MUCH BETTER, BUT STILL MUCH ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

By STEVE KING

It wasn’t pretty at times – a lot of times, too many times, really, particularly when it came to quarterback Baker Mayfield and the rest of the offense – but that doesn’t matter in the big picture.

Style points count for nothing, and so, then, the Browns’ 23-3 defeat of the host New York Jets on Monday Night Football looks, and is, beautiful. That’s especially considering what preceded it, an ugly 43-13 pounding at the hands of the Tennessee Titans just eight days before in the season opener.

That the Browns are 1-1 and not 0-2 is a really, really big deal because teams that drop their first two games have an incredibly hard time making the postseason. And their next five opponents – the defending NFC champion Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night at FirstEnergy Stadium, the defending AFC champion Baltimore Ravens, the San Francisco 49ers, the Seattle Seahawks, who won at Pittsburgh last Sunday, something the Browns seldom do, and some bunch called the New England Patriots, in that order – are all 2-0. With that awaiting them, the last thing the Browns needed to be doing is trying to dig out of an 0-2 hole.

The Cleveland defense, which struggled in the second half against Tennessee, was dominant – as it should have been – against an overmatched Jets offense with so many health issues at quarterback that it seemed as if the next man up at that position would have been Joe Willie Namath. The Browns just manhandled the Jets. It was men against boys. It was a glimpse into just how good the Browns could – and should – be defensively.

But to come out of this stretch with a chance for this season to still be everything they want it to be, the Browns overall and, surprisingly, Mayfield and that star-studded cast at the skill positions on offense in particular, are going to have to be much better. They certainly made improvement from the opener, but they still have a long, long way to go.

Again, though it’s a whole lot better saying all that than having to commiserate over an embarrassing, penalty-filled, 30-point home loss to an average team.