Monday leftovers

Just two items today . . . 

Given the importance of the moment, one has to wonder just what Kevin Stefanski was thinking Sunday when his Browns were one successful play away from upsetting the Seattle Seahawks and improving to 5-2.

It was third and three at the Cleveland 41with 2:03 left in regulation and a 20-17 lead. The ground game had been churning and grinding throughout the game. Every screen play had worked beautifully. 

What to do, what to do. A no-brainer you thought. I did, too. The last play on the list of possibilities had to be a forward pass. And for good reason.

The quarterback was P. J. Walker, fresh off the practice squad and filling a void created by Deshaun Watson's mysterious shoulder injury and the not-nearly-ready-for-prime-time rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson. 

Walker has shown enough in the brief time he has had the huddle that he cannot be trusted. Quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes II, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts can be trusted. Walker, a National Football League journeyman, is barely hanging on.

Stefanski comes from the coaching school that preaches to always give your men the best chance to make a play. "We had options there," Stefanski said Sunday of the play choice. "Certainly you can run and certainly you can pass it." Thinking that second certainly was not thinking clearly.

All he had to do was run the damn ball. If that fails to get the first down, force the Seahawks to take a timeout. Then summon punter Corey Bojorquez to bury them within a few yards of their end zone. It's called field position and Stefanski thumbed his nose at it.

Kareem Hunt, a grinder who thrives on situations like this and converted two previous short-yardage third downs earlier, was not in the huddle on the play choice. In fact, he didn't touch the football at all in the fourth quarter. He, like so many others, was puzzled by his benching. 

Asked Monday why Hunt wasn't used at all in the fourth quarter, Stefanski, replied, "Just a balancing of using all of our guys is really what it was." Huh? That's the reason? Once again, Stefanski word salad. 

He dialed up 14 plays in the fourth quarter before the eventual fateful play. All but three were runs with Jerome Ford carrying seven times for 35 yards, Pierre Strong Jr. twice for 14 yards and Walker gaining eight on a pair of RPO keepers. That's balancing among four men, one a quarterback? Really?

In thinking the situation through, Stefanski failed to take into consideration Walker had been taking a frightful beating when he dropped back to throw and had already thrown one interception and been strip-sacked. Protecting him had become extraordinarily difficult. Ball security was priority one, two and three.

Stefanski needed to reward his team, which had overcome first-quarter deficits of 14-0 and 17-7 and grabbed the lead midway through the final quarter. These guys needed to feel good about themselves. A comeback victory like this would sustain the momentum with a three-game win streak.

So when Walker dropped back and quickly drilled a throw toward a slanting Amari Cooper, Browns Nation held its breath. (Think Browns is Browns and Murphy's Law -- look it up -- about to bite the Browns once again.) 

The football ricocheted high off the' helmet of blitzing safety Jamal Adams as he tried to leap over right guard Wyatt Teller and landed in the arms of fellow safety Julian Love roughly 20 yards downfield. Stefanski labeled the result "tough." Tough? That's it? You have 17 precious chances in the regular season to win as many games as you can. Gagging this is inexcusable.

"Tough" is a rather casual approach to a heartbreaking loss especially when smarter coaching could have prevented it. This is not in the nature of a second guess. I genuinely believed Stefanski, an Ivy League graduate, was smart enough to ultimately do the right thing there.

I guess book smart does not translate well at all to the game of football.

As for whom to blame? This one's easy. This one's clearly on both the head coach and the playcaller.. Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory isn't easy.

* * * 

The NFL trading deadline is Tuesday afternoon at 4. Guessing here the Browns will take a pass, although General Manager Andrew Berry has a few things to fix and has to be overwhelmed to complete a deal. 

Reportedly, Berry and his head coach like this roster. But there are holes on offense that need to be addressed, most notably the offensive side of the football where Cleveland quarterbacks seem to have forgotten Donovan People-Jones was the second-leading wide receiver last season.

Asked about why DPJ seems to have disappeared this season -- he has been targeted only 18 times in seven games with eight receptions for 97 yards, and didn't get one look against Seattle -- Stefanski replied,  "Yeah, nothing. He continues to be dependable for us. Balls sometimes find ways to other guys. . . . That's all it is." 

More Stefanski word salad. Don't have to read between the lines on that one. Look for DPJ to be on the move.

* * * 

Finally . . . Judging from fans' reaction on social media over Sunday's outcome, they are practically begging for Berry to relieve Stefanski of his play-calling duties and hand them over to Alex Van Pelt, the Browns' titled offensive coordinator. The guess is he won't. A call like that probably has to come from someone much higher in the hierarchy. The Haslams had to be seething in Seattle Sunday.

So close . . . 

Just when it appeared the Browns would rack up their first three-game winning streak since the 2021 season Sunday in Seattle, playcaller Kevin Stefanski went in a different direction he had headed most of the afternoon. It cost them in a tough last-minute 24-20 loss.

The Browns had assiduously wiped out Seattle leads of 14-0 and 17-7 in the first quarter, catching up to the Seahawks at 17-17 with 7:29 left in the third quarter and taking the lead for the first time about five minutes later on a pair of Dustin Hopkins field goals.

The defense initially looked ominously like the unit the Indianapolis Colts carved up a week ago before the offense rescued it in a one-point victory. A very long afternoon loomed. And then just like that, things began to click on both sides of the football.

The defense slammed it into lockdown mode and stifled the Seattle offense for the next seven possessions. Thirty plays yielded just 117 yards and produced five punts and interceptions by Martin Emerson Jr. and an acrobatic pick by defensive tackle Maurice Hurst II.

Offensively, Stefanski wisely hauled out the screen play to help quarterback P.J.Walker, who had labored somewhat under siege from the Seattle pass rush. Screen left, screen right, screen right up the gut. Made no difference. Every time Stefanski dialed it up, which as it turned out wasn't often enough, it worked.

Three straight screens to running backs Kareem Hunt (12 yard middle), Pierre Strong Jr. (41 yards left) and tight end David Njoku (18 yards middle for the score) in the opening quarter led to Cleveland's first touchdown of the day and seemed to inspire the defense. Njoku later added eight yards and 41 more yards on middle screens.

Everything seemed under control. The ground game, which has compiled 310 yards in the last two games, showed up again behind a strong performance from the offensive line. The new three-headed monster of Hunt, Strong and Jerome Ford put up another 155 yards

The offensive line won a vast majority of its battles. And that's what's so puzzling about Stefanski's decisions as the the clock wound down. He had called such a nice game once utilizing the ground game and the occasional screen pass.

The defense zealously protected the lead once achieved with a key stop with about six minutes left in regulation, Myles Garrett collecting his only sack of the afternoon on third and 10 at the Seattle 39 to produce a punt. The loud Seahawk fans were silenced and looked discouraged.

All the Browns needed was a nice long chains-moving, clock-running drive starting at their 11. Walker had thrown only one interception all day and the running game was humming. 

He's the kind of quarterback you get religious about when he drops back to throw. He is an interception  waiting to happen. Inconsistency has followed him his entire career. But the Browns are in a position now where they have to trust him.

And that is what Stefanski did on third and three when they reached their 41 just before the two-minute warning. Moments earlier, the Browns caught a break when Seattle cornerback Riq Woolen was flagged for illegally putting his hands in the face of wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones on third down.

New set of downs. Runs by Walker on an RPO keeper and Strong gained seven yards. By then, they had burned 3:39 off the clock. So what's the call? Another RPO keeper by Walker? Strong, Hunt and Ford were fresh. Hunt is money in short-yardage situations. The offensive line hadn't let up. 

Nope. Time out Cleveland just before the two-minute warning. Why? Guess we'll find out Monday.

So who do you trust here? What's working? That's easy. The running game and screens. One hadn't been called since late in the third quarter and it was wiped out by a Joel Bitonio holding penalty. Time to trust the offensive line, no?

No.

What was it legendary Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes often said about throwing the football? "Three things can happen when you throw the ball and two of them are bad," he said.

Stefanski instead chose to put all his trust in Walker, who dropped back and tried to hit a slanting Amari Cooper. The ball caromed off the helmet of Seahawks blitzing safety Jamal Adams and ricocheted about 20 yards downfield into the waiting hands of Seattle safety Julian Love at the Seahawks' 43.

This is one time where an incomplete pass wouldn't have been distasteful. No Corey Bojorquez punt to pin the Seahawks deep in their territory with precious little time left. That was gone.

Not sure whether the defense had worn itself out holding the Seahawks scoreless the entire second half. But they sure looked different, playing what used to be called prevent defense. And you know what they said about that -- all it prevents is winning.

Three straight pass completions by quarterback Geno Smith to wide receivers Tyler Lockett and D. J. Metcalf and tight end Noah Fant, mixed in with some questionable tackling, quickly moved the ball to the Cleveland 14. At this point, the Seahawks weren't thinking tying field goal.  

A penalty for too many men on the field against the seemingly baffled Cleveland defense moved the ball five yards closer. That's where Smith connected with rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who used a Metcalf block to cruise in for the score. Jason Myers' extra point eliminated the possibility of a tying field goal.

Three subsequent Walker incompletions sandwiched around a nine-yard sack put this one in the woulda . . . coulda . . .  shoulda . . . didn't category.

Three in a row?

It's put-up-or-shut-up-time for the Browns' defense Sunday in the Pacific Northwest against the Seattle Seahawks. 

Which one will show up this time? The unit that had chroniclers of the National Football League scrambling back to the past to find teams that put up such incredibly gobsmacking numbers in four of the first six games? Or is it the unit that was smacked around throughly by Baltimore and Indianapolis?

The 38 points the Colts put up last Sunday was stunning because it was the first time this season that side of the football for the Browns had been outfought and outmaneuvered by an opponent. The Baltimore and Pittsburgh losses were more a result of an offense that played carelessly.

At this point of the season with an offensive unit that has yet to come even close to the consistency that needs to partner with the defense and write a remarkable comeback story, this game should provide the answer.

Playing against a Seahawks team coached by Pete Carroll is not easy. He's the franchise's most successful head coach. But playing against that team in their stadium, considered the loudest from a decibel standpoint by far in football, is downright scary. 

In 108 home games under the 71-year-old head coach since 2010, the Seahawks have won an incredible 69.4% of the time. Emerging victorious Sunday would rank right up there with the upset of San Francisco a few weeks ago.

As a general rule, Seahawks fans come to life when the opposition owns the football. And with the wildly inconsistent P. J. Walker in charge of the Cleveland huddle for who knows how long and Deshaun Watson once again prowling the sidelines, it doesn't take much to mess up the rhythm and timing it takes to be effective.

That's where the Browns' defense comes in. Considering its mysterious inconsistency lately, shutting down the Seahawks offense and getting the ball back for the offense becomes the latest litmus test in what has become a must-win situation. It will definitely be less noisy when Seattle has the ball.

It seems all hands will be on board for this one. No major injuries appear on the latest injury report and Sione Takitaki, who missed the Colts victory, is listed as questionable with a hamstring, which usually means he'll suit up with his availability determined in pre-game warmups.

Running back Jerome Ford, thought to be out for a few weeks with a high ankle sprain, is also listed as questionable. His availability would relieve some of the pressure on Walker to win this game with his arm, which would be a first for the former member of the practice squad. If Ford can't go, Kareem Hunt and Pierre Strong Jr., who has looked good in short bursts lately, are ready.

Also on the questionable list is offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. with foot and ankle miseries. Head coach Kevin Stefanski indicated James Hudson III would start if Wills can't make it. That portends all kinds of trouble against a defense that has rung up 23 sacks. Hudson makes Wills look a lot better than he really is. 

Why not shift former college tackle Joel Bitonio one slot over to replace Wills and insert Michael Dunn at left guard, saving Hudson for only short-yardage situations? It strengthens the pass protection the  undersized Walker needs badly.

The defense's primary goal? First and foremost, reestablish the consistency that enabled them to be the talk of the league. Clamp down on a Seattle offense that averages 330 yards a game, mostly through the air with veteran Geno Smith methodically at the helm. Smith revived his cratering career last season with 30 touchdown passes after the Seahawks traded Russell Wilson to Denver.

On the ground, Kenneth Walker Jr. is the main man with 450 yards and a half dozen touchdowns, helping Smith to keep opposing defenses honest. And with receivers like Tyler Lockett, D. K. Metcalf and rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba putting up nice numbers, the Cleveland secondary is in for another fun afternoon.

It will be interesting to see what Stefanski has in mind for Walker, who took every snap in practice this week. He has had all week to see with whom his quarterback has either established or developed a pass-catch relationship from a timing standpoint. 

A lot more of tight end David Njoku and wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones on the menu wouldn't hurt, either, since Stefanski has chosen instead to get Elijah Moore maybe a little too involved in the game plan lately. And a little more for Amari Cooper in the first half, not like last Sunday's shutout.

Then there comes a point when relying too heavily on the placekicking artistry of Dustin Hopkins, who is directly responsible for the current two-game winning streak, is dangerous. It's pretty sad the kicker, with apologies to Myles Garrett, is currently the team's most valuable player.

This result of this one will be antithetical to last week's scorefest. The Seahawks clearly have the better offense. But their defense allows 235 yards a game through the air. And where are the Browns weakest on offense? It has to be defense and Hopkins or else bye-bye winning streak. Start waving. Make it:

Seahawks 25, Browns 14 (yep, four more from Hopkins and a safety)

Watson clueless on return

The success of the 2023 season for the Browns is rooted more on hope than it is reality. At least that's how Deshaun Watson sees it, although he didn't come right out and admit it in his session with the media Thursday.

He basically revealed he has no idea on how long the rotator cuff injury, the one that that has for all practical purposes shelved him for a month, will last. 

"I thought I was ready (for the Indianapolis Colts) last Sunday," he said. "I wasn't. I didn't have the strength or things like that to be able to go out there and play . . . a complete game." 

Did his body fool him? I don't know. I'm not a doctor.  It was reported he seemed okay in practice last week. But Watson has been around long enough to know there is a world of difference between practice, where no one is allowed to touch him, and games, where he is the prime target.

The speed of the game is also what caused him to look like a rookie making his first National Football League start against the Colts, who were practically frothing to do major damage. That, too, will be a factor until he strings games together and becomes more accustomed to the difference.

Now the question becomes how long Watson will be in the current protocol. He's strictly rehabbing this week, recovering from residual swelling of the original injury, a bruised muscle attached to his rotator cuff. It prevents him from cutting loose with his passes. 

Watson's guess: "As soon as possible. We've just got to go through the process again and rehab and get back to the docs and try to strengthen as much as possible and get the pain away and try to get back on the field as soon as possible," he said.

Rinse, wash, repeat. It's a recovery in slow motion that is quickly diminishing chances of returning to the postseason. Only10 games left after Sunday's trip to Seattle.

Structurally, everything else is sound. But until the muscle is completely healed, there is no way Watson should be allowed to suit up and risk swelling again. For every two or three steps forward, all it takes is one major setback to blow everything up.

The Cleveland media is calling on Browns General Manager Andrew Berry to bring Jacoby Brissett, last season's quarterback now a backup with the Washington Commanders, back to Cleveland due to his familiarity with Kevin Stefanski's offense. 

Makes sense. Trading deadline is in five days. How Berry deals with this will tell all you need to know about how desperate he is.

Time to get smart

It's time. Time for the Browns to do the correct thing and seriously think about shutting down Deshaun Watson for the rest of the 2023 season instead of waffling and hoping and praying on a weekly basis when the inevitable is right in front of them.

Shut him down before he really gets hurt to the point where his future is threatened. Time to stop playing games with the media and fans. The young man is injured badly enough where it has been a month since he's been able to ply his craft with any degree of success.

The Browns tried to find out Sunday in Indianapolis against the Colts and the results were worse than horrendous. They were embarrassing. Head coach Kevin Stefanski finally saw enough after four possessions and yanked him, in spite of his protestations, to insure he wouldn't get roughed up more.

Fact is, Watson should never have played. He should have taken at least another week or two off. To say he was confused, indecisive and wildly inaccurate with his passes would be a gross understatement. He had a bull's-eye on his back and the Colts hit it often and hit it hard. He did not belong on that field.

This is no longer a day-to-day situation. So stop with that nonsense. The public relations aspect of this entire matter is being totally mishandled, leaning more toward hope than reality. 

At best, it is becoming more month-to-month and even then there are few signs that indicate Watson's recovery process is improving. The season is getting shorter and the wealthy quarterback is stuck in a whirlwind of frustration.

The good news from the Browns Wednesday was an MRI revealed no damage to the affected area (strained rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder) from the Colts game. The better news was P. J. Walker, who relieved Watson in the 39-38 victory, will start Sunday against the Seahawks in Seattle.

Better news? Only comparatively. Walker is better right now than either of the other two quarterbacks on the roster. He's healthy and a veteran of the NFL wars. Not exactly worthy of any degree of optimism.

Fans could argue Walker was the quarterback of record in the last two games, victories that elevated the Browns to 4-2 and back in the hunt in the AFC North. So why be so negative about the guy? Easy. 

The Browns would be 2-4 today if the rookie kicker for the San Francisco 49ers had not missed an easy 41-yard field goal in the final seconds 10 days ago; and if officials in the secondary Sunday in Indianapolis had not pulled yellow laundry out of their pockets and tossed them for calls that were bogus at best.

The only reason Walker gets the nod over Dorian Thompson-Robinson is because Stefanski does not trust the rookie. Who could blame him after what happened to the kid a month ago against Baltimore when Watson shut himself down before that game to trigger this growing saga.

So buckle up for many more chapters in the weeks to come. By then, it's anybody's guess where the Browns will be in the AFC North standings.

Monday's leftovers

Is there any question, now that we've seen an extremely different-looking Deshaun Watson during his brief four-possession cameo in Sunday's 39-38 victory Sunday in Indianapolis, that the Browns' offense is closing in on critical condition after just six games.

Yes, this is a very talented team on that side of the football. With one critical exception. Their best quarterback is not even close to being effective, let alone healthy enough to play. He looked hesitant, unsure and clearly out of rhythm in a 12-snap performance. 

He looked dazed and confused and clearly out of synch against the Colts. He just didn't look right. That's what an almost month-long layoff can do to any player, especially a quarterback, whose success often relies on rhythm and timing. 

Head coach Kevin Stefanski, starting Watson out of desperation, called it a day for his $230 million quarterback after he was rudely thrown to the ground while attempting to pass. "I felt like I wanted to protect him," he explained after the game. "I did not want to see him get hurt. He was hit hard."

Well, yeah, that's the way they play football in the NFL. If he wants to protect Watson, then dial up plays that require him to get the ball out early. The question there, though, is whether he is that kind of quarterback. 

Most of his success in the league has come with an offense that features run-pass options that require leaving the pocket and making plays with his feet with occasional passes from the pocket that stretch the field. 

No one knows how long it will be before Watson is sound enough to take the battering most NFL quarterbacks absorb. It becomes a guessing game for Stefanski, who relies on the club's medical team. Even then, the meds cleared Watson for the Baltimore game before he shut himself down in pre-game warmups.

Stefanski, nevertheless, is not going to be deterred by Sunday's dismal showing against the Colts and has already said Watson will be ready for next Sunday's game in Seattle against the Seahawks.

Ready for what? More punishment? His offensive line is no longer one of the best in pass protection in the NFL. He needs at least four seconds to throw. The best they can give him is three. What's more, he is nowhere near being ready to come back from a lingering throwing-arm shoulder injury and taking charge again.

Stefanski is in a delicate, almost helpless position. He knows a healthy Watson is his best hope and all he can do, probably frustratingly, is inform the media on a daily basis that Watson is day-to-day. 

We've seen enough of P. J. Walker and rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback now to know it is vitally important to get Watson healthy as soon as possible. Walker is just barely adequate and an interception waiting to happen. DTR is more athletic. And not at all ready. That's about it. 

And that is why even a modestly healthy Watson needs to be the man the rest of the way. Because if he isn't, the outstanding Browns defense will be frazzled by early December at the earliest and likely incapable of rescuing the offense.

* * * 

Stefanski pronounced himself proud of what his team accomplished against the Colts. "We needed moxie, we needed guts, we needed grit," he said. "We needed all of it today."

He neglected to mention one other attribute that played a massive role in the comeback when all hope appeared extinguished in the final moments. "We needed luck," he could have said because that is what he got to win the game.

Two penalty calls against the Colts in the waning moments of regulation tilted the momentum substantially in the Browns' favor and were a major factor in the Cleveland victory. 

A strip sack of Walker and recovery on third and four at the Colts 13, which would have ended the game right there, was wiped out by an very iffy illegal contact penalty. Then an interference call on a pass that was catchable (maybe) by only Victor Wembanyama in the end zone placed the ball on the one-yard line.

Both calls were borderline at best. Gene Steratore, a former referee who is CBS-TV's expert at judging ultimate decisions via replay, thought so, too but didn't fault the on-field officials. 

Browns fans, used to getting the short end of decisions like this in the past, loved it. Colts fans, like Browns fans over the years, couldn't understand how their victory was stolen.

It is said that luck is the residue of hard work. In this case, that would be true because of the outcome. The offense did, indeed, work hard in a clutch situation to save this one from winding up in the wrong column. They got real lucky.

* * *

Hard to believe Stefanski didn't target Amari Cooper in the first half against the Colts. He totally ignored his best receiver. What was he thinking? He overcorrected course in the second half, targeting Cooper eight times. The first came on the second play of the second half. It was the first of six incompletions. Only two were successful for 22 yards.

Why do I get the feeling Stefanski has way too much on his mind as the games unfold and his offense suffers. Not certain how communications work on the sidelines during a game, but someone in the first 30 minutes should have pointed out Cooper was being ignored.

You can't play feast or famine with your best guy and expect him to maintain his concentration. Cooper needs to be rewarded with the football at least eight or nine times a game. Keep him busy. Biggest problem there is the best thrower on the team is hurt.

* * * 

Finally . . . Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz needs to have a nice sitdown sometime this week with his secondary, who put on a poor display of tackling against the Colts. Prime example: Second play of a Colts possession early fourth quarter right after Dustin Hopkins had given the Browns a 33-32 lead with a 58-yard field goal, Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr, snagged a 15-yard pass from Gardner Minshew III at the Indy 40, shook off attempted tackles by cornerbacks Greg Newsome II, who had a clean shot, and Martin Emerson Jr. and completed the 75-yard play. That needs to be addressed pronto.

Lucky? Uh huh

After what happened to their team Sunday, fans of the Indianapolis Colts now know exactly how Browns fans have felt for the better part of the last 25 National Football League seasons.

Victories frequently became losses with little room to explain, let alone understand, just how and why they occurred. It was empty feeling after empty feeling attempting to deal with the whys and hows of games that strangely wound up on the wrong side of the ledger.

Empathy for followers of the Colts had to pour forth Sunday from fans of the Browns, whose team ping-ponged back and forth all afternoon en route to a 39-38 road victory that seemed improbable with mere minutes left in regulation.

Late questionable calls by officials that usually slammed the doors of hope for the Browns over the years opened for them against the Colts on the final drive of the game after they had taken a 38-33 lead with 5:38 to go when Gardner Minshew II hooked up with Michael Pittman Jr on a 75-yard catch and run.

After the teams traded quick three-and-outs, the Browns traveled 80 yards in 12 plays, Kareem Hunt squeezing in his second touchdown of the game from a yard out on fourth down. P. J.Walker, who had replaced Deshaun Watson at quarterback late in the opening quarter after Watson was injured again, kept the drive alive with a sensational 30-yard hookup with Elijah Moore on third and 20 at the Cleveland 20.  

Connections with Amari Cooper, who strangely wasn't targeted until the second half, and Donovan Peoples-Jones ultimately moved the football to the Indy 16. Then it got weirdly interesting. 

An E.J. Speed strip sack of Walker and recovery on third down was wiped out by a suspicious illegal contact call on Colts cornerback Darrell Baker Jr. Next play, Baker was flagged again for interference with DPJ on a pass that was clearly uncatchable, landing well outside the end zone.

What's going on here? These incidents usually happen to the Browns. Three incomplete passes later, Hunt scrunched in behind offensive lineman Nick Harris, completing the miracle.

The Browns will take it, of course, but unlike last week's upset of the San Francisco 49ers, which was richly earned with a little help from luck, they know this one was headed disastrously toward evening the record at 3-3.

For the first time this season, the defense, with the exception of Myles Garrett, looked like imposters. They weren't even close to looking like the unit that stunned the NFL in the first five games, racking up ridiculous stats. On this day, though, busted coverages, atrocious (being kind here) tackling, being caught out of position and numerous bouts of confusion were among the culprits.

It's entirely possible they took the 3-3 Colts lightly and didn't think they needed to bring their A game. The Colts took advantage, racking up 456 yards on offense (the previous high was 296), 20 first downs (16), 288 net yards passing (200) and became the first team this season to win time of possession (32:31).

Minshew, 15 of 23 for 305 yards and long-distance scoring throws to rookie Josh Downs (59 yards) and Pittman, also scored twice. It took six games, but you can bet teams will seek tape on this one to see just how the Colts exposed the Cleveland secondary -- and defense overall -- rather handily.

Minshew is the kind of well-traveled journeyman who can come in and instantly pick up an offense unlike Walker, who by now must have more than a few fans nervous when he has the huddle. Throws like the one to Moore are far too few and even more in-between.

The Browns also better hope Watson is not badly hurt to the point where Walker is pressed into action. His talent suggests his best residence on this team is the practice squad. Unfortunately, it's too late for General Manager Andrew Berry to fix that problem.

You just can't snap your fingers, bring in a tested veteran looking for a job and expect him to be good to go right out of the chute. It doesn't work that way. It takes a while for any new quarterback to learn a new system and the nomenclature of the playbook. 

This should have been handled when Berry shipped Joshua Dobbs to Arizona for a future draft choice at the beginning of the season. Walker and rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson are nowhere close to the answer if Watson's physical troubles continue.

Of course the GM didn't anticipate Watson being out of commission for this long. That's not the point. He should have had someone like Minshew ready just in case. Better to have that veteran on the roster and not need him than not have him and need him.

Watson was in for four brief possessions, taking 13 snaps. He sure looked good handing off to Jerome Ford on the third play of the game with a front row look as the young running back looked like Nick Chubb, racing untouched on a 69-yard scoring journey. The other possessions ended in a pick, three-and-out and another pick that was overturned by replay. 

Garrett was the lone defender who actually wanted to play. His virtuoso performance included nine tackles (seven solo), a pair of strip sacks, two quarterback hits, one pass defensed and a spectacular block of a Matt Gay field-goal attempt that will be shown all night on SportsCenter's Top 10. Should be No. 1.

With 10 minutes left in the second quarter, Colts kicker Matt Gay lined up for a 60-yard field-goal attempt. The 6-4, 270-pound edge rusher literally -- and cleanly -- hurdled the middle of the Indy offensive line at the snap, landed on his feet and easily blocked the attempt.

The offense, in the midst of beginning to stagger at that point, gained only inches in three plays before the extremely reliable Dustin Hopkins connected on the first of his four field goals from 44 yards. The others were from 54, 54 and a career-high 58 yards. 

In doing so, he set a league record with at least one 50+ field goal in five straight games. A career 50% kicker from long range, he is perfect on seven attempts thus far. 

The Browns wanted consistency out of Hopkins. Instead, they've been rewarded with brilliance. That brilliance has saved the offense numerous times. He has scored 56 of the Browns' 134 points this season. That's 41.8%. And an indictment on the offense.

Hopkins is money. But he can't be expected to do this every week. That's unrealistic. 

There are still 11 games left. The defense will come around. It's too good not to. The offense, which seems stuck in neutral, is a different matter. And a worrisome one at best.

With fingers crossed

If he's smart, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski should tailor his pre-game speech to his troops Sunday morning before their game in Indianapolis against the Colts in a direction Kyle Shanahan apparently didn't a week ago when his unbeaten San Francisco 49ers visited the struggling Browns.

The Niners were fresh off obliterating the Dallas Cowboys and feeling awfully good about themselves. Good enough, in fact, they subconsciously probably believed all they had to do was show up in Cleveland and stretching the undefeated streak to six games was a mere formality.

Not in the on-any-given-Sunday National Football League it isn't as the Browns proved with a shocking 19-17 victory led on offense by a practice squad quarterback. It's a triumph that could conceivably send the wrong message to the Browns, who take on the far less talented Colts.

That's what's facing Stefanski as he tries to play the schedule one game at a time. He needs to corral his team and crawl inside their heads for this trap game. Convince them that if it can happen to the best team in the league, it can happen to anybody. The 49ers victory is -- or should now be -- ancient history. 

Even with major season-ending injuries (Nick Chubb and Jack Conklin), the Browns are still the better team. And with Deshaun Watson reportedly at the point in his shoulder rehab where he is now listed as questionable, which means he'll probably start, the Cleveland offense is almost whole again.

For the third time this season, the Browns will attempt to stitch together back-to-back victories. After stunning the Cincinnati Bengals in the season opener, the offense gagged the second game against Pittsburgh.

Game three produced the best overall performance of the season against Tennessee, followed by the walloping by Baltimore as Watson sat out with a weird shoulder injury and Dorian Thompson-Robinson clearly played like a wide-eyed rookie.

The schedule thus far has unfolded rhythmically, the Browns winning on the odd weeks (1, 3, 5) and losing on the even weeks (2, 4) with game six Sunday. For the record, the Browns last won two straight games in weeks 12 and 13 last season against Tampa Bay and Houston.

This is the perfect opportunity for the Browns to step up and take charge at a point in the schedule where they become road warriors with three of the next four and five of the next seven games away from home, including two trips to the west coast.

The Cleveland defense most likely will have to deal with a Colts offense trending more toward the ground game with the return of former All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor, back after missing most of the 2022 season with ankle miseries and a contract holdout that ended recently.

Taylor and Zack Moss, who has run for 466 yards and four touchdowns, represent a challenge for the Browns' defensive line, which has limited opposing running backs to just 75 yards a game. The whole idea is forcing Indy quarterback Gardner Minshew to throw the football.

The somewhat erratic Minshew replaced Anthony Richardson at quarterback after shoulder surgery ended the season for the club's No. 1 draft choice a few games ago. His primary targets are Michael Pittman Jr. (40-460-1), rookie Josh Downs (28-276-1), Alex Pierce (11-149), Walker and Moss.

It will be interesting to see how Stefanski utilizes Watson, should he indeed start, with the Cleveland ground game showing signs of coming around. Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt racked up 131 of the club's 160 yards infantry style last week against the 49ers.

It's not Nick Chubb by any stretch, but it showed the cohesion that had been missing following Chubb's season-ending injury had not totally disappeared. And with Joel Bitonio returning to left guard after minor knee surgery, more of the same please might be in order.

Utilizing Ford's speed and Hunt's dogged slashing style should enable Stefanski to protect Watson to the point where he would be more of a game manager, focusing more on moving the chains and draining the game clock.

Then turn loose Jim Schwartz's defense, which has redefined the word spectacular, against a Colts offense still  learning how to play with Minshew. In theory, it should be a bountiful afternoon against a Colts offensive line that has surrendered 18 sacks.

Fighting with myself as to how to pick this one. Part of me says it's time to finally pick the Browns for the first time this season to win. They are definitely the better team. So what are you waiting for? The other part brings up the notion this defense is due for a bad game. Time to cross fingers and trust the game six result blows up the season rhythm. Make it:

Browns 23, Colts 15

Mid-week thoughts

Kareem Hunt gets the nod for the most cogent remark after the Browns pulled off the most startling upset of the National Football League season last Sunday.

"It's about time we got a little luck," the running back said following the 19-17 home victory over the undefeated San Francisco 49ers, an outcome that under ordinary circumstances probably would have turned out quite differently.

By ordinary circumstances, I mean this franchise has lived under a strange dark cloud for the last quarter century that has bedeviled it to the point where enormous amounts of losing in ways that often seem otherworldly have become the norm.

Losses have been snatched from victories so often since the return in 1999 after an underserved three-year absence, Browns fans have become accustomed to not believing a game was over until it actually was. Murphy's Law -- anything that can go wrong will go wrong at the worst possible time -- has paid them an inordinate number of visits.

It often reaches the point where many fans actually believe the NFL does not want the Browns to win anything. That they are still searching for their first division championship in 25 seasons serves as ample proof. 

Of course it's not true. The real culprit has been terrible ownership that has produced dysfunctional front offices which filters down to the product on the field. That has changed this season. 

In Sunday's victory, for example, 49ers kicker Jake Moody would have made that 41-yard field goal in the last half minute of regulation to give the Niners a 20-19 victory under ordinary circumstances instead of having a Cade York moment and pushing it about 18 inches wide of the right upright.

The 49ers defense also would have intercepted Browns quarterback P. J. Walker at least four times instead of just twice, including one late in the fourth quarter that was mishandled in the end zone by linebacker Oren Burks. Two plays later, Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins' fourth field goal of the game gave the Browns the two-point lead.

There were other instances in the game where little things that normally would have been called in favor of the visitors instead went Cleveland's way. It all must have looked very strange to Cleveland fans anticipating an entirely different result. The frenzied response to Moody's miss had to be remarkably rewarding.

That's what Hunt, a native Clevelander who grew up a Browns fan and is well aware of the bad luck that has followed this franchise for a generation, meant by his "about time we got a little luck" remark. 

* * *

I have followed the Browns for a very long time. Longer than I care to admit. And I have never seen them play defense like this. Ever. It is truly amazing. 

When they hired Jim Schwartz to coordinate this crew, I had every reason to believe that side of the football would be considerably better than the last three seasons under Joe Woods, whose passive approach to defense was befuddling. 

To reach this level, though, was not expected. It is at the point where this abundantly talented group has to a large degree become the face of the franchise. The offense is struggling and the special teams outside of Hopkins, just meh. The Browns are at 3-2 entering Sunday's game in Indianapolis because of this defense.

Schwartz is unquestionably the club's best acquisition this season. In transforming the Cleveland defense into the best in the league by far, he has every member not only believing in him, they have to a man totally bought into his system.

He has made playing defense fun.

The defensive line smothers the ground game, gets up close and personal with opposing quarterbacks and keeps the quick and athletic linebackers clean for the most part, allowing them to make plays close to, if not at, the line of scrimmage.

The secondary plays sticky, suffocating pass defense. Niners quarterback Brock Purdy, a 70% passer thus season, checked in at 44% Sunday and looked more like the last pick in the 2022 college draft than the one who came into the game with a 10-game regular-season winning streak since taking over last season.

* * *

It looks as though P. J. Walker will make his second straight start Sunday against the Colts with Deshaun Watson still struggling with a rotator cuff strain that limits his ability to fire the football. History of such injuries indicates it takes six to eight weeks to recover. He's at three weeks now.

There is no question Walker is the better choice over rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who showed he isn't close to being ready for prime time in the Baltimore loss. But head coach/playcaller Kevin Stefanski needs to rein him in.

He tends to get reckless with some of his throws, but looks comfortable executing screen passes and high-percentage short-to-medium range efforts. He was lucky against the 49ers, taking advantage of a busted coverage, hooking up with Amari Cooper on a 58-yard catch and run that led to the only Cleveland touchdown of the day, a 16-yard run by Hunt midway through the second quarter. (More on that one later.)

* * *

Stefanski needs to take every Jet sweep out of the playbook and start a bonfire that destroys every one of them. He's got to realize his offensive line has trouble blocking for such a play. It usually winds up with e a loss or holding penalty. 

Stefanski called it again after Martin Emerson Jr. picked off a Purdy pass early in the third quarter and returned it to the Cleveland 48. Instead of running the football north and south, which they did well all afternoon, he dialed up the east-west sweep with wideout Elijah Moore.

The great field position evaporated with a three-yard loss and a hold on Donovan Peoples-Jones. The possession ended three plays later. A similar play in the Baltimore loss resulted in a 20-yard loss.  

Kudos, however, to Stefanski on the lone touchdown call, Hunt's 16-yard burst around left end midway through the second quarter. After advancing the ball to the Niners 16 shortly after Cooper's big catch and run, the Browns had a third-and-one. 

In came Harrison Bryant, presumably for a sneak and out went Walker. The tight end has become the Browns' short-yardage specialist, Unbalanced line left. The Niners stacked the line expecting the sneak.

Tight end Jordan Akins, lined up slot right, motioned back to the left as Bryant took the snap and flipped the ball to Hunt. He followed Akins, who delivered the key block at the point of attack, and seal blocks by DPJ and Jedrick Wills Jr. untouched into the end zone.

Really nice play executed perfectly. 

* * *

Finally . . . Why is Stefanski ignoring DPJ? He's the second-best receiver on the team -- from this viewpoint -- but has been targeted just 15 times this season with six receptions for 75 yards. Moore, meanwhile, has been targeted 36 times with 21 grabs for 167 yards. What's wrong with this picture? . . .  Moore has also run the ball eight times this season and gained a whopping 11 yards. He's a wide receiver, not a gadget guy. Can the cute stiff. Throw the football to him. . . . Hopkins is 12 of 14 on field goals this season, missing both between 40-49, and perfect on five PAT. He is also perfect of four 50+ field goals. . . . Hope Stefanski noticed Jerome Ford ran for 84 yards against a pretty good defense Sunday.

Bye-week leftovers

Welcome back everyone except you, Deshaun Watson. Understand your faculties and shoulder aren't quite where you want them for Sunday's home game against the San Francisco 49ers. 

They're only the best team in the National Football League right now and your teammates sure could use your talents to at least suit up and make it a game. Another dose of Dorian Thompson-Robinson and the Browns might as well phone in the forfeit.

Your head coach Monday said you'd be ready to go when you're "functionally ready." Not really sure what that means. A follow-up question elicited this: "I'm not going to get into specifics about Sunday. I know it's a broken record, but really just treat (the condition) day by day,"

Assuming the medical clearance you received for the Baltimore game a week ago but declined because you didn't have all your faculties is the reason you're not quite "functionally ready" now. Your head coach made that clear, too.

"The piece there that's important is medically cleared versus functionally able to do your job," he said. "That's what all of our guys, when you're working through an injury, you need to be able to functionally perform. That's what Deshaun is working very hard in his rehab to be able to get back to 100%."

So why clear them medically if they're not able to be functionally able to perform? Wait, never mind. 

I give up because I don't believe we'll ever find out because every explanation will be nothing more than a explosion of words that initially sound plausible, but really aren't. If the $230 million man isn't ready, functionally or otherwise, by Sunday, it's more serious than originally thought.

* * * 

The Niners have plundered through their first five games with exquisite ease, dominating on both sides of the football. They have scored at least 30 points in every game with the NFL's most dangerous offense on every level and played the stingiest football in the league, allowing a league-best 68 points. 

They can beat you in many different ways. Offensively, they average four touchdowns a game. No one has stopped Christian McCaffrey, arguably the best all-around running back in the NFL. He has rung up 678 yards running and receiving already with eight touchdowns. (The Browns have scored seven touchdowns.)

Through the air, the Cleveland secondary gets its biggest challenge yet this season with wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle, all considered extremely dangerous. Kittle is coming off a three-touchdown virtuoso performance last Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.

The ringmaster of this three-ring circus is one of the great stories of 2022. Brock Purdy was the Mr. Irrelevant of the 2022 college draft, the 49ers grabbing the little-known Iowa State quarterback with the final overall pick. Only a few wondered why. They found out several months later.

Injuries to Trey Lance early last season and Jimmy Garoppolo with five games left forced head coach Kyle Shanahan to turn to Purdy and the kid went unbeaten through to the NFC championship game against Philadelphia, where he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm early in the game.

In baseball, that's Tommy John surgery territory. Purdy rehabbed all offseason and stepped right in as if nothing had changed and had the huddle in the season opener. He hauls a 10-game unbeaten streak in the regular season to the lakefront Sunday.

He is meticulous to a fault. He almost never makes mistakes it seems. His next interception this season will be his first. The 49ers just don't beat themselves. Only two turnovers in five games and a +7 turnover ratio. The Browns (-7) haven't played a game this season when they haven't turned the ball over. 

Defensively, this will be the best front the beleaguered Cleveland offensive line will face. Here's a scary thought: Left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr.'s main job will be keeping Nick Bosa away from whoever plays quarterback. Oy!

* * * 

Yep, the Niners are just the kind of team the Browns don't need coming out of the bye. They're struggling on offense with a scheme that sputters way too often. There is rare cohesive timing between the quarterback and everyone else. They haven't reached any semblance of being dangerous.

The head coach/playcaller needs to dumb down his offense. Get back to basics because not much else is working outside occasional pass connections between Watson and Amari Cooper. Scrap everything else because the diversity of this offense is shot. Keep it simple.

You know, lots of screens, counters, traps. whams, stretch plays. Basically high-percentage, low-risk stuff that is reasonably easy to execute. Forget the crazy stuff. That's proven too difficult to execute.

Here it is game five and the head coach still doesn't know how to work Elijah Moore into the offense. We heard so much during training camp about how exciting this offense was going to be. We're still waiting. Moore is a wide receiver. Period. Burn all the plays (sweeps) that head east and west. They're not working.

Also wondering if the head coach has figured out how to utilize speedy veteran Marquise Goodwin other than go routes? Every time he dials one up, the ball is underthrown. Goodwin has to slow down, enabling a defender to catch up. If that's all he's good for, let him go.

* * * 

As for the Cleveland defense, a quick look back at how badly they played in the Ravens loss revealed badly only in relation to how spectacularly they played in the first three games.

Until the 8:49 mark of the second quarter, all they gave up was a gimme touchdown after the Ravens picked off the first of three DTR passes and brought it back to the Cleveland 10, Lamar Jackson rambling the 10 yards on the first play.

The defense looked more like last season's porous crew on consecutive possessions of 93 yards (eight plays) and 74 yards (10 plays), sandwiched around a Browns three-and-out, and all of a sudden a 7-3 game became a 21-3 game. Nine very bad minutes was the difference. The Baltimore offense generated only 291 yards in the game, 167 of those on those possessions.

The tough Cleveland defense returned in the second half, allowing one more score (after another DTR pick), a possession that started at the Cleveland 38 and took nearly four minutes. Put them together and it's 13 minutes of bad defensive football that leads me to think it might be a bit premature to believe that defense is history.

* * * 

Who is the WR2 on this roster? Moore? Hardly. David Bell? An afterthought. Goodwin? See above. Cedric Tillman? Is he still on the roster? The rookie finally saw his first action in the Baltimore loss. One catch for five yards late in the game.

How about Donovan Peoples-Jones? Why of course. So why is he being misused by the head coach-playcaller? He needs to be targeted at least six times a game, not four. He is on pace for only 60 targets this season. If they want him back next season, they better start throwing more to him.

DPJ has proven a playmaker in the past. Makes the tough catches. Reliable target. Only two drops on 96 targets last season. Throw him the damn football. 

* * * 

Finally . . . Eye surgery will prevent me from writing for at least a week. Nothing serious, more cosmetically necessary than anything. . . . So here's how I see Sunday's game ending. Originally I was going to pick the Browns (for the first time this season) in an upset just to be different. But a reality slap jolted me back. I do, however, see the Cleveland defense of the first three games showing up again and holding the 49ers under 30 points. I do not, however, see the Cleveland offense, no matter who opens at quarterback, hurting the San Francisco defense. Dustin Hopkins will have a busy afternoon. Make it:

49ers 27, Browns 12

Mid-week thoughts

Browns General Manager Andrew Berry shared his thoughts about the status of his 2-2 team with the media the other day during the bye week and covered a wide range of topics. A few of the big ones will be discussed further here.

The one that really jumped out involved one member of an offensive line that has not come even close to living up to its advanced billing as one of the best in the National Football League. It has, in fact, fallen to barely above average.

The player in question is Jedrick Wills Jr., a left tackle who hasn't developed any level of consistency in his three-plus seasons at the second-most important position on that side of the football. And it  apparently has taken this long for Berry to notice.

"I think Jed would be the first to tell you he hasn't played as consistently as he knows he's capable of playing," he said, "and he's capable of playing better. He will play better." 

No he isn't and no he won't because he is incapable of fulfilling his GM's wishes. He hasn't been since the day he was selected in the first round of the college draft in 2020 with All-Pro Tristan Wirfs (now with Tampa Bay) still on the board. It has been a constant uphill battle for him to become just adequate and even that's a stretch.

Wills has been a distinct liability in pass protection. He is easily overpowered at the snap despite a drop step that should but fails to provide a solid anchor base. His run-game performance is just a teeny bit better. His overall game grades consistently land him in the lower tier in PFF rankings.

He can't get any better because if he could, he would have by now. What you see now is the best Wills offers. Berry is giving him too much credit. He doesn't deserve it. If anything, Berry is making excuses for him.

It's a situation that needs to be addressed before the whole Cleveland offense falls apart. The line is already missing All-Pro right tackle Jack Conklin for the season. Rookie Dawand Jones is doing a good job filling in for Conklin, certainly playing much better than Wills already.

In order for this otherwise talented offense to become more dangerous, it requires a certain precision and rhythm from a timing standpoint. It doesn't exist right now. All it takes is one mistake within the framework of a play to blow it up. The Browns have been out of synch on offense most of the season.

Have you noticed how much more pressure Deshaun Watson -- and rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson last Sunday -- have been under this season, especially from the blind side? Wonder why? Rhetorical question. As a result, both have left the pocket prematurely, often resulting in a negative play.

The Browns contributed mightily to Wills' problems by moving him to left tackle after a high school and college career at Alabama strictly at right tackle. He was Tua Tagovailoa's personal protector for the Crimson Tide and was good at it.

But Browns offensive line coach Bill Callahan, considered one of the gurus of that unit in the league, said no. He's going to play left tackle. He can make the switch. Here we are in season four and he is still a work in progress. How much more poor play do the Browns need to see before making a move they should have made as early as 2021?

The O line definitely needs to be strengthened. Here's one suggestion: Move Joel Bitonio over one spot to left tackle, bring Michael Dunn off the bench to replace Bitonio and put Wills, whose fifth-year option was foolishly picked up by the Browns, where he belongs. On the bench.

Bitonio was a tackle in college. He's arguably the best guard in the league, but he can do the job outside. He's that good. A line of Bitonio, Dunn, center Ethan Pocic, right guard Wyatt Teller and Jones at right tackle is a whole lot better than the unit they have now.

* * * 

It was reported -- and verified by the Browns -- that Watson was medically cleared to play against the Ravens Sunday. So why didn't he? And why was he medically cleared if he didn't? Inquiring minds want to know. This one gets murky.

Berry said Watson, who bruised his right shoulder during a scramble in the Tennessee victory, had trouble driving the ball (assuming that means cutting it loose) in pre-game warmups. Okay, that sounds plausible. But let's get back to the original question? Why was he cleared medically if he couldn't drive the ball?

He said the decision was arrived at through organizational consensus rather than Watson's decision he  couldn't play. Sounds like a left-hand/right-hand situation where not everyone is on the same page.

One member of that organization was Stefanski, who originally said of Watson's decision to sit this one out, "It wasn't a matter of pain tolerance or anything," he said. "He just didn't feel like he had all his faculties." Remember that beauty?

* * * 

Berry said there will be "no major changes" in the quarterbacks room after DTR's extremely disappointing starting debut against the Ravens. 

"Experience is a hard teacher because it gives the first test and the lesson afterward," he said. "Certainly challenging circumstances. This is the role of the backup. (We) continue to learn from it and move forward."

All of which seemingly means he is not scouring the free-agent landscape for a veteran quarterback in the event Watson either isn't ready for the San Francisco 49ers a week from Sunday at home or suffers another injury later in the season

In either event, it might behoove head coach Kevin Stefanski to have his backup quarterback ready to go schematically next time rather than hamstring him with another quarterback's plays. It wasn't fair to give his rookie quarterback plays Watson can execute more efficiently.

That's not why the Browns lost the game. Pin that one on a defense that played its worst football of the season for about 20 minutes. The kid played like a rookie making his starting professional debut. Wasn't his fault. Next time, Stefanski should remember to give him a game that better fits his skills.

* * * 

Finally . . .  One area of agreement. Ten turnovers in four games. "Quite honestly, that's not a sustainable way to win football games," Berry said. "That's . . . the first thing we have to correct." Got that right. . . . Speaking of correction, I've got a couple to apologize for: In the game prediction piece Saturday, I wrote Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was 35-13 against the Browns. It should have been 24-6. And in the gamer for Sunday, I incorrectly blamed safety Juan Thornhill for whiffing on a tackle of Ravens tight end Mark Andrews that turned a short gain into a 36-yarder. The blame goes to cornerback Greg Newsome II.

Monday leftovers

Anyone jumping off the bandwagon? See ya. And off we go . . . 

Three items jump right to the top after Sunday's walloping by the Baltimore Ravens. all on the offensive side of the football.  Fear not, the defense will be okay.

In no particular order, Kevin Stefanski needs to step down as playcaller and devote his entire attention to his team. Before he does, he should incorporate Jerome Ford more in the offensive scheme. And General Manager Andrew Berry needs to upgrade the quarterbacks room. . . . 

It is becoming abundantly clear to a lot of people not named Kevin Stefanski that there seems to be a disconnect between the Browns' playcaller and whoever has the huddle. There's little rhyme or reason to his play calls.

Are the Browns a running team? A passing team? I don't know. It kind of looks as though the head coach wants to be unpredictable. Keep opposing defenses guessing. Isn't working very well. Hint: It's all about execution or lack thereof.

It's as if he's playing eenie-meenie-miney-mo with his play sheet on what play to dial up. For example, his call for Elijah Moore to run a Jet sweep after reaching the Baltimore red zone in the opening quarter Sunday bordered on mind-bending. The situation called for big-boy football, not cute.

The precision it takes to be successful with such a play drops it into low-percentage chance for success. Too many things have to work. As it turned out, none worked, the play blew up and the Browns had to settle for a long field goal after losing 20 yards. They were the only points of the long afternoon.

Stefanski is toying with his job. He's got to know that. This is his fourth season and heads will roll if this team fails to make the playoffs. If the side of the ball he controls and choreographs goes south this season and costs the Browns a return to the postseason, he's gone.

The head coach, who has a sizable stubborn streak, needs to look at the mirror and ask his playcaller why the offense seems to be so off kilter four games into the season. That shouldn't be happening.

This talented offense thus far is not playing up to its capabilities. That includes the play of Deshaun Watson, who all but begged out of starting against the Ravens Sunday. (More on that later.) He has banked just one good (not solid) game in nine attempts with Stefanski in his ear.

That needs to change before it's too late. Stefanski has got to pay no attention to his probable bruised ego and make that change. Whoever has the huddle needs to hear the voice of Alex Van Pelt, the real offensive coordinator. The fact that hasn't happened shows how much confidence Stefanski has in him.

After two miserable seasons following his coach-of-the-year 11-5 debut in 2020 with a playoff victory, Stefanski is no longer the guru the front office thought they got when they recruited him. 

***

Now then, Jerome Ford. The second-year running back needs to be in the flow of the offense as a three-down back. He's not Nick Chubb, of course, but he has shown positive flashes of gaining nice chunks of yardage along with a nose for the end zone. And he's comfortable being on the receiving end of a pass. His speed and ability to change directions quickly are a plus.

I'm not in favor of running back by committee. Makes it difficult for the offensive line to adjust. Ford, Kareem Hunt and Pierre Strong Jr. have different running styles. Stefanski says Ford is RB1. Okay, then play him like one. Give him about 25 touches a game and see what he can do.

That's the way Chubb emerged as a rookie in 2018. Hue Jackson rarely used him early on, but when he did, Chubb ripped off huge chunks of yardage and eventually played his way into a starting role. 

***

Switching to Berry now. The general manager must be second-guessing himself (if he is, he probably wouldn't admit it) with regard to Stefanski having no choice but to start rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson Sunday after Watson shut himself down.

The quarterbacks room should always have a veteran backup to the starter, someone who has been a part of the National Football League wars, assuring he can still provide quality leadership in a pinch. Certainly not an extremely confident but naive fifth-round rookie who has no idea what to expect.

This is not to say such a veteran would have made a difference against the Ravens. But he surely would have given the Browns a better shot at least making the final more respectable than 28-3. No, that one can be pinned on the defense.

That mistake begs to be corrected quickly in the event Watson either isn't sufficiently healed to start the San Francisco game in a couple of weeks or breaks down later on in the season.

Assuming Berry makes such a move, the new arrival will need to be in camp pronto, immersing himself in a brand new offensive scheme. Still out there are Carson Wentz, ex-Brown Colt McCoy, Joe Flacco, Nick Foles and Blaine Gabbert. 

***

Stefanski revealed Monday that Watson was given medical clearance to play Sunday. So why didn't he?

"He knows his body," the head coach said. "He's played through serious pain before. Very, very serious injuries. It wasn't a matter of pain tolerance or anything. He just did not feel like he had all his full faculties."

What the hell does that mean? One dictionary definition of faculties: Able to think in a clear and intelligent way. Another dictionary defines the six human faculties of the mind as intuition, imagination, perception, reason, will and memory. 

Now I have no idea what all that has to do with playing football with a shoulder contusion. But props to Watson for fooling his coach. I would have asked what he meant. 

***

Finally . . . Center Ethan Pocic was in and out of the lineup Sunday with chest and knee injuries, but is expected to play against San Francisco on Oct. 15. Nick Harris took all the other snaps at the position. I'd rather see rookie Luke Wypler, a healthy scratch the first four games, in the pivot if Pocic can't make it. Harris is too short to handle a pass rush and it showed against the Ravens. He was overpowered on several occasions while attempting to protect Thompson-Robinson. . . . One aspect of the defense Jim Schwartz needs to work on: Tackling. Worst game of the season by far. The Browns had trouble getting Ravens backs Gus Edwards and Justice Hill on the ground. Too much reaching. And safety Juan Thornhill's whiff on Baltimore tight end Mark Andrews turned a 15-yard reception into a 36-yard gain en route to the Ravens' eight-play, 93-yard scoring drive in the second quarter.

Ka-Boom 

That thud heard on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland Sunday was the Browns crash-landing inside Cleveland Browns Stadium in a return to reality delivered rudely and decisively by the Baltimore Ravens.

Entering the game, the Cleveland defense led the National Football League in just about every category while capturing the attention of the NFL universe. And they played like that Sunday for about three quarters. Not nearly good enough in an embarrassing 28-3 loss.

They looked like an entirely different group in the second quarter as the Ravens' offensive line took over the game and made the Cleveland defense look suspiciously like last season's. The Ravens owned the trenches in those 15 minutes, bullying the Cleveland defensive front unmercifully.

They accumulated 226 of their 249 first-half yards in those 15 minutes. Consecutive scoring drives of 93 and 74 yards midway through the quarter, mostly on the ground by Gus Edwards, Melvin Gordon and Justice Hill, pretty much put the game away by halftime at 21-3 on Lamar Jackson's second score of the afternoon and the first of his two touchdown passes to Mark Andrews.

The game was pretty much over by then because the Browns' offense was rendered toothless primarily because Dorian Thompson-Robinson was making his National Football League starting debut with Deshaun Watson ruled out with a bad throwing shoulder after working out before the game.

The defense recovered in the second half and played like they did against their first three opponents. But by then, it was way too late. 

They needed a mistake-free game from the rookie quarterback and didn't get it. They needed chains-moving possessions and hope the defense could sustain their great start this season. They got neither. Too much to ask of the kid? Definitely. Not his fault.

He played well during the exhibition season and impressed many fans, but discovered quickly Sunday there is a vast difference between playing in meaningless exhibition games against second- and third-stringers and the speed of the regular season against starters.

He was 19 of 36 for 121 yards and three interceptions and seemed to have trouble locating open targets, often staring down his intended target. He connected with reliable Amari Cooper, who was doubled most of the game, just once for 16 yards on six targets.

The closest the Browns got to the Baltimore goal line was the 19 late in the opening quarter after a 37-yard pass interference penalty against Cooper. First and 10 at the 19 and head coach and playcaller Kevin Stefanski decided to get cute. You don't do cute against a defense like the Ravens'. Ever.

He dialed up a Jet sweep for former New York Jet Elijah Moore toward the weak side. Moore lined up slot right, motioned left for the handoff and immediately found all kinds of traffic in his way. Instead of dropping for just a six- or seven-yard loss, he 180'd back to the 39, where he was trapped and touched down. All they got was a Dustin Hopkins 53-yard field goal. It epitomized the frustration of the afternoon.

DTR didn't get much help from his offensive line, especially from tackles Jedrick Wills Jr. and Dawand Jones, who had trouble all afternoon with the relentless Ravens pass rush. He was dropped four times, hit another 10 times and often left the pocket before he wanted to.

Jones was due for a bad game. He's a rookie. Wills was due for a good game. Has been for a while. The four-year veteran failed again.

The Ravens made DTR look like a fifth-round draftee last April in the college draft. He played like a rookie. Once that was established, the only thing that could have saved the Browns was nothing less than a superhuman performance by the defense. 

DTR was humbled early and often, gifting the Ravens with the three picks, the first of which set up  the first of Jackson's two touchdowns on the ground from 10 yards out midway through the opening quarter. Actually, it could have been six or seven picks with surer hands.

Jackson, meanwhile, was sharp after a slow start as he improved to 7-2 against Cleveland. He completed all but four of his 19 passes for 186 yards and the two touchdowns to Andrews, connecting on all five targets to the tight end. He also picked up 27 yards on his nine carries.

The loss, at least temporarily, sucked some of the life out of any notion this team is ready to make a big splash. It dropped the Browns into a second-place tie with Pittsburgh in the AFC North. And yes, it's still too early to cast impending doom over the franchise,

They have played four games this season. In only one of them did they deserve to lose: The one witnessed Sunday against Baltimore. The big question now is whether they learned from it. They've got two weeks to figure it out.