Mid-week thoughts

It wasn't long ago, late July in fact right around the beginning of training camp, that John Johnson III waxed poetically and practically bragged about the extremely positive vibe that enveloped the 2022 Cleveland Browns.

"It's a lot different," the veteran free safety said, "like the vibe is way better. I don't know if it's just me, but everyone feels that same vibe like we've got a lot of guys back (and) that continuity is huge, especially on defense. So it's fun and we're enjoying it and we can't wait to get it on the field."

It was a complete 180 of his exit interview following the highly disappointing 2021 season, Johnson's first with the Browns. He told the hierarchy there was a problem with the team chemistry, believing it was missing.

Part of the problem might have been the locker rooms of the offensive and defensive units were separate due mainly to COVID-19 protocols and restrictions. This season, everyone is back together in the same locker room.

Thus the brimming optimism, buoyed by the fact many of members of the 2021 team were back, including just about every member of the secondary. The entire defensive unit, which pretty much held the team together and avoided a total collapse, played top five football in the second half of the season.

"Now," Johnson said, "we're picking up where we left off  (last season). I'm not just saying that. We're picking up where we left off. We're mastering things. We're a whole lot better at just letting our bodies do what we're  supposed to do. I think it's definitely going to take off. We're going to be critical . . . I know what we can be . . . Consistency is what we need."

Remember now this was about three months ago. "Toward the end of last year," Johnson said, "we were really rolling. It was kind of natural. At the beginning of the year, we were kind of thinking a lot. We were trying to get adjusted. But now it feels natural. We don't have to say anything to each other, We just look. That's the definition of a good defense, a good secondary from what I've learned."

This was the same John Johnson who, perhaps not remembering embracing the vibe in training camp, complained publicly about a lack of commitment to the cause by teammates a few days before taking on the Ravens in Baltimore last Sunday.

Fast forward a few days to M&T Bank Stadium late Sunday afternoon, moments after a heartbreaking loss to the Ravens when screaming and ranting was loud enough to be heard by the media prior to post-game interviews in the adjacent media room.

It was like a lid on a bubbling cauldron that needed to be blown off to release the season-long mounting of frustration, anger and angst and release all the pent-up emotions and problems out into the open. 

Head coach Kevin Stefanski called it "normal. Normal football." He knows better.

Some people will believe him, though. I don't. I have been in enough locker rooms over the years to know behavior like that is very much out of the ordinary. 

Optimists will look on it as a good sign. The players really do care. Pessimists, on the other hand, will say it won't make any difference. That won't help them learn how to finish games that should be won but are not. For certain, though, you can bet it has gotten the attention of the front office.

And what about Johnson's vibe? Gone. Vanished. Smashed to smithereens in just seven games. 

As it has turned out, the vibe boast was nothing more than words that gave fans a false notion there was hope for this season. Turns out there wasn't. And it's not going to get any better.

So much for the vibe.