The Cleveland Browns have dropped to 2-5 on the season after a hard-fought loss against the Baltimore Ravens. Needing to stay afloat and spotless in the AFC North, the Browns have now dropped to 1-1 in the division and likely face too far of a hill to climb up from here.
Jacoby Brissett saw himself under a ton of pressure today but managed to play a relatively clean game, going for 258 yards passing on a line of 22-of-27. Running back Nick Chubb continued to do Chubb things, tallying another 100 total yards and a touchdown on 18 touches. While he left the game with an ankle injury, David Njoku saw the most targets as his breakout season continues; he racked up 71 yards on seven catches, while wide receivers Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones added another 74 and 71 respectively.
We dive in here to what stood out instantly based on this live broadcast viewing between the Browns and Ravens.
The officiating deserves to be criticized in this one
The Browns finally played a full 60 minutes of football, but their margin for error continued to be razor-thin. And much of that today had to do with officiating. It is a massive cliche to call out the officials after a loss, but there were a handful of calls in this one that changed the tide of the game.
Early on left tackle Jedrick Wills was called for a hold while perfectly executing a snatch trap on a Baltimore pass rusher. That wiped out a big gain and a first down, and instead pushed the Browns behind the sticks.
The Browns also had not one, but two roughing the passer penalties missed (one where the officials even picked the flag up). The most egregious penalties, however, came down the stretch as the Browns put themselves in a great position to win the game.
On a 3rd-and-2, the Browns were given a man coverage look with a single-high safety. Brissett located Cooper and delivered a dart that would have ended in the endzone. However, the officials called an offensive pass interference call on a look that maybe gets called two or three times a year.
That then set up a 55-yard field goal for rookie kicker Cade York. That was before the Ravens jumped offsides, but instead, the Browns were penalized for a phantom false start. The 60-yard kick was then blocked.
Again, complaining about officiating is a cliche thing to do after a close loss, but every one of these calls and no calls had a direct impact on this game. For a team that fought hard from whistle to whistle for once, this is a hard pill to swallow.
The Browns kept Lamar Jackson out of the endzone with frequency and still lose
If you would have told me the Ravens would have only scored two offensive touchdowns in this game, I would have said the Browns would have won. While it was not pretty for the Browns defensively, they bent and did not break.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah forced a huge fumble to give the Browns a chance to win. Myles Garrett came up with a third down sack early in the game. Taven Bryan did the same on the opening drive of the second half. And yet it still was not enough for this team to overcome.
The improvements, however, were notable on the defensive side of the ball as defensive coordinator Joe Woods got more exotic up front, brought pressure from unexpected avenues, and was able to limit the lethal Baltimore offense.
The same cannot be said for the lackluster special teams units, though, as Mike Priefer continues to get a pass.
Where do we go from here?
The Browns needed to stay up in the AFC North to keep their season alive. After dropping this game, it looks all but lost from here unless the Browns rally back fast and hard. With the Cincinnati Bengals up next, the Browns will look to stop their four-game skid.
Starting a backup quarterback has not done the Browns any favors, but they continue to lose close games. This has been a frustrating season for fans, coaches, and players alike, but perhaps expectations were set too high as the Browns dealt themselves the hand of playing without their starting quarterback for the first 11 games.
Nevertheless, the season tracks on as the Browns sit with a record of 2-5 on the season.
