Monday, Aug. 17 (AM)
The best thing the Browns could be doing right now in training camp is exactly what they’re about to do today and tomorrow: practice against another team. They’ll take the field against the Buffalo Bills at the Bills’ camp site at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, N.Y.
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How important is this? Extremely. The fact that the Browns haven’t faced an outside opponent in practice for nearly a decade is a big part of why they’ve struggled so much in recent years. I truly believe it. In fact, it’s pretty obvious when you think about it.
For too long, the Browns have been stuck in a rut — like running in quicksand. Day after day, they’ve worked against the same players in the same facility, over and over. And what’s the result? They haven’t improved; if anything, they’ve stayed stagnant — and if you’re staying stagnant, you’re really falling behind.
By now, every offensive player has a detailed scouting report on every defensive player they face in practice, and vice versa. There are no surprises. Once you’ve countered every move your practice opponent can make, there’s nowhere left to grow.
That’s why the Browns desperately needed to get out of their Berea training facility — a place that simply isn’t conducive to growth — and get on the road, facing a whole team of new opponents. This kind of fresh competition is exactly how teams improve. You get your nose bloodied, you learn, you adapt.
And going against the Bills makes this even better. Buffalo’s new head coach, Rex Ryan, has a reputation for building toughness and physicality wherever he goes. The Browns need that kind of challenge.
Because right now, their inability to run the ball is only outdone by their inability to stop the run. That was painfully clear again last Thursday night in their 20-17 preseason loss to Washington. The Redskins rushed for 153 yards, thoroughly exposing a Browns defense that finished last in the NFL against the run last season — and looks on track to claim that unfortunate title again.
When you can’t stop the run, and you can’t run the ball, you’re setting yourself up for disaster. You have almost no chance to win, especially in the AFC North — a division where, due to weather and playing style, teams must be strong in the running game on both sides of the ball.
We’ve beaten the Browns’ ground game struggles to death already — no need to rehash that here. But the run defense issues are even more alarming because the Browns have a defensive-minded head coach in Mike Pettine. And for the second year in a row, his hand-picked defensive coordinator is Jim O’Neil.
If the run defense doesn’t improve — and improve quickly — then it’s time to start asking some very serious and pointed questions of both men.
This week’s practices against the Bills, followed by the preseason game on Thursday night at FirstEnergy Stadium, are crucial. The Browns have to show major progress stopping the run.
So, whether they want to admit it or not, this is a big week for Pettine and O’Neil.
At least the Browns are finally taking positive steps in their practice habits — and that’s long overdue. Let’s hope that practicing against other teams, especially on the road, becomes a permanent part of their training camp routine going forward.
Steve King
