IT COULD NOT HAVE GONE WORSE

By STEVE KING

The expansion era has been nightmarish for the Browns, but never as much as it was on Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium in the regular-season opener.

In one of the most celebrated and anticipated games in team history – the original franchise and the present one – and the most important game in the expansion era for the way it was perceived as the possible, and heavily expected, beginning of a new era for the club, the Browns fell apart at the seams in every way, shape and form in a 43-13 rout of a loss to the Tennessee Titans that was much more disappointing and stomach-turning than any the club has had since 1999.

Realistically, it could not have gone any worse than it did.

And oh, yes, did I mention it was on national TV, as it was the lead 1 p.m. game for CBS? Talk about being humiliated and embarrassed in front of the entire country.

*Penalties. Lots and lots of them, to the tune of 18 (tied for the second-most in team history, and the most since 1951) for 182 yards (the third-highest total ever). It caused so much frustration that left tackle Greg Robinson was ejected in the first half for kicking a Titan in the head. So, then, where was the discipline and accountability that head coach Freddie Kitchens talked about from the day he was hired eight months ago?

*An offense that, aside from the penalties, looked completely out of sync, like a group that had gotten virtually no work in the preseason, which was exactly the case. Quarterback Baker Mayfield was bruised, battered and beaten as the offensive line, again aside from the fact it committed the lion’s share of the team’s penalties, couldn’t pass block to save its soul. But Mayfield didn’t help himself, either, throwing three interceptions, the last of which was returned for a touchdown that accounted for Tennessee’s final points.

*A defensive collapse. When the Browns needed a big play from those guys, they were nowhere to be found, giving up big, back-breaking play after big, back-breaking play.

*Special teams. These guys have been horrible in recent years, and that continued on Sunday.

So, who is responsible for this mess?

Yes, of course, the players, but who was in charge of getting them ready to play? That’s right, the coaches. And who is responsible for the coaches? That’s right, Kitchens.

Quite a debut, huh?

And there’s absolutely no excuse for it.

The end result? It is that, at least until they get a chance to rectify it next Monday night when it plays the host New York Jets, the Browns are back to being the laughingstock of the football world.