The Browns’ Broken Formula: Defense Can’t Win Alone

HOUSTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 13: Joe Flacco #15 of the Cleveland Browns scrambles against the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card Playoffs at NRG Stadium on January 13, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

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There’s a pattern here.

And it’s not good.

It is that the Browns have a defense good enough to not just get them into the playoffs, but also to enable them to make a deep run.

Offensively and with special teams, though, they’re an absolute mess. As good as they are defensively, they’re worse than that offensively and on special teams.

Really.

That’s a losing proposition, 2 –1.

Most people thought before the season that this would be the case, and after losing to the Cincinnati Bengals 17–16 a week ago and then 41-17 to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, the pattern is firmly ensconced.

The Browns had a throwaway touchdown against Baltimore, so, in essence, they scored just 10 points. As such, then, they are averaging 13 points per game. That is absolutely pathetic.

In a league in which every rule change in the last 47 years, since 1978 when the 16-game regular season was instituted, has been made to take something away from the defense and give it to the offense to promote scoring since in every survey the NFL takes of its fans they want to see more points on the scoreboard, like in the video games they play on their phones, a team has no chance at all to be competive consistently when it tallies less than two touchdowns, with conversions, per game.

Plus, it’s boring to watch it. No one wants to see that anymore. This isn’t 1957 when Jim Brown and the Browns would battle Sam Huff and the New York Giants and 80,000 fans would file out of Cleveland Stadium thinking they had just witnessed the greatest sporting event in the history of the world.

Fans today, especially younger ones, want a score of 45-40 with a half-minute left and the team that’s behind having the ball first down at the opposing 20 with four shots to throw into the end zone to win it.

The answer for the Browns?

It’s not to bench veteran quarterback Joe Flacco — not yet, at least. Receivers have to start catching the ball, and the blockers need to start being more stout.

And, oh, yes, the special teams must lend a hand and be true to their name, if only a little bit.

But will it happen?

I can’t see it on a regular basis.

Let’s hope I’m wrong.

Please.

Steve King

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