Monday leftovers

How many times does Kevin Stefanski have to screw up, vow to correct those mistakes with zero change to a Browns' offense that has become deadly dull before he is called out?

He is not the same coach who guided the Browns to a 11-5 record and the first playoff appearance in nearly two decades last season. He is not even close. 

He did it again Monday in the aftermath of Sunday's improbable 15-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers that wrapped up a three-game homestand that exposed numerous weaknesses on both sides of the football. Improbable because that game was eminently winnable. 

Asked Monday why Odell Beckham Jr., ostensibly his best receiver, was targeted only once in the loss, Stefanski, per usual, pointed the finger of guilt at himself. "First and foremost, I need to do a better job," he said. Stop right there. 

Where have we heard that humble reply before? Correct answer: All the time. Depending on the situation, it's his coaching crutch to take pressure off the players. It is becoming tiresome, mainly because he isn't doing a better job. If he is, it's difficult to detect.

Not sure if it's because the players on offense are not responding to his leadership or maybe they are incapable of doing what he wants. Whatever it is, it has produced just five touchdowns and a measly 38 points in the last 12 quarters in front of the disgruntled and concerned home folks.

Throw in dropped passes, dumb penalties, losing focus and you have the recipe for a talented team that has lost it in slow motion and doesn't know how to find it. That all falls under the purview of the head coach.

It seems as though every time Stefanski and his staff clean something up, another problem shows up. The dike, it seems, is out of control and it's manifesting itself in mounting losses. The situation is exacerbated by injuries to key personnel and the backups have not come through.

Beckham has been targeted by quarterback Baker Mayfield just 34 times since returning to the lineup in game three after rehabbing a torn ACL in game seven last season. He has caught half of them for 232 yards. His lone contribution against the Steelers was a six-yard screen pass on the second series of the game

Beckham has kept remarkably silent despite Stefanski seemingly ignoring his presence. As the season unfolds further, it will be interesting to see if he can maintain that silence. Winning three of the first four games might have had something to do with that. Losing could be a different matter.

First up in Stefanski's vow to "do a better job" with Beckham is Sunday in Cincinnati against the Bengals, who have scored 106 points in the last three games. The Browns will need a bust-out game from Mayfield and Beckham, especially if it turns into a shootout.

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It has become obvious Mayfield is limited by his shoulder miseries in what he can and can't do throwing a football. Most everything against the Steelers was either short or medium range. He rarely threw inside the numbers.

One of the keys to a quarterback's success is the ability to throw any pass at any time. Right now, Mayfield cannot do that, semi-restricted by the harness he wears to stabilize the left arm with a torn labrum and broken bone at the top of his shoulder.

Deep routes are out. Seam routes, too, unless they are quick hitters hoping the receiver gets a step on the defender and breaks a long run. Slants and sideline routes appear to be working the best. As a result, teams are starting to cheat up to the  line of scrimmage and load up the box, daring him to beat them deep. 

The most important part of Mayfield's game is instant recognition of who's open and then delivering the football before defensive linemen reach the pocket. Easier said than done and that's where he encounters most of his trouble. If he can't deliver the ball in three seconds or less, the result is generally negative.

He has dropped back to throw 245 times in seven games this season, scrambling on 21 and being sacked 22 times. To give it some perspective, he was sacked only 26 times all last season. His lack of mobility combined with his difficulty finding someone to throw to has led to this difficult stage of his career.

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Based on the current slump, is it too early to suggest the end is near and thoughts of making it back to the playoffs is now just a hope even though nine games remain? Yes. but it sure is coming into view. 

Of those nine games, only one is against a team with a losing record. That's a Nov. 21 date at home against the Detroit Lions, who are winless in eight games. Seven have winning records; the other sits at .500 now.

Last season, the Browns played a last-place -- and easier -- schedule, winning many of those 11 games with a terrific offense that countered an awful defense. This season, the schedule is much tougher and the offense, thought to be the strength of the team, has turned out to be anything but. This team is clearly on the downslope.

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Could the solution to the problems on offense be as simple as handing the football off to Nick Chubb more? Much, much, more. Let the offensive line, which run blocks better than it pass blocks, do the dirty work. Take some of the pressure off Mayfield. And when Kareem Hunt returns, don't stop. Feed Chubb.

For some reason, Chubb averages just 18 carries a game this season. He's a playmaker. He needs to be in the huddle most of the time. He booked just 33 snaps (56%) against the Steelers, ran just 16 times and was on the bench during crucial periods that could have used his presence. He can't inflict damage from the sideline.

On the other hand, Steelers rookie running back Najee Harris touched the football nearly 30 times. His numbers were more workmanlike than spectacular, but he was a key element in the Steelers successfully moving the chains and sustaining drives. With nine games left and Chubb the superstar healthy, it's time he was rewarded.

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Finally . . . Interesting stats at the sort-of halfway point in the season: Mayfield has thrown six touchdown passes in seven games, (Not a typo.) He has completed a career-high 66.7% of his passes. . . . David Njoku leads the club in receptions with 20 (tied with Hunt) for a club-leading 323 yards. He and fellow tight ends Austin Hooper and Harrison Bryant have accounted fore 47 receptions. . . The wide receivers have hauled in 67 passes; the running backs check in with 44.. . . . The defense is more than halfway to bettering last season's sack total of 38 with 22 thus far.  Myles Garrett has almost half (10.5) of them. . . . It will be much more difficult to top last season's 11 interceptions. A paltry three thus far in eight games (Greedy Williams, John Johnson III and Malcolm Smith, all for zero return yardage) factors out to 6.375 in 17 games. . . . Middle linebacker Anthony Walker Jr., who missed three games early in the season, is the runaway leader in tackles (43) and solo tackles (21).