The Cleveland Browns need to bounce-back after their loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The good news: head coach Kevin Stefanski is 13-3 after a loss. The Los Angeles Chargers are next on the schedule, and the Browns will need to shock just about everyone.
Now sitting at 2-2 on the season, the Browns realistically need to win five total over their first 11 to give them a shot at making the playoffs over the back six games. The good news is the rest of the AFC is beating up on each other, so a nine win team could potentially sneak in as well.
Before we turn the page to the Chargers, what are four takeaways from this bad loss to the Falcons?
1st Down: Up-and-down performances are to be expected out of a backup quarterback
Cleveland Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Up to this past Sunday, the play of Jacoby Brissett had exceeded expectations. However, his play returned back to earth as he managed to play about as you’d expect a backup quarterback sitting in as a starter to play.
His statline was fairly impressive, going 21-35 for 234 yards. However, Brissett missed a couple chunk plays, a crucial third down throw to tight end Harrison Bryant, and a screen play that would have found the endzone. He then took a horrendeous sack and threw a pick on the last drive of the game to cap off the Falcons’ win.
To Brissett’s credit, however, he moved the football into scoring position five times on the day and even found the endzone himself. However, this game was not one of his better ones. But this has to be expected.
Getting upset at a quarterback for not playing like a quality starter when we know he is not a quality starter is a sign that expectations need to be adjusted. For once, the defense put the Browns in position to win, but they could not manage more than 20 points against one of the league’s worst defenses.
2nd Down: On a positive note, the secondary has stacked games
Cleveland Browns secondary. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
For starters, that conversion by Marcus Mariota and the Falcons deep in their own territory was not a blown coverage. Linebacker Jacob Phillips got his eyes too far inside, but for the most part Falcons’ head coach Arthur Smith called a Cover-3 beater against Cover-3. That stuff happens in the NFL.
Other than that, the Browns’ secondary played lights out and even created a turnover…
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