Stuck in neutral

The Cleveland Browns who played in the first half of their 24-10 victory Sunday against the Washington Commanders were either in a stupor, trance or hypnotic state because they sure didn't look ready for 60 minutes of football.

The offense looked listless -- there's a stronger word out there, but let's just go with listless -- while their buddies on defense couldn't get off the field. That's because the offense couldn't stay on the field long enough to matter.

Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz cooperated a bit by throwing three interceptions -- one to Denzel Ward and a pair to Grant Delpit -- that helped put a whopping three points on the board in the first half via a Cade York 37-yard field goal after Ward's theft at the Washington 36 on the third play of their initial possession of the game.

How can anyone come to that conclusion with a 14-point victory, you ask? Hold on.

A subsequent brain fart moment by Kevin Stefanski arrived after the defense enjoyed a rare a moment of success, forcing the Commanders to turn over the ball over on downs at the Cleveland 40. Five plays later, the Browns were at the Commanders' seven-yard line courtesy mainly of a 35-yard burst by Nick Chubb.

Here's where the malodorous flatulence emanates. York again capitalized on the turnover with a 25-yard field goal to stretch the lead to 6-0. Hold on. Washington special teamer Khaleke Hudson was flagged for offsides. This is where it gets interesting.

As I was writing in capital letters with five exclamation points, DO NOT TAKE POINTS OFF THE BOARD!!!!!, Stefanski took the points off the board. Guess I wasn't shouting loudly enough, Referee Bill Vinovich must not have believed that was Stefanski's decision and went over to him, apparently to make certain nothing got lost in the translation. 

So instead of a six-point lead, the head coach elected to accept the short penalty and go for the touchdown on fourth-and-goal at the Commanders' three. Guessing analytical analyses dictated going for the TD when conventional, rational thinking would keep the points on the board.

Deshaun Watson, who was having a nightmarish first half  (3 for 8 for 23 yards and three sacks) to begin with, picked up exactly 36 inches on, of all things, a quarterback draw that had no chance at best.

Still holding on? Good. It'll be worth it.

It got better -- and then worse, embarrassingly worse -- after Delpit picked off the first of his two interceptions, undercutting Curtis Samuel near midfield. The third play of the subsequent drive found Watson frantically scrambling on third down, avoiding several sack attempts, in an effort to extend the play.

He raced to the right flat, finally spotted an open teammate and threw a short pass in desperation. Traveled maybe 10 yards  It landed between the 7 and 8 on his uniform. Right tackle Jack Conklin, perhaps sheepishly, swatted it to the ground. The illegal touch penalty was declined, of course. Conklin was credited with a target.

After the three-and-out, the Commanders began the next drive just outside their goal line after punter Corey Bojorquez pinned them at their four-yard line. Eleven minutes and 48 seconds remained in the half.

When Wentz went airborne with his 6-5 frame and broke the plane of the goal line with his long reach on fourth and a foot a while later, it was the 21st play of the seemingly interminable 96-yard drive and removed an incredible 11:27 from the game clock. It was sustained by five successful third-down conversions.

So . . . ? Hold on. Here it comes

The Browns owned the football for four plays and just 115 seconds in the quarter, heading to the dressing room down in more ways than the 7-3 score. Whatever Stefanski said in the locker room resonated. The team that emerged for the second half in no way whatsoever resembled the one that entered.

The faces and uniform numbers were the same. But this group was different, They all began playing as though they wanted to win. Watson looked in mid-season form, although it was only his fifth game back from suspension,

He completed six of 10 passes for 146 yards and three touchdowns. After targeting him just once in the first half, he found Amari Cooper three times for 105 yards and two long touchdowns (45 and 33 yards) sandwiched around a 13-yard strike to Donovan Peoples-Jones on a clearing route as the offense scored on their first three possessions of the half.  All of a sudden, Stefanski looked like a genius.

A switch somewhere was flipped and the Cleveland offense turned the first 27 plays of the second half into 222 yards and the three scores in 14 minutes and 31 seconds. Just like that, it was 24-10.  (Joey 
Slye's 43-yard field goal in the fourth quarter avoided the second-half shutout for the Commanders.)

The Cleveland defense, meantime, took the offense's cue and shut down the Commanders' offense, limiting them to just 118 second-half yards -- only 46 yards on the ground after getting battered for 90 in the first 30 minutes -- and just one third-down conversion after six in the first half,

If you're searching for a reason the Browns are 7-9 heading into the season finale next Sunday in Pittsburgh, try this: This team for some puzzling reason has the ability to turn it on quickly, but also the ability to shut it off just as quicjky. That very well could be the reason they are 7-9 and stuck in neutral.