A BIG WASTE OF A SEASON

By STEVE KING

When this season is over – there’s no time right now to do it, and for that matter, it hasn’t quite sunk in yet – the Browns are going to realize just how badly they squandered a tremendous opportunity.

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The Baltimore Ravens (11-2) are on the verge of winning the AFC North championship, and possibly clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, as they get ready to play the woeful New York Jets tonight on Thursday Night Football. But they lost by 15 points to the Browns, 40-25, at home, early this year. Why couldn’t the Browns have played more like that, especially in the first part of the season when they struggled mightily and dug themselves a big hole?

Appearing set to earn a wild-card playoff spot are the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5). The Steelers fell 21-7 at Cleveland in the teams’ first meeting. The Browns had a 10-0 second-quarter lead at Pittsburgh in the rematch before losing their focus – and eventually the game. Why couldn’t the Browns have been consistently good throughout both games?

The Browns lost their opener by 30 points – ugh! — to a very mediocre, up-and-down Tennessee Titans team in the opener. Tennessee (8-5) is right in the playoff hunt. How did that happen? The Browns have much, much more talent than the Titans have.

The Browns defeated the Buffalo Bills, who are 9-4 and probably headed to the playoffs. Why couldn’t the Browns have played like that all season?

It was all there for the Browns, but they didn’t respond, getting off to a 2-6 start. Not even a three-game winning streak was able to save them.

They are 6-7 with three games left. Last year, they started slowly, too, and rallied to finish 7-8-1.

So, with much more talent, the Browns are right where they were last year.

It’s disappointing and mind-boggling.

No one thought this team would underachieve so dramatically.

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