Chargers Reveal Browns Mettle in 30-28 Loss

The Cleveland Browns lose their third winnable game, their second in two weeks because of their inability to finish. The lack of mettle is becoming a part of the Browns identity this season.

Not only did the Cleveland Browns lose their third winnable game of the season, this time at the hands of the Los Angeles Chargers, but they were exposed to harsh realities that can no longer be dismissed by the calendar, starting with the fact they are a mediocre football team that lacks the physical and mental fortitude to close out games. The Chargers provided the Browns with countless opportunities to seize control and win the game in a runaway and the Browns refused to take it, a theme of this season.

The Browns don't have NFL caliber defensive tackles, which puts their undersized linebackers at a gross disadvantage every week when it comes to taking on the interior running game. That's before they fail to execute assignments or make tackles on their own merits. The combination of those two factors allowed one of the league's worst rushing offenses to pile up 237 rushing yards on the day. Their entire defensive effort was a encapsulated by the 71-yard run by Austin Ekeler in the first quarter.

The Browns sent linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah on an outside blitz, leaving fellow linebacker Jacob Phillips with the responsibility to slide over and cover the vacated B-gap. Jadeveon Clowney was responsible to pinch so that JOK's blitz could get to it's designated gap. But when the ball was snapped, defensive tackle Tommy Togiai was blown off the ball, Phillips and Clowney didn't take care of their responsibilities, which enabled Ekeler to run virtually untouched for 71 yards only to be pulled down short of the goal line. The Browns defense would hold, forcing the Chargers to settle for a field goal.

That's the Browns defense in a nutshell. It's basic stuff the Browns aren't executing that enable chunk plays and yet they are able to do just enough to keep games close enough to lose in frustrating fashion.

The Browns defensive tackles are a liability. The talent they do have at linebacker, JOK, is struggling this season after a strong game to open the season. He's not built to take on blocks or running backs in the hole, but he's also being exploited in the passing game. Too often peaking in the backfield, he's either getting beat in coverage or simply not picking up his assignment.

Starting defensive ends Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney were able to play in this game, but they were limited as they continue to recover from their respective injuries. When they weren't on the field, the defense was helpless.

The secondary was able to cover well for the most part, holding Justin Herbert to 228 yards, most of which were at the expense of the linebackers. Nevertheless, they were complicit in the loss between their inability to make tackles and melting down under pressure. Again. 

This time, it wasn't by blowing a coverage that resulted in a free touchdown. It was their lack of mental toughness when things didn't go their way. Officials didn't call a penalty for an illegal crackback block on Ekeler. Perhaps they should have, but did they call an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on safety John Johnson III for his apoplectic response well after the play for the non-call. His loss of composure changed what would've been a 3rd-and-5 situation to a 1st-and-10.

At this point, the Browns defense isn't a group that should be better. They are what their record and results are. Some of that was set in motion before the season by an organization looking ahead to 2023, making bad gambles on some of their young players in favor of going after proven veterans in an effort to save money for when they would have quarterback Deshaun Watson for the entire season. It makes sense, but it's put that side of the ball in position to fail and the results have been embarrassing.

The offense was once again able to put up points, but are not without their share of failures in this game. Just like last week against the Atlanta Falcons, the Browns offense and special teams left no fewer than a combined 26 points on the field in games that were decided by a total of five points. This week, it was no fewer than 16 points, but could've been as many as 20.

York missed field goals attempts from 45 and then the final one from 54. Hardly a gimme from 54, but the Browns invested a fourth-round draft pick for these exact situations and he couldn't deliver in this game. York was a hero in Cleveland when he was able to hit the game-winner against the Carolina Panthers, another game the Browns tried to give away, but he's only been average since.

Kevin Stefanski's choice to run counter with Kareem Hunt on 4th-and-1 may have been short circuited by a missed block from Ethan Pocic, but the decision was curious on its face. The Browns have been automatic with Brissett in that situation, but even if they didn't like that call, a quick hitter of some sort seemed the more prudent call.

Jacoby Brissett completed 21 of 34 passes for 238 yards, was unable to hit running back Nick Chubb when he rolled to the ride and located the back behind Chargers safety Derwin James who was caught in a bind as to whether to attack the quarterback or stay with his coverage responsibility. Brissett delivered a pass that was just too far for Chubb to catch, barely getting his fingertips on the ball.

Brissett also had an opportunity to give the Browns a lead late in the fourth quarter. In the red zone, Brissett stepped up in the pocket, freeing himself from pressure and rolled to his right. Despite having a clear path to run the ball, he tried to wide receiver Amari Cooper on a the crossing route in the back of the end zone. Brissett didn't see safety Alohi Gilman underneath who easily intercepted the pass. For Brissett, that is his third interception of the season and all of them have come in the waning moments of the game.

The Browns seemed to be counting on the fact that the Chargers defenders would sell out for the inside run, trying to capitalize on it. Unfortunately, multiple defenders were able to shoot the gap immediately and stop Hunt for a loss.

There are at least half a dozen plays the Browns could have executed that would have won this game, but they continue to be unable to finish games and stand at 2-3 as a result. That's something the entire organization has to own.

But what makes this team so maddening is how much they are able to get right as just to fall short. Nick Chubb ran for 134 yards of the team's 213 rushing yards including a 41-yard touchdown as part of another outstanding day on the ground. That brings his season total to 593 through five games. Kareem Hunt contributed 47 yards on 11 carries and Brissett chipped in 32 yards on three scrambles, including a spectacular escape from pressure that netted the Browns a first down on the drive that would end in an interception.

The Browns got high level play from Amari Cooper, David Njoku and Donovan Peoples-Jones. Njoku led the way with 88 yards followed by Cooper with 76 yards and a score and DPJ had four receptions for 50 yards, most of which came on one drive. 

The Browns had gone three for three in the red zone, which was an improvement from past weeks before Brissett's costly interception. Conversely, as bad as the Browns defense was, it was able to hold the Chargers out of the end zone on three of their five red zone attempts.

The defense also stopped the Chargers on seven of their their ten third downs and stopped them on both fourth down attempts, the second of which set up the 54-yard field goal attempt.

If not for York's two misses, the Browns special teams unit would've had its best game of the season. Part of that is due to the fact that they were on the field so little, but their kick and punt coverage was solid and they had a decent return with Chester Rogers as a practice squad call up. Unfortunately, those two misses will mask any success that group might have had, making this just another game where they lose that matchup.

There are some great numbers and some positive takeaways in this Browns performance, but the failures and inability to close out this game provide further evidence that this team simply isn't as good as it wants to believe it is as Watson's debut is another seven weeks away. A great quarterback would make up for a lot of this team's woes but those underlying issues aren't going away any time soon.