Mid-week thoughts

Overlooked somewhat, due most likely to the anticipation of the Browns clinching at least an invitation to the National Football League's 2023 postseason Sunday, is one sobering fact.

Two of the season's final three games, including Sunday's in Houston, are on the road. And with the Browns approaching the precipice of their first invitation to the postseason since 2020, the road is not where they should be. Unless the figures lie, that is.

They don't. 

Instead, they indicate trouble lurking in this almost magical season that has not only weekly entertained and fascinated Browns Nation, but unveiled characteristics that have eluded this franchise for way too long. 

The Cleveland community has connected with this group because they embody what Cleveland is all about: Grit, determination, overachievement, and somehow finding ways to win games in spite of an enormous number of physical impediments that would cripple other teams.

That they are 9-5 at this point of the season is borderline miraculous, a testament proving that just about anything can be achieved with hard work. And luck, which has been attached to this team by some from time to time, is the residue of hard work. That attribute will be put to the test down in Houston.

The Browns have played six games away from downtown Cleveland, where they are 7-1. They are the antithesis of road warriors at 2-4 and that's a slippery 2-4. Both road victories were achieved by merely outscoring the opposition (33-31 in Baltimore and 39-38 in Indianapolis). Only Carolina (0-8), Las Vegas (1-5) and Tennessee (1-6) are worse on the road.

Defense is the main culprit, surrendering 184 points in the six games (30.7 per). And most of that was accomplished before the devastating injuries arrived. Still labeled one of the best defenses in the league, that clearly is not the case away from home.

And now we are in week 16 when most of the players are either healthy second-stringers who are part of  sub packages and don't get many reps, or a season-long starter. fighting to stay healthy but not nearly the the player he was earlier in the season.

Attrition is starting to catch up to the Browns on this side of the football after it all but wiped out the vast majority of the starting offense. Most of the defensive line (where pass defense begins, says defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz) is either gone for the season or on injured reserve.

Myles Garrett, playing at about 60% due to a bad shoulder, is the Lone Ranger on the edge. Too bad he ean't play both simultaneously. Right now, he is stuck on 13 sacks for the season with a career-high four straight games without a sack. Schwartz needs more than Garrett, a lot more. If he doesn't get it, nothing starts with the Browns line.

The only area that hasn't ben hit hard by hard by injuries is linebacker, where Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah has been a tackling machine with 84 (60 solo) to lead the team in both categories and Sione Takitaki, whose versatility has been rewarded with more snaps.

The fact the defense will face Case Keenum rather than hot-shot rookie C. J. Stroud, in concussion protocol, is a break. Stroud is a vertical quick-strike quarterback for the Texans. Keenum, who backed up Baker Mayfield with the Browns in 2020 and 2021, is a horizontal quarterback with a more conservative approach.

It has been almost six weeks (Nov. 12 against the Ravens) since the Browns won a road game. Many positives have occurred since, including a few miracles at home created mainly by the offense but with occasional timely help from their defensive brethren. They need at least one more like it. And from what we've seen all season long, all the right attributes are there.