What has happened to the offensive line of the Browns?
 
The group can’t open holes for the running game, nor can it protect the passer. Josh McCown was brutalized in Sunday’s 24-6 loss to the St. Louis Rams, but he’s been beaten up pretty soundly for most of the season as well.
 
So what gives?
 
The line was supposed to be one of the team’s strengths – if not its main strength – heading into the season. The Browns were going to control the game by running the ball and throwing just enough to keep the chains moving.
 
But with the inability to gain yardage on the ground, especially on first down, the Browns have been put into numerous second- and third-and-long situations. That’s when defenses are teeing off on McCown, and the line has been unable to keep him upright.
 
Last year, the line was decimated early with the season-ending injury to center Alex Mack. But Mack and the rest of the starters – left tackle Joe Thomas, guards John Greco and Joe Bitonio and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz – have been pretty healthy thus far this year (knock on the wood), yet they haven’t been able to get the job done. In fact, they’ve been pretty bad – actually, very bad.
 
Can it be that the group has suffered with the loss of offensive line coach Andy Moeller, who was let go by the Browns after an ugly incident involving his girlfriend? George DeLeone, who had been the assistant line coach, took over.
 
Is Thomas, now in his eighth year, slowing down after seven straight Pro Bowl appearances? Has Mack not come back fully from his injury? Is Bitonio being affected by some kind of sophomore jinx after an impressive rookie season in 2014? As for Schwartz, he was always the weakest link of the line, despite what head coach Mike Pettine has tried to say, but has he regressed even more?
 
And rookie Cam Erving, taken in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft at No. 19 overall, must be struggling as well because he can’t even get on the field, despite his linemates’ poor play.
 
A bad quarterback is the No. 1 ingredient to having a bad team overall. But No. 2 on that list is having a bad offensive line.
 
That the Browns come up sorely lacking in both regards – McCown has impressive numbers but he can’t make plays when it counts, and he takes way too many sacks instead of getting rid of the ball – is why they’re just 2-5 and reeling badly as they get ready to face the meat of their schedule with consecutive games against the 5-2 Arizona Cardinals on Sunday and the 6-0 Cincinnati Bengals next Thursday night in front of a national TV audience.
 
Again, while the defense has certainly disappointed as well, it has unquestionably been the offense that has been most problematical this season. If the Browns want to start winning games – or just win another game – then they have to start playing better on that side of the ball. It starts with the quarterback and line, both in what they do independent of one another and what they do in concert together.
 
But it won’t be easy. These other teams watch film and can see what’s been happening. As a result of that, they smell blood and they’ll keep coming – keep attacking – until the Browns stop them.
 
Can the offensive line stop them?
 
What we’ve seen thus far indicates that the answer to that question is no, but there is plenty of time left – nine games, in fact, which is more than half the season – to change that.