Browns Special Teams Finish Bottom 3 in 2021, Issues Deeper than Kicker and Punter

Cleveland Browns special teams struggled in 2021. Much of that attention is being focused on kicker and punter, which were terrible, but the issues ran deeper.

There are several factors that contributed to the Cleveland Browns being unable to make the playoffs in 2021. Ranging from Baker Mayfield's performance at quarterback to issues at wide receiver to injuries along the offensive line just on the offensive side of the ball, one key factor was the special teams led by Mike Priefer. A unit that was dreadful in 2020 proved to be even worse in 2021 as laid out in Rick Gossellin's comprehensive rankings.

The Browns went from 28th in 2020 to 30th in 2021. That probably doesn't come as a surprise to most fans, who can readily recall special teams blunders that occurred throughout the season.

The depths at which the Browns struggled this past season, getting worse as the season progressed, raises questions about talent as well as some of the choices that were made by the coaching staff. Injuries may not have helped, but there was not a single area where the team got better over the course of the season.

Yes, the Browns will definitely be looking to upgrade at both kicker and punter this offseason. Chase McLaughlin had the lowest field goal percentage in the league as the Browns attempted the fewest field goals in the league. The combination of Jamie Gillan and Britton Colquitt finished bottom five in both raw and net punting average. Even if they better those two spots, there are a number of other areas where the Browns must improve, both from talent and philosophical standpoints.

On the one hand, Priefer's belief in kicking off with the intent to stop the opponent before they get to the 25, the spot where they'd get the ball if they simply took a touchback, may have merit. The Browns forced opponents to start at their own 23.2 yard line on average, the best mark in the league.

Doing it consistently over the course of the season prepared that group for the most dangerous return teams in the league. That's a win for Priefer.

Conversely, Priefer also believes in having returners take an aggressive approach in returning kickoffs out of the end zone, one akin to the lottery - you can't win if you don't play. Unfortunately, the Browns played plenty with almost nothing to show for it.

At an average of 20.7 yards per kick return in 2021, the Browns finished in the bottom third of the league. The problem is the Browns finished tied for fifth in attempted kick returns with 40 and their longest return was only 35 yards. Being ineffective at returning kicks isn't the end of the world as so many teams are happy to offer a touchback as an alternative, giving the offense the ball at the 25-yard line.

According to Sportsradar, the Browns average starting point off of kickoffs was 25.1. 40 kickoff returns were worth one tenth of one yard of field position.

Teams who understand their limitations returning kickoffs, the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins as two examples, returned just 18 and 19 kickoffs respectively this past season. They embraced the free yardage.

Arguing it's worth attempting for the chance to break a big return would be more enticing if the Browns biggest kick return in 81 attempts over two seasons wasn't 43 yards. Kickoff is also among the most dangerous plays in the NFL every year in regards to injury rates. It hasn't been worth the risk to the health of their players for the Browns.

Arguably the worst hit of the entire season, Anthony Schwartz returned a kickoff full speed into oncoming traffic. The resulting wreck with New England Patriots safety Kyle Duggar caused Schwartz to suffer a concussion that kept him out five weeks.

It's a foreseeable outcome given the nature of the play. This was a real consequence of a questionable risk/reward calculation by the Browns. Returning kickoffs at the NFL level isn't quite obsolete, but it's close.

Punt return, meanwhile, still has real value, and the Browns finished in the bottom five, averaging just 7.2 yards per return. Rookie Demetric Felton started the season there and looked promising early in the year, delivering the longest return of the season at 24 yards. That success proved fleeting as he would go on to struggle and was eventually replaced by Donovan Peoples-Jones. Jones was an improvement, averaging 7.9 yards, but the goal for most teams is 10 yards.

Felton was part of a draft class that featured a number of players selected with a focus on special teams. The Browns let veteran players like Tavierre Thomas, Robert Jackson, and Tae Davis walk in free agency whose primary focus was on special teams, so they needed to replace them in one form or another. Elijah Lee, Sione Takitaki, M.J. Stewart and Mack Wilson were some of veterans that took on bigger roles.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Anthony Schwartz, Tony Fields II, and Felton were all draft in part due to special teams. Richard LeCounte also contributed on special teams this year. Owusu-Koramoah's presence on special teams diminished as he became a featured part of the defense, but he still had a role and proved valuable in that capacity.

It's a little disappointing the Browns were as ineffective as they were because they drafted players specifically to help that issue. However, they were rookies, many of which were replacing veterans whose prescribed role was on special teams, so those expectations may not have been entirely fair.

Perhaps that's a reason to believe some of these areas will improve as they enter year two. That could help especially on punt return and kick return in terms of the blocking as well as coverage units.

Felton in particular is one to watch as Priefer pounded the table for him as a special teams factor. They want him to become the dynamic return threat he appeared to be at the beginning of the season in addition to some of the other roles he plays.

The last number that stands out from this past season is how poorly the Browns fared against field goals.

Opponents missed just one field goal against the Browns the entire season. Week 2 against the Houston Texans. Some of that comes down to variance, but opponents likely would have converted that same percentage if the Browns weren't on the field at all.

The 2018 Atlanta Falcons, the 2015 Philadelphia Eagles and 2014 San Francisco 49ers did not have a single miss from opponents in those respective seasons, so it's not unheard of, but it's still ghastly.

Mostly, this underscores the problems the Browns had at defensive tackle this past season. They simply didn't have the players to generate the interior pressure against opposing kicks. After all, the Browns were in the middle of the pack the previous year, giving up 84.3 percent of field goal attempts. The Browns will be focusing on improving that position for the sake of their defense, especially against the run, but it should help produce better results on field goal block.

Even so, it's another area that should be added to the list of areas to reevaluate for the 2022 season. If the Browns were simply average at special teams this past season, they likely win at least one more game. Good and they might have made the playoffs in spite of the issues this team faced.

The Browns simply cannot continue to be as bad as they have been the past two years on special teams if they want to be a legitimate contender.