THE BROWNS: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
By STEVE KING
Here is the good and the bad — and the resulting ugly as well — of the Browns’ 47-42 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football at FirstEnergy Stadium:
*The good: The Browns scored a lot of points on a team known for its defense. The bad: They gave up even more points to a Baltimore offense that struggles to throw the ball.
*The good: The Browns played very well offensively. The bad: They played very poorly defensively.
*The good: Baker Mayfield was outstanding and made a statement about his worthiness to be the Browns’ franchise quarterback. The bad: Lamar Jackson was even better and, at the Browns’ expense, made a statement about his already being the Ravens’ franchise quarterback.
*The good: The Browns played in what many believe to be the best game in the NFL thus far this season. The bad: They lost their fourth game of the season.
*The good: The Browns entertained a national TV audience from beginning to end. The bad: They lost in front of a national TV audience at the end.
*The good: Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt gave a good accounting of themselves. The bad: Defensive coordinator Joe Wood gave a bad accounting of himself.
*The good: The Browns showed that they could play with the Ravens. The bad: They showed that they still can’t beat the Ravens.
*The good: At 9-4, the Browns are still in good shape in the AFC playoff race. The bad: At 9-4, they aren’t as much of a shoo-in for the playoffs as they were before the game.
*The good: Cody Parkey kicked five extra points. The bad: He missed an extra point and a field goal, which, if he had made both, would have won the game for the Browns.
*The good: The Browns next get to face a New York Giants team that is just 5-8. The bad: The Browns must face — on the road — a Giants team that is playing much better of late than its record would seem to indicate.
*The good: The Browns get a chance to make amends for losing to the Ravens on national TV by playing the Giants on national TV. The bad: The Browns run the risk of losing on national TV twice in six days.
