COVERING ALL THE EMOTIONS WITH THE BROWNS

By STEVE KING

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly on the Browns being on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s NFL preview issue that came out last week:

*The good – I felt like crying when I got my copy of SI on Saturday. I did. I really, truly did. I almost did cry, actually. What stopped me, I don’t know.

Bonus: Free advertising!

I got emotional because it hit me just how far the Browns have come – at least in terms of perception, and as they say, perception is 90 percent of reality — in such a relatively short period of time. Less than two years ago, the Browns were at the low ebb in their entire history – the original franchise and this one in the expansion era – in coming off a perfectly imperfect 0-16 record and a two-year mark of 1-31, and now here they are the most ballyhooed team in the NFL.

Cool. Really, really cool.

*The bad – The Browns were horrible offensively in their 13-12 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The great offense the Browns are supposed to have — the great one they had in the last half of last season — was nowhere to be found.

And quarterback Baker Mayfield, the triggerman of that offense? He had the worst game in his short pro career.

*The ugly – The Browns looked totally unfocused offensively against the Bucs. They mailed it in mentally. It seemed as if they had not practiced all summer.

Do they realize that all the attention they’ve been getting, including being on the cover of SI, doesn’t mean squat? It doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t count for anything. They’ve got to go out now and prove it.

The question the Browns faced going into their offseason mark is the same one they’re facing now: Are they all fluff and no stuff? Or can they fulfill all these lofty expectations?

That shall be determined.