Monday's leftovers, Part 2

It's been three seasons since head coach Kevin Stefanski took command of the Browns' offense. It's also been three seasons during which he hasn't figured out how to maximize the talents of two great running backs.

And now, barring unforeseen circumstances, he won't get a fourth opportunity to see what kind of production he would've (should've?) gotten with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in the same huddle. That's because Hunt is now -- or soon will be -- a free agent and the club displays no desire to resign him. Why not?

Because the head coach/playcaller in all of those seasons had no idea how to combine these two extraordinary talents in a package that ostensibly would have made life miserable for opposing defenses. It seemed as though he didn't try hard enough.

The oddity is Stefanski is a devotee of a balanced attack. More run the ball to set up the pass than the opposite. Rather than pairing them on most snaps, he alternated them. For a good part of this past season, he opened with Chubb for two series before bringing in Hunt to replace him for at least one more.

They are two distinctly different, but highly effective, runners. Chubb is a power back with astonishing speed who breaks tackles with an amazing number of yards gained after contact. Getting him on the ground requires a minimum of at least three defenders.

Hunt, on the other hand, is a slasher who constantly seeks holes with a darting, bending, arms and elbows flying style that makes him difficult to bring down. He is also a top-flight receiver with very reliable hands. In addition, he is solid on blitz pickups.

The former Willoughby South High School product, who led the National Football League in rushing as a rookie with Kansas City, produced 1,145 yards from scrimmage in 2020 under Stefanski, but his numbers have fallen precipitously since then due to injuries and limited use.

Here's Stefanski's explanation on the situation . . . 

"I really think it's a week-to-week proposition. I think there are times when (playing together) makes sense. There are other times when you want to keep those guys fresh and they're both playing at a high level whether they're on the field together or not takes a back seat to them playing at a high level and doing things you know give the (opposing) defense difficulty."

Word salad. Non-answers like that are Stefanski's specialty.

The future is not bleak at the position, however. Rookie running back Jerome Ford flashed on kickoffs in the second half of the season and figures to assume Hunt's role next season. The only negative is we'll never know how much better the Cleveland offense would have been with Chubb and Hunt together behind or beside the quarterback.

***

It's been three seasons now since the Browns selected offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. in the first round of the 2020 college draft. That's more than enough time to evaluate him and determine how wise that choice was.

Full disclosure: Three highly-ranked offensive tackles were available when the Browns were put on the clock. When Wills was selected, I bemoaned the choice, hoping instead for Tristan Wirfs, taken a few picks later by Tampa Bay. The pick was based on the recommendation of offensive line coach Bill Callahan.)

And when the Browns announced Wills, a right tackle his entire career, would be shifted to left tackle, not one positive thought coursed through my mind. Didn't like it then; disappointed with it even more now. I kept looking for reasons to be optimistic and came up empty unfailingly.

Wirfs, despite missing the last four games this season with an ankle, allowed only two sacks this season -- he's allowed just six in his three seasons --- and has consistently graded among the top 10 tackles by Pro Football Focus.

At his best, Wills was average at pass blocking and below average in the ground game. According to PFF, Wills allowed six sacks and 41 hurries and committed 10 penalties this past season. 

I saw occasional flashes of talent from him, but not nearly enough to be convinced Callahan, who certainly knows a lot more about football than I ever will, was right. How he missed on Wirfs, who has achieved Pro Bowl and All-Pro status in his three seasons, will always be baffling.

After a rough start caused by transitioning to the opposite end of the line, which proved too difficult, Wills failed to show the necessary improvement to become a solid anchor necessary to protect his quarterback's blind side.

Unless the Browns' evaluation of Wills is a rosier than mine, you can add offensive left tackle to the growing list of needs in the next draft after the glaring holes at defensive tackle, linebacker  (bigger and heavier), wide receiver and safety.

***

Speaking of the offensive line, the biggest surprise there was the play of center Ethan Pocic, who stepped right in after Nick Harris, the presumed starter after JC Tretter was cut, went down for the season with a knee in the opening exhibition game against Jacksonville.

Pocic, the tallest center in the NFL at 6-6, was a stalwart all season before landing on injured reserve in week 11 before returning three weeks later. Playing between All-Pro Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller doesn't  hurt, either.

But his strong pass protection skills, especially at his height, and ability to make solid correct line calls certainly weigh in his favor once Harris, among the smallest at a half inch above six feet, reports to training camp this summer.

Pocic, picked up as a free agent last April after spending his first five NFL seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, allowed only two sacks and committed just one penalty in 819 snaps this past season. His contract expires in March. He has indicated he would like to return for at least a second season. 

After the kind of season he gave the Browns in 2022, it's hard to believe they won't accommodate him. The guess here is this time he will beat out Harris to be the line's anchor again this season.

***

There is one other big problem on defense besides blown pass coverages that needs to be addressed by the new coordinator -- the shoddy, oftentimes poor tackling. 

For whatever reason, the Cleveland defense has all sorts of problems getting opposing running backs, wide receivers and tight ends on the ground and limit the yardage they gain,. Too many times this season we've seen ball carriers slip through tackle after tackle and tack on valuable yardage.

Whether it's a matter of bad positioning to make a stop, bad timing or just plain sloppiness while attempting to wrap someone up, it's way too prevalent among the Cleveland defense. A serious lack of fundamentals are glaringly absent.

How many times have we seen defenders leave their feet and launch themselves at an opposing player? The correct answer is too many. It rarely works. Attempted arm tackles, generally caused by poor positioning, never work. 

Solid fundamental football, as a general rule, is the great separator between an average defense and one strong enough to propel teams into the postseason, As the old saying goes: Offense wins games; defense wins championships.

***

Finally . . . The final grade here for rookie placekicker Cade York is a shaky C. No question he's got the leg. Won the season opener with a 58-yard field goal. That, as it turned out, was the highlight of an inconsistent season for the fourth-round draft pick last May. He missed eight of 32 field-goal attempts, two extra points and had a league-leading three kicks blocked. . . . Cleaning up the Denzel Ward item the other day regarding how much he has actually suited up in his five seasons.: Missing 16 games due to a variety of injuries is equivalent to missing one entire season. . . . The defense recorded 43 sacks this past season, one more than 2021. . . . On third down, they converted just 38% of the time, down 1.6% from 2021. . . . Love this last one: Stefanski went for it on fourth down an incredible 42 times this past season, one more than Arizona, to lead the league and converted a league-best 23 times thanks to football's preeminent sneaker Jacoby Brissett.