I’ve been a long-time Kevin Stefanski believer, but it surely’s turning into more and more troublesome to defend among the selections he’s made this yr.
With an opportunity to win on the street in London, Stefanski utterly mismanaged the clock. That they had an opportunity to burn the entire Vikings’ timeouts or get the clock underneath three minutes, however Stefanski determined to go on a third-and-long, stopping the clock and giving Minnesota means an excessive amount of time.
Then, Carson Wentz was by no means actually pressured on a game-winning drive the place he picked aside Cleveland’s protection. And to prime it off, Stefanski used the entire Browns’ timeouts on that drive, making an attempt to maintain time on the clock if (when) the Vikings scored.
That call was mind-numbing. You’ve your elite protection. When you maintain them to a subject aim, you’ll have an opportunity to arrange a game-winning drive the place you solely have to get three as a substitute of into the endzone. And when the opponent has Justin Jefferson, you’ll be able to’t preserve giving them free timeouts to scheme up methods to get him open.
Talking of Jefferson, having a participant like that’s exactly what this Browns offense is lacking. In fact, there’s no one within the league like Jefferson, however the Browns don’t also have a stable quantity two receiver on this staff proper now.
Dillon Gabriel performed about in addition to he might have given the troublesome circumstances he’s inheriting. Like I simply mentioned, he has no receivers on the skin to throw to. Even when he did have somebody to throw to, would he even have sufficient time to truly throw the ball downfield?
I doubt it.
This Browns offensive line is perhaps essentially the most pathetic I’ve ever had the displeasure to observe. Each time this offense made any kind of momentum play, it was instantly referred to as again with a holding or an unlawful formation. It’s inconceivable for a rookie quarterback to get into any momentum when each different drive the offense is beginning on a first-and-20.
The protection for Cleveland was stable as soon as once more, however the final drive actually soured me on their general efficiency right this moment. The one man I’m genuinely happy with right this moment is Quinshon Judkins.
He’s the one piece on the offense that I can assure to be on the staff subsequent yr. I’m not even positive what I’m most impressed by with Judkins. He has elite imaginative and prescient, an unbelievable soar after his first minimize, and his skill to soak up contact is likely one of the greatest in soccer. The Browns completely nailed this decide. Now they’ve acquired to start out constructing round him.
It is a good factor the schedule opens up subsequent week with a sport in Pittsburgh following an extended flight house from London. It is likely to be a extremely lengthy season of Cleveland Browns soccer.
