case, it was a gift and a warning sign the Browns were not going to go away anytime soon. That proved to be the case with a second half that frightened the daylights out of the Chiefs.

If there is a next time for Higgins, maybe he'll aim for the outside of the pylon which would almost guarantee the ball will land out of bounds instead of in the end zone.

***

Joe Woods has taken a lot of heat this season and rightly so to a degree. But the beleaguered Cleveland defensive coordinator has been operating with a paucity of quality personnel most of the season. In order to see what he can really do, General Manager Andrew Berry must  help him in the offseason as much as he helped reconstruct the offense this season.

Injuries and COVID-19 miseries throughout the season robbed Woods of his better (relatively speaking) defenders in the secondary. The club's linebacker corps ranks well below the norm. And the defensive line, the team's strength on that side of the ball, needs more than Garrett. A lot more.

There is a lot of work that needs to be done. It's not fair to pin the entire blame at Woods. He can game plan only with what he's got. He is very fortunate the offense played as well as it did to take off some of the heat. Let's see what he can do with a more talented roster. After what he's gone through this season, he deserves the chance.

***

Considering the starting offensive line, the heart and soul on that side of the football, played as a unit a little more than half the time this season is a testament to the importance of having quality personnel on the bench.

When fully healthy, or least healthy enough to play significant minutes, the Browns were 7-3 in 18 games, 5-3 when at least one missed a start. During a four-game stretch when right guard Wyatt Teller was idle with a calf strain, they split four games. And when they were together for a subsequent four-game stretch, they won all four.

Berry did a terrific job of putting together what is recognized in many quarters as one of the best, if not the best, offensive lines in the league. That they were able to piece together a 12-6 overall record with all the physical interruptions provides hope they will be even better next season.

***

Questions about the Cleveland receivers Sunday: Why was rookie Donovan Peoples-Jones targeted just once? He caught a 23-yarder and that was it. Nice per-catch average, though. . . . Was it in the game plan to target Jarvis Landry 10 times and have him catch seven of those for 20 yards? And a touchdown. But 20 yards? . . . Why has rookie tight end Harrison Bryant fallen out of favor? Targeted just once like his fellow rookie. Didn't catch it. . . . Why was high-priced tight end Austin Hooper targeted just thrice? . . . Why wasn't No. 3 receiver KhaDarel Hodge's name not on the stats sheet? . . . Why was Nick Chubb targeted five times -- caught two, dropped two -- and Kareem Hunt, a much better receiver out of the backfield, just once? . . . And why did Hunt, playing against his old team, touch the ball just seven times (for 34 yards and a touchdown)? . . . Stefanski has to learn over the offseason how to use his talented backs better.

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Finally . . . Baker Mayfield has started every game since replacing Tyrod Taylor in the third game of the 2018 season. If you're not keeping count, that's 47 in a row. . . .  Travis Kelce and Hill combined for 16 catches against the Browns for 219 yards and a Kelce touchdown. . . . Kelce faked Browns cornerback Denzel Ward out of his jock strap and various other parts of his uniform in getting open and scoring on his 24-yard reception. . . . Final quote for what it's worth from Stefanski after the game: "It stings. We came here to win and didn't get the job done. There is a finality to that." Yes there is. On to next season.