A gleam in a loss

This might be hard to believe, but there was good news Sunday out of Los Angeles even though the Browns lost a didn't-see-that-coming, point-scoring festival to the Chargers that saw defense leave SoFi Stadium midway through the third quarter.

This one was a 12-round battle that saw lethal punches delivered with regularity, the lead change hands eight times and the two 3-1 teams compile 1,042 yards of offense in a 47-42 slugfest with 41 of those points (26 by the Chargers) scored in the final 15 minutes. At the end, both teams were gassed on defense. 

Neither could stop the onslaught as Mayfield and Justin Herbert of the Chargers were well protected for the most part, keeping both secondaries extremely busy. Herbert torched the Browns for 398 yards and four touchdowns, two of which were the result blown coverages.

Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams was the beneficiary of both. The first, a 72-yard strike early in the second quarter was due to a missed assignment by a safety; pretty much the same on the second, a 42-yarder early in the fourth quarter. The closest Brown was in the next county.

So what's the good news out of this mess? The Browns' offense is back. Baker Mayfield & Co. awakened from their slumber to put 531 yards on the stats sheet, 230 on the ground with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt taking turns gouging out yards.

Mayfield rebounded nicely with 305 yards and touchdown passes to Rashard Higgins and tight end David Njoku (a 71-yard bomb in the third quarter), doubling his season total. His throwing was much sharper than in recent weeks. Under ordinary circumstances, the outcome Sunday would have been different.

But this one was not destined to be ordinary in the final 15 minutes as the teams traded touchdowns on five consecutive possessions. It was the kind of game where the last team that owned the ball last had the best chance to win. 

That team was the Browns after the Chargers had taken a 47-42 lead with 91 seconds left in regulations on the third of Austin Ekeler's three touchdowns. Head coach Kevin Stefanski wisely allowed Ekeler to score from three -- in fact, it looked as though the Browns pushed him into the end zone -- so his offense could get the ball back with significant time remaining.

The strategy failed as the offense, with no timeouts left, advanced to their 47, but three straight incompletions by Mayfield ended the drama. 

In some ways, it seems a shame such a solid offensive output was wasted. It was due mainly -- and ironically -- to the poor performance of a defense that had been mainly responsible for the three-game winning streak the Browns brought into the game.

Turning points? It's almost nonsensical to pick one out in a game like this, but here goes, anyway.

After the  Browns stretched their 20-13 halftime lead to 27-13 on a 52-yard scoring romp by Chubb to cap the opening drive of the second half, Chargers coach Brandon Staley must have sensed his defense wasn't going to be a factor and his offense needed a boost.

The Browns had all the momentum at the time and probably felt pretty good about themselves. The defense forced a fourth and two at the Chargers 24-yard line on the subsequent possession. Every team punts from deep in their territory, right? Not on this day. 

Still plenty of time left in the game. Why not go for it? Stupid? You bet. 

Apparently feeling this one was slipping away and couldn't be won, the rookie head coach chained his punting unit to the bench and went for it. The daring and very unorthodox against-the-book gamble produced a nine-yard run by Ekeler right up the gut.

Ten plays later, Herbert scored the first of his two running touchdowns and the Chargers were right back in it. It provided that side of the ball the momentum change it badly needed. Staley punts and who knows where this game would have gone. It turned out to be a smart emotional and psychological move, one where he would have been roasted had if failed.

It seemed to have a profound effect on the Chargers' offense, which went on to score touchdowns on four of the next five possessions, including the last four straight. The Cleveland defense flat out disappeared in the final 30 minutes after playing moderately well in the first 30 minutes.

The reason the Browns were able to stay with the Chargers is simple. Think last season, when they played numerous games where they simply outscored the opponent to win because that defense was embarrassingly awful.

This offense is built to win -- and sometimes lose -- games like this. There will be other games this season where something like this is repeated. As soon, perhaps, as the next game back home against the unbeaten Arizona Cardinals.

Some would argue injuries was a factor Sunday. Cornerback Denzel Ward went down in the first half with a neck injury. Edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney (elbow) watched the game on the sideline. Offensive right tackle Jack Conklin (knee) left in the third quarter. Corner M. J. Stewart exited with a hamstring.

Part of the game. Some coaches would argue excuses are for losers. And they would be correct.

Making a statement? 

In the coaching lexicon of the National Football League is what is loosely called a statement game. It's usually a singular targeted game -- every now and then maybe one or two more than that -- during the season when a team's record is deceiving and needs to be more clearly justified with a strong performance.

Take, for example, the Browns. They are 3-1, in the midst of a three-game winning streak and atop the AFC North with Cincinnati and Baltimore. And yet, it is not what you would call a comfortable position. Not with three disappointing offensive games in a row against teams with a combined record of 4-8.

Heading into the 2021 season, just about everyone in the NFL orbit believed the Browns, not even arguably, had one of the most potent and dangerous offenses. Outside of a terrific opening game in Kansas City, that has not been the case. Far from it.

And that sets up what will be the Browns' first statement game of the season Sunday in Los Angeles against the 3-1 Chargers, who are coming off consecutive victories over division rivals Las Vegas and Kansas City. 

What better statement can the Browns make than by knocking off one of the league's hottest teams led by one of the best young quarterbacks in the league and on the road? It doesn't get much better than that. It would certainly silence those who see blemishes despite the record.

The Browns have not won those three games because of Baker Mayfield. They won those games in spite of a series of below-average performances by the Cleveland quarterback. If the offense plays Sunday like it did last Sunday against Minnesota, that winning streak will come to a screeching halt.

Yes, the Browns' defense has sparkled the last two games, And yes, middle linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. is back after spending the last three games on injured reserve. It's the offense, based on what we've seen lately, that poses the problem.

Mayfield, partially torn left labrum and all, needs to play that statement game with his buddies on Sunday. The kind of game that sends a message to the rest of the league that the Cleveland offense is far from approaching life support territory despite owning the NFL's best ground game.

The Chargers' defense is quite capable of shutting down that infantry and force Mayfield, whose three-game snooze has produced just two touchdown passes and whose completion percentage the last two games hovers way too close to 50%, to beat them through the air.

Adding to the concerns -- guessing head coach Kevin Stefanski calls them something else -- is the temporary loss of left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr., who has been given the week off to give his injured ankle time to heal, which revs up the next-man-up machine.

Next man up would have been Chris Hubbard, but he undergoes season-ending triceps surgery next week. Next next man up is pick your poison (or cross your fingers) -- Blake Hance or rookie James Hudson III. Both men have filled in for Wills. Hance is more experienced. That is his only edge.

Either way, the quality quotient of that unit takes a solid hit with Wills and Hubbard unavailable. Losing one starting part really does make a huge difference. As a result, its status as one of the best offensive lines in the league temporarily drops. 

Wills' absence, even if it's for just one game, weakens the unit overall. It negatively affects its rhythm as a whole. You can be fairly certain that whoever replaces Wills will get help from a tight end when Stefanski dials up a pass.

Overall, the coach probably has to moderately restructure his playcalling philosophy and play design if he wants to keep his quarterback vertical against a decent Chargers pass rush that features Joey Bosa, who has yet to really bust loose this season. Ostensibly, he'll battle with right tackle Jack Conklin.

While Mayfield attempts to pull his offense out of its slump -- sure feels odd writing that during a winning streak, but it's true  -- in an effort to balance out the overall output by locating and fixing his passing woes, the defense faces its biggest challenge of the season since the opener.

The plan is to get up close and personal with 6-6, 235-pound quarterback Justin Herbert, who connects on nearly 70% of his passes and averages nearly 300 yards a game. The pro sophomore checks in with nine touchdown throws and just three picks, and converts at a 50% rate on third down.

His offensive line protects him, statistically speaking, better than just about anyone, limiting the opposition to just seven sacks in four games. Another challenge for a Browns defensive line that has played well since Kansas City.

The Cleveland secondary must contend with standout wide receivers Keenan Allen (6-2) and Mike Williams (6-4) and 6-5 veteran tight end Jared Cook. Tall receivers have given them trouble in the past.

Most of the pressure, though, will be on Mayfield, who maintains he is not worried and will pull out of this. That there is nothing about which to be concerned. All he has to do is go out and prove his optimistic approach is not just an attempt at staying positive.

Oddsmakers still like the Browns, however, installing them as only point-and-a-half underdogs on the road. That's most unusual considering teams from the Eastern time zone do not generally fare well on the west coast.

Even though I think Mayfield will rediscover his accuracy Sunday, it will arrive well into the final quarter, too late to save the game, which will by dominated by Herbert, who will be virtually untouched by the Cleveland pass rush as he adds three more scoring throws to his total, and the defense, which holds Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt under 100 total yards. That statement game will have to wait. Make it: Chargers 27, Browns 15

Mid-week thoughts

Just one very big one today . . . 

The surprising news that Baker Mayfield has played the last two games with a partially turn labrum in his left shoulder seems to be treated rather cavalierly by the Browns.

The injury, originally incurred while attempting to make a tackle in the Houston victory a few weeks ago, appears to have had a negative effect on his ability to throw a football if the statistics of the last two games are any indication. He disagrees.

It's almost as though the club's approach to the situation seems to downplay the fact Mayfield has worn a shoulder harness in those games to protect his non-throwing shoulder and there's nothing here about which to be concerned. 

Originally it was reported and confirmed Mayfield late in the second quarter had suffered a dislocated shoulder that was quickly popped back into place and all was well. He finished the game, but head coach/playcaller Kevin Stefanski called fewer pass plays seemingly to protect him.

The defense came alive in the next two games to take the pressure off an offense that sputtered, especially in the passing game. Mayfield completed an uncharacteristic 51.5% of his passes for a paltry, for him, 401 yards.

Medically speaking, a shoulder labrum is a thick piece of tissue (cartilage) attached to the rim of the shoulder socket that keeps the ball of the socket in place, according to hopkinsmedicine.org. That it's not a complete tear is the only good news, if you can call it that.

Never mind it's the non-throwing shoulder. If the tear was complete, Mayfield most likely would have needed surgery. There I go again practicing medicine without a license, but a torn labrum, no matter which side, is surgery waiting to happen.

If it wasn't for an NFL Network report by Ian Rapoport Thursday revealing the partial tear, the public, particularly members of Browns Nation, might never have known the extent of his injuries.

Mayfield was asked about whether the harness would affect his throwing. His answer was interesting, but concerning. "It shouldn't, no," he replied. Not "isn't" or "won''t,", causing suspicion on my part that it already has.

Again, the aforementioned statistics do not lie. Something is wrong. As the risk of repeating myself, this Baker Mayfield in no way resembles the one who opened the regular season a month ago with a spectacular game even though the Browns lost.

It is hard to believe he will experience no problems in running a pretty good offense, one that relies heavily on him to be effective. The ground game right now is the only aspect of the offense that is saving the Browns.

From a physical standpoint, the shoulder harness has to, at least a little, affect normal movement of a quarterback from snap to snap. The trick is to avoid thinking about it and concentrate on the play called. That's easier said than done.

The snap itself, especially when Mayfield is under center, has to feel somewhat jarring to the arms and shoulders as it arrives briskly in his hands as he moves his feet to execute the called play. 

Knowing he is not completely healthy and that his production has fallen off dramatically, it won't be long before opposing defenses start crowding the line of scrimmage in an attempt to take away the run game and challenge him to throw.

Mayfield has the right attitude, which helps tremendously. He has identified the problem and seems to be singularly focused on rectifying the situation. That's his MO. He takes setbacks like this and turns them into personal challenges. Just another chip on his amply-chipped shoulder. 

As a remedy, he might consider changing one aspect of delivering the ball. For some reason lately, he seems to get his hand too much under the ball on most on his field-stretching throws and they sail well past wide open targets. When he gets behind the ball and steps into a pass, he is much more accurate.

Stefanski and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt do not seem worried while working on preparations for the Los Angeles Chargers game Sunday on the west coast. "I see him throwing it accurately in practice, so I don't attribute that to the injury as much as just having an off day," said Van Pelt.

Considering the Cleveland offensive line is no longer among the best in the National Football League at protecting the quarterback (Mayfield has been dropped 12 times already), it would behoove Stefanski and Van Pelt to design pass plays that develop quickly in order to protect the non-throwing shoulder.

Either that or utilize more bootleg rollouts against the grain that freeze defenses and enables Mayfield to escape the pass rush and deliver passes without being physically challenged. They were notably absent against Minnesota last Sunday.

In the meantime, have you noticed all that early Super Bowl talk involving the Browns has quieted down with Mayfield operating at less than peak efficiency? The next two games against teams with terrific young quarterbacks and defenses that meet regularly at the quarterback present significant challenges for the Browns with their star quarterback well shy of 100%.

Monday leftovers

The manner in which the Browns knocked off the Minnesota Vikings Sunday got me to thinking. They are taking the expression "winning ugly" to new and misleading heights.

That's two games in a row now the offense has sputtered and been rescued by the defense. Can't remember the last time a Cleveland Browns defense hogged the spotlight like this.

Sure winning is great, but it sometimes covers up blemishes that ultimately crop up and hamper the ability to sustain the ability to win.

While celebrating its emergence as one of the National Football League's stingiest defenses, a troubling and yet vital part of the offense is clearly on the downgrade. It needs fixing in a hurry because the defense can't keep this up the next couple of games against high-powered offenses.

Baker Mayfield is in a three-game slump. It's that simple. He is not the same quarterback who thrilled Browns Nation the last half of last season and the season-opener this year against Kansas City with his throwing accuracy. It is MIA. It should not be ignored because the record is 3-1 with a three-game winning streak. He's not the reason they are.

An outstanding running game and rebirth of the defense have helped keep the Browns remain tied atop the AFC North with Baltimore and Cincinnati. Without either of these attributes, the Browns would probably be 2-2 at best, 1-3 at worst and sharing the basement with Pittsburgh.

Last season, it was Mayfield and the offense that kept the Browns in contention in spite of an awful defense and ultimately a ticket to the postseason for the first time since 2002.

Mayfield, whose confident nature and bold command of the huddle are among his greatest assets, has looked different during that win streak. He seems uncertain where to throw the football. A great example of that occurred during the first possession of the second half Sunday in Minnesota.

Third down and a couple at their 33, the Browns up, 11-7. Mayfield drops back to throw and locks in downfield, completely failing to see rookie running back Demetric Felton sneak out into the right flat. Wide open. The Vikings paid no attention to him. You and I could have completed a pass to him.

The protection finally broke down after what seemed like at least six or seven seconds and Mayfield was sacked. Instead of completing an easy pass and extending the possession, the Browns punted. A blown opportunity. That's not Kevin Stefanski football.

Mayfield seems to have lost his pocket presence, his pocket awareness. He has lost the ability to escape it. He often looks confused, uncertain where to deliver the football. Locating open receivers has been a common problem. And when receivers are open, his throws lately have had a tendency to sail. Others are poorly thrown. His accuracy is AWOL.

Since his terrific game against the Chiefs, Mayfield is a 62% passer with only two touchdown throws and 614 yards, just 205 a game, and he has been sacked 10 times. Narrow that to the last two games, he has thrown for only 301 yards, completing 54.8% of his passes with eight sacks.

He has yet to connect with a wide receiver for a touchdown, his scoring throws going to tight end Austin Hooper and Felton on a screen. The return of Jarvis Landry in a few weeks should help.

After the game, Mayfield's self assessment might be step one toward correcting the situation. "I pride myself on being accurate," he said. "Today . . . I don't know what the hell that was. . . .  I have to pick it up because if I think that piss-poor performance is going to cut it, it's not. . . . I'll get better."

He had better because if he doesn't, the run game and defense will carry them just so far.

*     *     *

Stefanski tried to absolve Mayfield of any blame by blaming himself. "I've got to do a better job of getting the guys open," he said. A typical selfless move by the head coach of taking some heat for failures. Sorry, coach. Doesn't wash.

Stefanski can take blame for bad playcalling. That's legit. Getting guys open is a matter of drawing up the plays and expecting the players to execute them properly. Which they were doing Sunday, but Mayfield kept missing them. The receivers ran the correct routes.

It's the quarterback, coach. You probably know that. Your quarterback needs a crash course in how to handle trouble in the pocket. It's something he has done before and done well. A good start might be choreographing plays that allow him to get rid of the ball quickly with high-percentage throws.

The thought of Mayfield busting the slump, combined with the ground game and new defense maintaining their excellence, bodes well for the remainder of the season. 

Stefanski's best call of the game was made in the waning seconds of the first half. Third down and 20 from the Cleveland 36, with an 8-7 lead, he dialed up a draw for Kareem Hunt. It clicked for 33 yards to the Minnesota 41. Five plays later, McLaughlin connected on a 48-yard field goal and a four-point lead. 

*     *     *

It might be time for Stefanski to make a temporary change at left offensive tackle. Jedrick Wills Jr. has played a majority of the last three games on a bad ankle. It's getting worse. He had to leave the Vikings game late in the third quarter.

Rookie James Hudson III replaced him and was flagged for a false start on fourth-and-one at the Vikings 42 as Stefanski's penchant for gambling on fourth down in enemy territory continued. It resulted in one of Jamie Gillan's seven punts. (Six of the Browns' seven second-half possessions ended with punts.)

It was believed the more seasoned Blake Hance would replace Wills should the ankle act up. Based on the limited time I've seen Hudson, he is not ready to step in at the most important position on offense after quarterback and be effective. He is too slow with his kick step.\

*     *     *

I'm getting tired of screaming at the television screen every time the Browns advance deep into enemy territory only to see Stefanski gamble on fourth down, thumbing his nose at the field goal. "Take the points," I rant. "Take the damn points." The idea is to put points on the scoreboard.

Last season, Stefanski went for it on fourth down 24 times and was successful just eight, a robust 33% of the time. This season, he has gambled on fourth down eight times, succeeding half the time. He is on pace to take the gamble 26 more times.

Guessing that analytics, with which Stefanski is madly in love, suggest there is a higher chance of succeeding than failing on fourth down when the enemy's goal line is in sight. In doing so, he ignores kicker Chase McLaughlin, who is perfect in placements this season, including three field goals from 50 yards and beyond.

With a leg like that and an offense that lately has trouble putting points on the board, Stefanski might want to reconsider and take the points more often.

*     *     *

Veteran Malcolm Smith deserves a sizable amount of credit for filling in capably at middle linebacker during the absence of Anthony Walker. He led the club in tackles in two games, intercepted one pass and called signals.

Walker, signed as a free agent to help the unit come together cohesively, pulled a hamstring the Thursday before the Houston game and was immediately placed on injured reserve. It is unknown whether he will be ready for the Chargers game Sunday.

*     *     *

Finally . . . Based on how well he has played in the first four games, I'm beginning to think Jadeveon Clowney was a wise addition in free agency. He doesn't crush the scoresheet, but his disruptive style of play makes it easier for someone like Myles Garrett to flourish. Now all he has to do is stay healthy. . . . Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer sure noticed after the gane. "Those two No 1 draft choices were a pain on our guys," he said. . . . Stefanski, on struggling to score against the Vikings: "I wished we scored (more), but to keep (the Vikings) offense on the sideline was a big part (of the victory)." . . . The Browns owned the football for 35:32, 39:34 and 35:05 of the last three games. That's an incredible 40 more minutes than the opposition, or 60% of the time.  . . . Now I know why the Browns keep Andy Janovich on the roster. The fullback caught an important pass for a successful two-point conversion after the Browns' lone touchdown against Minnesota.

All grown up

We -- and by we I mean every skeptic including yours truly -- were warned it will take time. We were told to be patient. It will come.

Well, it arrived Sunday in Minneapolis, Minn., and was the main reason the Browns hung a 14-7 bruising on the Minnesota Vikings in what looked very much like a throwback to the good old days of slugfest playoff football. 

This was the day the semi-maligned Cleveland defense finally grew up.

Putting as many as 10 new faces on that side of the football does not come together right away and perform well at the snap of a finger. It really does take time. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said so. So did defensive coordinator Joe Woods. 

We now have prima facie evidence, based on the last two games, that the Browns now have another unit that can change games, joining an offense that turned dangerous last season. The defense shed its growing pains and grew up in a major way,

It began last Sunday with a nine-sack beatdown of the Chicago Bears. The only similarity between the Bears and Vikings is they reside in the same division. Let's see what they can do against a better team.

The Vikings are much more powerful offensively. This was a more stringent test. And brother did they respond despite losing two starters in the secondary. Rookie cornerback Greg Newsome II (calf) didn't dress and strong safety Ronnie Harrison Jr. was concussed in the opening quarter.

After a game-opening drive that resulted in what turned out to be the Vikings' only points of the afternoon, the Cleveland defense choked off an offense that averaged 425 yards and 25 first downs a game. Sunday, it was 255 yards and 16 first downs.

The Bears game, as it turns out, was a sneak preview of what was to come. Woods' defense was quick, aggressive, rarely out of position and arrived at the football with stunning speed. The pass rush began slowly, then got downright nasty, throwing off the timing of Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, causing him to deliver the ball often times before he wanted to.

Woods, whose soft approach on defense has been criticized by more than a few, beautifully choreographed a fusillade of blitzes that arrived from numerous different parts of the field and appeared to confuse and then frustrate Cousins. 

Sometimes, it showed up from the middle on a late blitz. Other times, it came from a blitzing cornerback after initially lining up in press coverage. The timing on most of them was exquisite. Cousins was sacked only twice, but was hit 10 times and hurried at least a dozen other times, 

The longer the game went, the better the defense played. And it was clearly needed on an afternoon where the Cleveland offense was just good enough to bleed the clock and keep Cousins on the bench. Solid defense on both sides was the clearly the story in this one.

The Minnesota ground game was, for all practical purposes, grounded, gaining just 65 yards. Cousins, a 74% passer entering the game, was a mere 53% passer against the Browns. With one exception, the secondary was solid against the Vikings wide receivers Adam Thielen, Justin, Jefferson and K. J. Osborn.

The only misstep occurred on the opening drive with the Vikings traveling 75 yards in 14 plays in 7:34, Jefferson hauling in a 12-yard strike as cornerback Denzel Ward, expecting inside help from free safety John Johnson III, and not getting it, reacting as if asking where was the help.

The Browns responded with s 15-play, 57-yard drive, climaxed by yet another fourth-down deja vu moment, reminiscent of what happened twice last Sunday when the Bears sacked Baker Mayfield on fourth down on the first two possessions.

This time, the Cleveland quarterback on fourth and four from the Vikings six was dropped by Everson Griffen, who beat left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. 

Two possessions later, Stefanski crafted and Mayfield captained an 18-play, 64-yard scoring march that took 8:39 off the clock. It was climaxed by a Kareem Hunt one-yard burst only after getting significant help as Stefanski did his fourth-down thing again. 

Mayfield's fourth-down pass from the Vikings two fell incomplete, but Minnesota linebacker Eric Kendricks was flagged for holding. Three plays later, Hunt barged in. And then the Vikings' special teams messed up on the point after.

Ex-Brown Sheldon Richardson was late getting off the field as the teams lined up and the Vikings called time out. Problem was they had exhausted their timeouts and were penalized for delay of game. After the the ball was placed at the one, Stefanski reasoned two points sounded much better.  Enter the seldom-used Andy Janovich.

The fullback lined up slot left, tight to the formation. He motioned right and slipped into the end zone at the snap, arriving all by his lonesome. The only thing that could mess it up was dropping the ball. He didn't and the Browns had a lead they never relinquished.

The Browns tacked on a couple of Chase McLaughlin field goals -- 48 and 53 yards -- to make it a seven-point game, but the Vikings were not coming back in this one, not the way the Cleveland defense played.

After their big opening possession, the Vikings' next 10 drives, which consumed just 16:51, resulted in 48 plays, 188 yards (101 on the last two desperation drives), five three-and-outs, six punts, two turnovers on downs, and a pick by cornerback Greedy Williams on the play following McLaughlin's 53-yarder with about six minutes left in regulation. It was Cousins' first interception of the season.

It has been a long time since Browns fans have enjoyed this kind of defense. Even though the score was close for a long time, the lead did not really feel threatened at any time. The game ball in this one without question should go to Joe Woods.

Beware: Shootout ahead

When the Browns' 2021 schedule was initially released, I engaged in the fun game of predicting how many games they would win before training camp even began. Thus far, I have nailed the first three.

Gave game four against the Minnesota Vikings only a cursory thought before quickly marking it a victory even though the game was on the road. Didn't think the Vikings could survive the Browns' dangerous offensive machine.

Then the season began to unfold and those early thoughts about the outcome of Sunday's game have caused me to think my original thoughts might have been incorrect.

The Vikings are 1-2 so far, though, right? Well, yeah. But I can argue that with a degree or two of luck they could be unbeaten. The notion they are what their record says they are doesn't hold true here. Look deeper into the circumstances that brought about the 1-2 and you'll see danger lurking.

Opening game in Cincinnati: The Vikings battled back from 21-7 deficit with kicker Greg Joseph booting a 53-yard field goal with no time left to force overtime. In OT, the Bengals recovered a Dalvin Cook fumble inside the Cincinnati 40 and went on to kick a field goal with no time left in a 27-24 victory.

Game two in Arizona: The defense took a vacation as a shootout broke out with the Cardinals. It came down to the team owning the football last in the best position to win, That was the Vikings, who trailed, 34-33, before moving into position. With mere seconds left, Joseph, who earlier had kicked two field goals from 52 yards, was wide right from 37 yards.

Game three, home opener against Seattle: Another comeback, this time from a 17-7 deficit early in the second quarter. And then the defense showed up, slamming the door in a 30-17 victory. Seattle ran only 19 plays in the second half, The Vikings ran 45, setting up three more Joseph field goals. Head coach Mike Zimmer called it "the best offensive performance I've seen in the eight years I've been here."

That's the team the Browns take on Sunday up north. Two bad breaks created the difference between 1-2 and 3-0. This is a much better team, at least offensively, than at first believed.

We knew Kirk Cousins was a solid, not great, quarterback. He was steady. Rarely made mistakes. And now he, like Baker Mayfield, is surrounded by some very talented individuals. As a result, he has become a very good game manager.

The Vikings offense averages 25 first downs and 425 yards a game, nearly 300 through the air.  Cousins, who has yet to throw his first pick, has completed nearly 75% of his passes to a trio of wide receivers arguably believed to be one of the best in the National Football League in Adam Thielen, Justin Jefferson and K. J. Osborn.

They catch 75% the passes thrown their way. Thielen is a third-down-converting machine. Jefferson is coming off a rookie-record 1,400-yard season. And Osborn has developed into a nice third option.

Throw Cook, one of the best all-around running backs in the league, into the mix along with a solid offensive line -- Cousins has been sacked only five times -- and you have a team that should look somewhat familiar to Browns fans.

It is the closest to a mirror image of the Browns on offense as any NFL team. And with good reason since Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was the Vikes' offensive coordinator before deciding he wanted to be a head coach in Cleveland. That Minnesota offense has hardly changed.

A slow-healing ankle injury might keep Cook on the sidelines Sunday. No matter. Alexander Mattison filled in against Seattle last Sunday and responded with a 171-yard afternoon.

It definitely looks like a busy afternoon for the Cleveland secondary, a preview of what lies directly ahead with Justin Herbert awaiting in Los Angeles with the Chargers a week from Sunday and Kyler Murray and his high-octane Cardinals offense a week later back home.

The biggest difference between the Browns and Vikings on offense is how they score touchdowns. Each team has 10. The Vikings have eight through the air; the Browns have eight infantry style with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.

Another difference lies on defense where the Browns, at least statistically, hold the edge. Main reason for that is their dominance of the Chicago Bears last Sunday that skewed the numbers. And while the Minnesota offense averages 425 yards a game, the defense surrenders 410 a game. 

Think the Browns can book another nine sacks this week? Yeah, right. But don't look for four or five, either. The Minnesota offensive line is decidedly stronger than the Bears'. Myles Garrett and Co, will be brought down to earth. 

This one very well could turn into the shootout that erupted a couple of weeks ago in Arizona with neither team strong enough to stop the other. And with Cleveland defensive coordinator Joe Woods insisting in sticking with a zone defense for the most part, Cousins could have a field day.

Like the Arizona game, this one also could come down in the dwindling moments of the game to whichever team has the ball last in a close game, one that could be decided by a field goal. Which brings us full circle to the common thread in the Vikings' interesting journey this season. 

Greg Joseph kicked for the Browns after replacing Zane Gonzalez, who was cut after the first two games of the 2018 season. Made 17 of 20 field goals, but missed four extra points. He lost his job when the Browns drafted Austin Seibert in 2019. After making brief stops in Carolina, Tennessee and Tampa Bay, he signed with the Vikings earlier this year. 

Given their performances thus far, Joseph and the Browns' Chase McLaughlin, who has converted field goals of 52 and 57 yards this season and has yet to miss a kick, must be considered important players in the outcome of this game.

That said, all indications point to the shootout with both quarterbacks finding success and both defenses struggling in a point-producing bonanza enjoyable for those who hate defense. And yes, a field goal will decide it in the waning seconds of regulation. This time, Joseph's 37-yard attempt with his team down a point, will be . . . right down the middle. Make it: Vikings 36, Browns 34

Mid-week thoughts

Two items as the Browns prepare to hit the road for the next two weeks . . . 

There appears to be a chink or two in the Browns' armor along the offensive line. Most notably in defending against the pass rush.

It is entirely possible the five sacks they gave up against the Chicago Bears last Sunday was an aberration, considering how well they have protected Baker Mayfield since around midseason in 2020. The Bears' front seven was relentless and seemed to expose a weakness.

We'll get a much better idea of where that stands after the next three games, a veritable minefield of teams that frequently like to congregate at the quarterback.

The Minnesota Vikings, this Sunday's assignment as the Browns begin a two-game trip that concludes in Los Angeles against the Chargers, have recorded 10 sacks. So have the Arizona Cardinals, who drop in for a visit two weeks from Sunday. 

The Chargers have banked only five sacks, but any team with Joey Bosa locked in on the flank has got to be considered dangerous. The former Ohio State star has averaged 10 sacks a season in his five previous campaigns.

The Browns' offensive line was clearly the weakest unit against the Bears, whose defensive line seemed to overwhelm it every time Mayfield dropped back to pass. Not only was he sacked five times, he was hit another seven times and hurried on what seemed to be every snap.

Running the football did not seem to be a problem at all, though, with 196 yards generated by running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt and four scrambles by Mayfield, who has rarely seen pressure like that in his last dozen or so starts.

If nothing else, expect members of the line to be challenged by head coach Kevin Stefanski and position coach Bill Callahan to prove what happened against the Bears won't soon happen again. Also look for Stefanski to dial up more screen plays to offset the pass rush.

Keep an eye on left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr., who is trying to work his way through a sprained ankle suffered in the season opener in Kansas City and has labored. The good news, if you can call it that, is veteran lineman Chris Hubbard is back after sitting two games with a triceps injury and can fill in if needed

(This just in: Hubbard was ruled out by the team on Friday. That means Blake Hance will take over if Wills takes himself out of the game.)

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Congratulations to those who had the under in the over/under pool -- it was four -- with regard to how many games Greg Newsome II would play before missing one with an injury. 

The Browns' top pick in the May college draft arrived with nothing but glowing terms accompanying him about how smart he was, how well he played the position and how well he fit in the organization. 

"I think he really fits our profile," said General Manager Andrew Berry at the time, "He fits the smart, tough, accountable profile we want out of our players we bring into the building. . . . There was not a major discernible hole within his skill set and he has a high level of competency across all areas we value at the cornerback position," High praise, indeed.

The GM seemed to either ignore, perhaps deliberately, one major hole. Newsome, as it turns out, had a very long history of injuries in college. It's a hole that prevents him from being able to suit up for every game, often called being reliable.

Granted it's difficult to play every game, especially in the professional ranks. But Newsome spent three years at Northwestern playing barely half the Wildcats' games. Eighteen of 35, to be exact. He missed eight games (ankle) as a freshman, four (unknown injury) as a sophomore and five (groin) as a junior.

He never played a full season at Northwestern and yet he somehow wound up as the Browns' No 1 pick in the most famous lottery in professional sports. He checked a lot of boxes, but injuries, at least as far as the Browns were concerned, didn't seem to be considered.

So when they announced Tuesday that Newsome would miss the Vikings game Sunday with a calf problem, apparently suffered early in the fourth quarter of the Bears game according to the snap counts, it did not come as a shock to those who have followed his career.

It foretold the notion it would be only a matter of time before Newsome would be unavailable. His consecutive games played screeches to a halt at three. For those who picked the over, good luck next time.

Something tells me we'll see Newsome missing more games as the season unwinds. The Browns for the time being are calling Newsome day-to-day. But if the calf issue lingers, they might have to place him on injured reserve until it heals.

Monday leftovers

To suggest having Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt on the same roster is a luxury states not only the obvious, but the envy of Kevin Stefanski by every head coach in the National Football League. Not only are they a luxury, they are a treasure. 

They are, not even arguably, the best pair of running backs this franchise has ever had. Better than the legendary Jim Brown and Bobby Mitchell, better than Brown and Ernie Green, better than Marion Motley and Dub Jones, better than Leroy Kelly and Green, better than Mike Pruitt and Greg Pruitt, better than Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack.

Granted, Hunt has played only 27 games since joining the club a couple of years ago, but his impact in that brief time has helped flesh out the superstar quality of Chubb, at the same time rekindling a career that was headed in the wrong direction.

There is no question former Browns  General Manager John Dorsey gambled when he plucked the Willoughby native off the waiver wire in 2018 after he was released by the Kansas City Chiefs following an ugly personal behavior incident off the field and lying to the Chiefs about it.

Dorsey, known for taking chances on talented players with problems off the field, knew the talent was there with the NFL's rookie of the year in 2017 and believed, correctly as it turned out, that the home environment would be beneficial for him.

Stefanski is the fortunate beneficiary of Dorsey's prescience with regard to the talented running back, whose versatility and sheer talent with a football has helped the Browns become one of the league's most dangerous teams on offense.

The combined talents of these two running backs has caused numbing headaches for defensive coordinators around the league. Very few teams have been able to totally shut down this tandem, both of whom are quite capable of tilting a game in the Browns' direction by themselves.

There are occasions where one can be stopped until Stefanski changes gears and summons the other off the bench. Sort of a pick your poison situation. Rarely do they appear in the same backfield, Stefanski's way from a strategic standpoint of keeping both men healthy for the gruelling 17-game schedule.

Off the field, they are good friends. On the field, they pick each other up. They have produced 45% of the offense with half of the club's 10 touchdowns this season. There are times when it seems they feed off each other's emotions in terms of achieving the main goal of winning.

In Sunday's 26-6 victory over the Chicago Bears, Hunt came off the bench with what some might call a tour de force performance, touching the ball 16 times, producing 155 yards and a touchdown.. He was the spark of a Cleveland offense that ran in fits and starts against a Chicago defense that kept the final score so low.

Chubb is the grinder, the one who gets the tough yards. The one who annually leads the NFL in broken tackles. It sometimes appears as though he looks for someone to run over. Hunt is the opposite. He, too, is tackle breaker, but he is also more of a slasher who would rather break opposing ankles with dazzling moves. Both men are difficult to bring to the ground. 

Together, they -- and, of course, the offensive line --  form the reason Baker Mayfield has flourished as a quarterback. With so much talent behind that line, it is difficult to key on just one aspect of the offense because the other is so dangerous.

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Odell Beckham Jr. defies not only the laws of gravity when making spectacular receptions of a thrown football, he defies medical norms. Take the recovery from his torn anterior cruciate ligament last Oct. 25 on the third play of the game in Cincinnati, making a tackle following a Mayfield interception.

Obviously a quick healer and dedicated rehab patient, Beckham beat the normal one-year recovery period for ACL patients by a full month Sunday against Chicago. Considering how well he played in the victory in his first game back, one would never know he had been away so long.

He played nearly two-thirds of the 78 snaps (not counting the last three kneeldowns), a testament to his strength and conditioning. Mayfield targeted him nine times, connecting on five for 77 yards, including four that helped convert third downs.

The best was a true candidate for a SportsCenter top 10 list.  First possession of the second half, third play, third and 7 from the Chicago 41. Mayfield straight drop, lofts a pass toward the right sideline, Beckham running just inside the chalk.

As he approaches the 15-yard line, he stops on a dime, whirls to his left with his back to the sideline, snatches the perfectly-timed  throw and taps both toes as he falls back and out of bounds. All Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson, in coverage, could do is watch. 

Unbelievable to the human eye. Routine for Beckham. He was back.

*        *        *

Demetric Felton logged only 11 snaps on offense, but his mere presence portends some exciting football the rest of the way. He was targeted three times by Mayfield, grabbing a pair for  just 13 yards. But it was a first-quarter incompletion on the opening drive that caused a bit of a stir.

The smooth rookie curled out of the backfield and ran toward the left sideline, beating linebacker Roquan Smith deep as Mayfield delivered. The pass sailed over his head by at least a couple of yards. A completion would have resulted in a touchdown. It's a play Stefanski should reprise.

The sixth-round draft pick also banked 20 snaps on special teams and gives every indication the Browns' woes on the return game might disappear with his arrival. That, of course, is if the return teams learn how to avoid penalty flags. Felton returned seven Chicago punts for 108 yards, each time making the first man miss. 

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Rookie linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah played 23 of the club's 45 snaps and began to look like the player the Browns took in the second round of the draft. He looked more comfortable, more assured and definitely quicker than in the first two games.

He was filling in for the injured Sione Takitaki and seemed to be playing without thinking. He moved instinctively, alternating between the box and pass coverage. That's what defensive coordinator Joe Woods wanted to see from him.

He was the club's second-leading tackler with four tackles (three solo), a half sack (with Myles Garrett) of Justin Fields, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hit. He appears to be shedding the growing pains that have slowed his progress.

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Chase McLaughlin is now officially out of practice squad hell. The young placekicker, who had never kicked in a regular-season game until this season with the Browns, is authoring a perfecto thus far -- perfect on five field goals and nine extra points.

McLaughlin, who was undrafted in 2019 out of Illinois, was on the practice squads of seven different teams before signing with Cleveland. And he was ticketed for the practice squad until incumbent Cody Parkey was hurt in training camp and ultimately waived by the team. 

His 57-yard field goal in the first half Sunday -- he also had a 52-yarder in the second half -- was a stunner. It shouldn't have been. He kicked five 50+ yarders at Illinois. It moved Stefanski to declare, "I have confidence in the kid." But in the world of placekickers, you're as good as your next kick.

*        *        *

Finally . . . Garrett filled the stats sheet against the Bears with seven tackles (six solo), four-and-a-half sacks, four tackles for loss and six quarterback hits. Cracked Mike Greenberg on ESPN's Get Up Monday morning, "Myles Garrett had a great season yesterday." . . . It was kind of sad to watch Garrett abusing Bears left tackle Jason Peters, an 18-year veteran who some day will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. . . . Bears head coach Matt Nagy's postmortem after the game: "You almost can't make it up, it was that bad. We've got to get to the bottom of it." . . . One more time: Why is Andy Janovich still on the roster? He banked a whole two snaps against the Bears.

Easy peasy

Maybe it was the throwback uniforms. Then again, maybe it was because the Browns were hands down the most dominant team on the field Sunday. Yep, that's it. And it wasn't close.

The dormant Cleveland defense finally awoke from a two-game early-season slumber with a vengeance and buried the Chicago Bears' offense in an avalanche of sacks in a ridiculously easy 26-6 victory that turned into a nightmare for quarterback Justin Fields, who was making his professional football debut.

The Browns pass rush dropped the former Ohio State star nine times -- it would have been 11 with sharper tackling -- as they tripled their season sacks total. Myles Garrett, who pleaded for help from his teammates a few days ago, got it as he led with a club-record four-and-a-half sacks.

The defensive line, aided by several well-timed  blitzes, completely overwhelmed the Chicago offensive line from the opening snap and made certain Fields' first start would be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

(It was also a day Browns placekicker Chase McLaughlin had a day to remember, but for all the right reasons. He booted field goals from 28, 41, 52 and a career-high 57 yards. More on that later.)

There was no way the Bears were going to reach the Cleveland end zone on this afternoon, not with the Browns shutting down every aspect of the Chicago offense. Half of the Bears' possessions ended in a three-and-out. Browns fans know exactly how Bears fans must be feeling.

Only one of their 10 possessions lasted longer than five plays -- a nine-play drive that ended with the second of Cairo Santos' two field goals. It was set up by an iffy 48-yard pass interference call on Cleveland free safety John Johnson III, who initially picked off the pass.

Johnson braced himself by placing his hands on the back to separate from Chicago receiver Allen Robinson, but did not shove. It was not flagrant and could have been called either way. Back judge Tony Josselyn saw it differently and pulled his flag. 

Statistically, Fields wound up on the wrong side of some embarrassing numbers. 

Let's start with a net passing yardage of just one yard. The Bears compiled 47 total yards on 42 plays. They owned the football for a shade over 20 minutes, were held to six first downs (two by penalty) and converted just once on third down in 11 attempts.  Stunning stats for a 2021 National Football League game.

Fields was either hit or dropped on 24 of his 31 dropbacks, Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney, who had two sacks,  accounting for 11 of the 15 quarterback hits. The defensive line disrupted the rhythm and timing of every pass play.

The Cleveland offense, which spent the better part of the fist two weeks of the season bailing out the defense, played well enough to win against a Bears defense that gave the offensive line fits all afternoon in the passing game, dropping Baker Mayfield five times.

The first half resembled an old-fashioned football game befitting the Browns' 75th anniversary throwback uniforms. Lots of defense, slobber-knocking offense and very few points on the scoreboard. The Browns held a 10-3 lead.

The Browns drove deep into Chicago territory on their first two possessions, only to fail twice on fourth down, Mayfield sacked on both occasions as head coach Kevin Stefanski unwisely disdained a field goal from a makeable distance (38 yards) on the second..

The third drive got as far as the Chicago 39 early in the second quarter and this time, Stefanski figured it was time to put points on the board. From 57 yards. What in the world was he thinking? He eschewed one from 38, but 57 was a gimme?

But McLaughlin, who most likely silenced the critics seriously wondering whether he is the next Phil Dawson, was perfect from long distance all afternoon, sneaking over the 57-yarder with a couple of feet to spare. Everything was right down the middle, which has to at least build a bridge of trust with his head coach.

Mayfield was sharp when he needed to be. His biggest throw was an 18-yard back-shoulder pass to Donovan Peoples-Jones on third down deep in Cleveland territory in the final minutes of the first half when it looked as though Stefanski would settle for a 3-3 tie at halftime.

It kick-started a drive that featured intelligent clock management, the catching and running of Kareem Hunt, who accounted for 41 yards of the 12-play, 89-yard possession, and a terrific 13-yard scoring strike to Austin Hooper on a skinny post, the tight end beating safety Eddie Jackson to the spot with 19 seconds left.

When it was established this game belonged to the Cleveland defense, Stefanski went conservative in the second half. That meant a lot of Nick Chubb and Hunt and bleeding of the clock as they scored on four of their five possessions, not counting the three kneeldowns at the end of the game. The ground game accounted for 128 of the 194 second-half yardage.

Hunt, who totaled 155 yards on 16 touches, capped his bountiful afternoon on the second play of the fourth quarter, capping a six-play, 75-yard drive with a pretty 29-yard scoring jaunt, slipping a tackle at the Chicago 20 after cutting inside a Joel Bitonio block at the point of attack. He accounted for 59 of those yards.

If nothing else, the defense's performance at least temporarily silences those on the verge of calling for defensive coordinator Joe Woods' head. It also conjures up a question after watching such an awful display of offense: Did the Browns win this game because they were so good or because the Bears were so bad?

Maybe it was the throwback uniforms.

Low scoring and close

It night be a tad early to suggest this, but after the first two games of the 2021 National Football League season, Browns fans aren't quite certain what kind of a team they support.

They looked like they were on their way to joining the elite of the league before stumbling late against Kansas City in the opener. The feeling was it was just a little bump on the way to the top.

In week two, though, the Browns stumbled early and often before finally beating the Houston Texans, a team they should have handled easily. The antithetical performance had to furrow more than a few eyebrows in Browns Nation.

That begs the question, then, as week three brings the Chicago Bears to town Sunday afternoon: Will the real Cleveland Browns please stand up?

A valid question to be sure because we have seen a few different versions of a team searching for its identity on both sides of the football and coming up relatively empty. The offense is still lethal to a large degree, but the defense has been disappointing.

The growing pains of the defense would not be worrisome if progress was achieved. It wasn't between games one and two even though the record was evened at 1-1. Had it been just about anyone other than the Texans, they might be looking at 0-2 against the Bears.

How the Browns play against the Bears will shine a much better spotlight on just where this team is headed, They need to put together a 60-minute game for the first time this season with each aspect complementing the other in order to start feeling good about themselves. It's missing.

The Bears might just be the perfect opponent in that regard. They won't scare you from a talent standpoint,. They beat you with sound, fundamental football. On offense, they just hang around while the defense, the heart of the team,  jumps on and capitalizes on just about every mistake.

The professional starting debut of quarterback Justin Fields sheds a slightly different light on the Chicago offense, which was relatively stodgy under Andy Dalton, sidelined for this one with a bone bruise of the knee. Fields presents different problems from an athletic viewpoint.

You always knew where Dalton was -- the pocket. Fields most likely will be much more unpredictable and try to make positive plays with his feet when other options are taken away. Making certain he doesn't make plays that put you in mind of Baltimore's Lamar Jackson should be one of the Browns' goals. 

Because he hasn't played enough to get a handle on what to expect from the rookie from Ohio State, it will be interesting to see what gems defensive coordinator Joe Woods hauls from his bag of tricks to confuse the rookie.

Three main problems here: Woods plays zone roughly 80% of the time; the pass rush has been AWOL all season against two average-at-best offensive lines; and dialing various blitz packages seems to have become unfashionable. It adds up to a secondary that is way too busy.

Fields is still getting his feet damp in the NFL. You can coach him up all you want to get ready for his first start, but there is no way he has quickly achieved the ability to instantly recognize opposing defenses and change plays at the line of scrimmage.

Good defensive coordinators generally have fun mixing it up against rookie quarterbacks. A little of this, a little of that. Keep him guessing. This will be a  good test for Woods, whose creativity quotient has fallen well short of expectations thus far.

The Chicago defense, meanwhile, presents a different challenge. It almost annually leads the NFL in points allowed and racks up takeaways in the high teens. The Bears employ arguably the best set of linebackers in the league with Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn on the outside and Roquan Smith and Alec Ogletree in the middle of the 3-4 .

It's a tough defense to run against and those backers are key to the success of the pass rush, which has produced six sacks. They added solid pass coverage to the package last Sunday, swiping three Joe Burrow passes, including a pick six by Smith, en route to a 20-17 victory over Cincinnati in their home opener.

Taking everything into consideration, this one has all the makings of a low-scoring game. The Bears play the game of ball possession very well (33 minutes a game) with a defense that has little trouble getting off the field. Even with the uncertainty of what kind of game Fields will play, the Bears are not scary on offense.

Look for the Browns' to improve their third-down defense against the weakest offense they've faced this season -- the Chiefs and Texans converted 63% of their third downs -- and the pass rush will flourish against the weak Chicago offensive line. 

But Baker Mayfield will struggle and the offense will play an uneven game, much like last week, mainly because the Bears will effectively shut down the Cleveland ground game and force Mayfield to throw. He'll find David Njoku and Harrison Bryant for second-half scores and the defense holds the Bears to less than 250 yards of total offense, Make it: Browns 20, Bears 13