1 week Ago By Jeff Schudel
Kevin Stefanski needs a thesaurus next to his playbook, because for five straight weeks after another Browns loss he has used the word “disappointing” to describe what happened for three hours on the football field. Stefanski used “disappointing” again after the 21-14, loss to the Bengals on Oct. 20 at Huntington Bank Field.
The Browns are 1-6. The only other team with a record equally miserable is New England, and the Patriots have an excuse. They are going through a rebuilding phase with a rookie quarterback, Drake Maye, and a rookie head coach in Jerod Mayo.
The Browns have yet to score 20 points in any game this season. Even the Patriots have done that twice. The Browns on Oct.
20 posted 336 yards of offense — the first time this season they managed to crack the 300-yard barrier, but they scored only two touchdowns, and the last one wasn’t scored until third-string quarterback Jameis Winston threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to David Njoku and a pass to Cedric Tillman for a two-point conversion. “You come here to try to get a win versus a division opponent and fall short and really disappointed that we can’t,” Stefanski said. “We have to eliminate some bad football that’s holding us back.
We have to eliminate those plays that are holding us back and then when we do that, we’ll have a chance, but disappointed.” Disgruntled, disillusioned, exasperated or frustrated are variations on the same theme to describe they way the Browns have played seven games into the season. The Browns committed 10 penalties and again stalled their own drives with false starts and misalignments.
“Each person is accountable to do their job,” Stefanski said. “We just have to make sure that we coach it up and the guys understand these pre-snap penalties. I mean, it’s nothing that the defense is doing, or the offense is doing.
You’re doing it to yourself.” If finding a way to make Jedrick Wills stop false starting was Stefanski’s biggest problem he would be grateful. But it isn’t.
Deshaun Watson suffered what is almost certainly a season-ending Achilles injury in the second quarter. As Watson struggled through the first six weeks and as reporters and fans begged Stefanski to bench him and start Winston, Stefanski continually said “Deshaun gives us the best chance to win.” Dorian Thompson-Robinson was the backup quarterback vs.
the Bengals because the game plan called for no short-yardage situations that fit Winston. DTR threw two picks and completed only 11 of 24 passes, though he did put two touchdowns on the board. Stefanski said he isn’t ready to name the starter for the game with the Ravens on Oct.
27. Dustin Hopkins missed a 49-yard field goal and a PAT after Nick Chubb scored a touchdown to cut the Bengals lead to 7-6. Hopkins missed only three field goal attempts last season — he was 30-of 33 — and he has already missed three (10 of 13) this season.
“It’s 100 percent me,” Hopkins said. “I hate that feeling more for my teammates than anything. They’re putting it all on the line.
When I don’t do my end, I hate it for them, and I hate it for the fans. I’m going to do everything I can to be the best I can be.” Hopkins isn’t the only problem on special teams.
The Browns gave up a 100-yard touchdown return on the opening kickoff against the Bengals. The Browns are a 53-car train wreck. They are disappointing, frustrating and exasperating.
Or maybe the real problem is they are not a good football team. When: 1 p.m.
, Oct. 27 Where: Huntington Bank Field Records: Ravens 4-2 (before Oct. 21), Browns 1-5 TV: WOIO Radio: WKRK-FM 92.
3, WNCX-FM 98.5, WKNR-AM 850, WKKY-FM 104.7.
