Brutal Stat Displays Browns' Offensive Ineptitude

This one stat encapsulates just how bad the Cleveland Browns have been offensively this NFL season.

Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) is tackled by Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Josh Sweat (19) during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

We all know the Cleveland Browns are bad offensively. That's the primary reason why they sat at 1-5 heading into their Week 7 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.

But sometimes, stats really put things into perspective.

Take this statistic ESPN's Bill Barnwell uncovered, for example.

On third downs this season, the Browns are averaging 9.2 yards to go. That means Cleveland basically isn't gaining any yardage on first or second down.

Think about that for second. That means the Browns basically have third-and-9 every series, and you wonder why Cleveland has been so horrendous on third downs this season.

So, is it Deshaun Watson? Is it the offensive line? Is it a lack of elite weapons?

While Watson is taking most of the blame (and deservedly so), it's really a mixture of things—a perfect storm, if you will—that has caused the Browns' offense to be so pitiful in 2024.

Cleveland has already traded wide receiver Amari Cooper, so its best weapon in the aerial attack is now playing elsewhere. Running back Nick Chubb is back, but the Bengals game marks the first time he has played since last September as a result of a devastating knee injury.

The Browns' offensive line has been ravaged by injuries, tight end David Njoku has been banged up and now running back Jerome Ford is sidelined.

Basically, Cleveland's offense is a complete mess, and there really is no quick fix for it at the moment. Maybe inserting Jameis Winston under center would make things better, but it's hard to imagine that it would dramatically alter the course of the Browns' offense.