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.

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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.

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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.

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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."

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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.