CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Browns might be 4-2 but they still feel lightyears behind their top two division rivals following Sunday’s 38-7 blowout in Pittsburgh.
They lost 38-6 Week 1 in Baltimore.
So quick math, that’s a 76-13 combined annihilation courtesy of the Ravens and Steelers.
“I think that is such a big part of the NFL season is you are going to lose some games,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Not many teams go 16-0 so what do you do with those losses? What do you learn from them and how do you respond?”
Both losses were as ugly as the final scores indicated begging the question, are the Browns for real and able to compete with the NFL’s elite.
“No, I do not believe that they are necessarily on a different level,” cornerback Denzel Ward said. “There are things that we have to get better at and work on. Missed some opportunities [Sunday]. I do not think the final score was a tale of how the game went.
“We let some things get away from us, but we could definitely compete with these teams and compete with whoever in the league. There are just things we have to work on.”
The Browns were 1-12 on third down and 0-3 on fourth down against the Steelers. Against the Ravens they were 3-12 and 0-3.
In both games their winning formula of playing from ahead and grinding out the clock in the fourth quarter was torpedoes quickly.
“The possession game comes when you are able to convert on third and fourth down,” Stefanski said. “Hard to play stall ball if you do not have the ball. We have to make sure we convert on those – 0-3 on fourth down is not going to get it done.”
Right tackle Jack Conklin cautioned about hitting the panic button.
“It is still the beginning of the season,” Conklin said. “We are a new team, a new coaching staff. We are still figuring stuff out. Obviously, you do not want to get beat like that anytime, but there is a lot of learning experience. You obviously do not want to be in this position, but it is the position we are in after this game. Luckily, we get two more cracks at those teams. We have a lot to learn from. We are still in a good spot and still are getting better every week. We just have to keep that mentality.”
The Browns were not competitive in either contest, which is a major concern.
Thankfully the woeful 1-4-1 Bengals, who they beat 35-30 in Week 2, are up next.
Pressure building – Quarterback Baker Mayfield, who played through a rib/chest injury Sunday, was atrocious in both losses this season raising questions about his ability to overcome adversity and win games against top teams.
Mayfield was so bad Sunday in Pittsburgh, Stefanski mercifully pulled him near the end of the third quarter for his own protection.
Is Mayfield putting too much pressure on himself to perform?
“No, I would not say he is putting any extra pressure on himself,” Stefanski said. “We are looking for winning performances from all of our guys. Baker I think has won some games here, protecting the ball, getting explosives when they are there and scrambling for first down. There are things that you can do to affect the game and get a W. Just have to make sure that we double down on those.”
In the two losses against Baltimore and Pittsburgh Mayfield is 31-of-57 for 308 yards with two touchdowns, three interceptions and he’s been sacked six times.
“That is a fine line right between aggressive and smart,” Stefanski said. “That is why you have to work really hard during the week. Understanding where you are in the game a lot of times is when you can let it rip and take a shot at a certain area. You think about those two-minute drives where sometimes you have to fit a ball in a tight window because it is third-and-10 and you must have it. Other times, a check down is the answer. I think that is part of playing the position and understanding what the moment in the game calls for.”
Raw emotions – Much was made about Odell Beckham Jr.’s outburst of the sideline where he was caught by TV cameras yelling at offensive teammates and he spent the end of the game standing on the sideline in his sock.
“Yeah, he wants to win very badly. His teammates know that,” Stefanski said. “He is a passionate football player. He gets frustrated in a game like that, just like the rest of us do. That is what I chalk it up to, and he is going to work really hard this week to make sure it does not happen again.”
Change of Heart – Tight end David Njoku has renewed his trade request and hopes to be moved by the Nov. 3 deadline Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported, citing a league source, Monday afternoon.
Njoku took to twitter to try and deny Cabot’s report by tweeting, “I did not say anything to Mary Kay about a trade request.”
Over the Summer Njoku, who missed three games due to a knee injury suffered Week 1 at Baltimore, requested a trade and then rescinded it.
Injury report – No new injuries from Sunday’s game have been reported.
Running Kareem Hunt is fine according to Stefanski after appearing to injure his shoulder Sunday in Pittsburgh.
Stefanski said that right guard Wyatt Teller continues to work his way back from a calf strain suffered against the Colts and safety Ronnie Harrison remains in the concussion protocol.
