Mid-week thoughts

It has become apparent lately that Kevin Stefanski has moved to the state of denial.

The Browns' head coach and wannabe offensive coordinator continues to say, "I like this team, I like the guys we have." It's difficult to think he really believes that. 

There are those who would argue that of course Stefanski likes his players and likes his roster. What else would you expect him to say? He can't say he doesn't. That messes with team morale and the fan base. Gotta keep up a brave front.

Good point, except his team and the players on that team, are slowly falling apart before our eyes and their spectacular start on defense has lost its shimmering luster. If anything, it has become spectacularly inconsistent.

In fact, and this has been pointed out here before, the Browns are a missed field goal with seconds left in the game (San Francisco victory) and two highly questionable calls by officials that helped the Browns  late in the game (Indianapolis victory) away from being 2-5, not 4-3. 

There are other ways to handle something like this. Like not really answering the question posed in a way that sounds plausible. Stefanski is very good at that.

Truth is the Cleveland offense has been mundane the entire season. It is now run by a low-level quarterback who has the job as a starter primarily because the other healthy quarterback on the roster is a wet-behind-the-ears rookie who was terrific in the exhibition season facing bottom-of-the-roster players.

P. J. Walker is at best a practice squad quarterback who has been thrust into a starting role because the Cleveland front office foresaw no one but Deshaun Watson as QB1 for 17 games. With one exception (torn ACL in his rookie season), Watson has answered every bell in his National Football League career when healthy.

Don't blame Walker for being inadequate to the point where every snap becomes an adventure because you never know what you're going to get, especially when he drops back to throw. He is what he is historically. He arrived in Cleveland as a 57% passer from Temple who threw 44 interceptions in his four seasons.

In three games with the Browns, he has completed 49.5% of his passes with one touchdown and five picks (not counting the myriad others that should have been swiped). That's why he has bounced around the NFL for several years.

So unless Stefanski turns to rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson or Watson, whose rehab is moving at a snail's pace and won't be ready until who knows when, the erratic 5-11, 215-pound Walker is your man. Watson admitted Thursday he wasn't ready to start the Indianapolis game in week seven.

And even if Watson miraculously is ready to take snaps as early as (wishful thinking alert) Sunday (end wishful thinking alert), there is no guarantee he will be the gunslinging quarterback the Browns traded for and gifted with a fully-guaranteed $230 million contract.

So who should own the blame for the current status of the offense? The Cleveland front office, notably General Manager Andrew Berry who had the opportunity to bring back Jacoby Brissett, who signed with Washington as a backup in the offseason. The thinking was Brissett would immediately fit in perfectly having run the Cleveland offense last season.

Berry reportedly attempted to get last season's QB1 for the first 11 weeks of the season, but was rebuffed. Again reportedly, Berry offered a future sixth-round pick. The Commanders supposedly would take nothing less than a late second-day (round three) pick for Brissett, who has not thrown a pass this season.

The Cleveland defense, meanwhile, has sprung a huge leak along the front seven. After surrendering a mind-blowing 156 yards on the ground in the first three games (52 a game), that unit has been gouged for 521 yards in the last four games (130 a game), including an embarrassing 168 in the Indianapolis victory.

The offense gives the ball away, the defense has trouble taking it away. A -7 turnover ratio that shows no signs of turning that minus into a plus is something else that genuinely bothers Stefanski. It's a lack of discipline that shines brightly on the coaching.

If it weren't for the golden leg of kicker Dustin Hopkins, who knows where the Browns would be in the  standings. And with hard-charging Cincinnati making lots of noise now that Joe Burrow is healthy, and Pittsburgh finding ways to win with an anemic offense, it's only a matter of time before the Browns find themselves looking up at the rest of the AFC North.

And now injuries have struck at key spots on the offensive line. Left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. has foot and ankle injuries. And a shoulder injury sidelined rookie right tackle Dawand Jones in the Seattle loss. Their status for Sunday's home game against Arizona is questionable.

It's hard to like a floundering team like this. The bloom is clearly off the rose.