Cleveland Browns: The Difference a Week Makes 

The Cleveland Browns had a strong scoring drive on their first possession, a forced fumble, an onside kick recovery, and a record-setting performance by their elite edge-rusher, Myles Garrett.

If you think all that positivity equals a victory, you can buy the Terminal Tower for a great price. Unfortunately, a full 60 minutes of football has plenty of time for costly mistakes, unfortunate occurrences, and those unexpected moments that feel like a knife through the heart.

What Happened?

The Browns had an early lead that was whittled to a two-point deficit. At halftime, the veil of gloom had not descended, and a competitive game seemed possible. Then came the second half, and the wheels on the bus began to fall off.

Kevin Stefanski Postgame Press Conference | Week 8 vs. New England Patriots

Meltdowns- The game held some promise, until it didn’t.

-The Patriots amassed 21 unanswered points and thoroughly outmatched the Browns.

-Gaining just 33 yards on the ground to the Patriots’ 164 in the third.

-Stalled drives, dropped passes, and poor quarterback decision-making were all capped off by two interceptions.

-Sacks on Gabriel helped to derail the Browns. If a trio of sacks in the second and third were not bad enough, being flagged for intentional grounding while being sacked in the end zone added insult (and two points) to injury.

🚨WTF WAS THAT?! Browns Offense SUCKS – Bench Dillon Gabriel? Browns vs. Patriots Instant Reaction

Injuries– Three significant players went down in the loss in Foxborough.

Quinshon Judkins- The rookie running back who briefly carried the hearts and hopes of fans and the franchise went down due to a shoulder injury. This limited his impact to 19 yards rushing on just nine carries.

Tyson Campbell- The energetic cornerback who came to Cleveland before the week 7 matchup with Miami was ruled out because of a concussion. He was unable to match his Week 7 performance, which featured several tackles, broken up passes, and a pick 6.

Carson Schwesinger- Another rookie standout, Schwesinger suffered a high-ankle sprain and left Gillette Stadium in a walking boot. The unconfirmed time he may be sidelined is between 4 and 6 weeks.

Play Calling– Yes, Kevin. Look closely at everything and do better. That’s tradition now, right?

-The Browns looked downright professional on their opening drive. The nicely balanced and efficient touchdown drive gave fans a shot of false hope.

–   Relying heavily on the run in the second half of the game only made the offense look predictable. Although, in Stefanski’s defense, he had no reliable options for a passing game.

Was Anything Good?

Beyond the first possession scoring drive, there were few positives to take away from the game.

• Carson Schwesinger nabbed his first NFL interception during the first quarter. He positioned himself in the lane perfectly, showing excellent poise not usually seen in a rookie.

• The successful onside kick after the safety was a tiny bright spot in the all-encompassing gloom that Cleveland fans experience regularly. The Browns haven’t had a successful onside kick since 2016, so the successful kick recovery was unique. That moment of not surrendering seemed odd. As expected, the moment passed quickly.

• Tight End, David Njoku, caught an 11-yard pass from Gabriel with less than 10 minutes left in the game. The Patriots had a commanding lead at that point, but Njoku added some points and a little dignity.

• Myles Garrett logged 5 sacks in the Browns’ loss. With his fifth sack, the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year broke several records and joined some elite company.

-His own team record of 4.5 sacks in 2021

– Eight seasons in a row with double-digit sacks

-Most career sacks for a player under 30

– The 4th player ever to get 5 plus sacks in a game and lose

The personal achievement meant less to Garrett than winning. He slammed his helmet in frustration when he was taken out of the game in the fourth quarter. He was restrained during his postgame presser. While he didn’t throw anyone under the bus, the future Hall of Famer was clear when he said, “We’ve got to execute better across the board. I’m doing my job. I expect everyone else to do theirs.”

The bye-week will bring a respite for players and fans. Hopefully, the team will work together and defeat the New York Jets in Week 10. We wouldn’t want to see the New York Jets defeat another AFC North team this season.