One Extraordinary Stat on Browns' Offense Emerges As Amari Cooper Departs for Bills

To say Cleveland has struggled to score this year is an understatement.
Amari Cooper was one of the Browns' only offensive lights.
Amari Cooper was one of the Browns' only offensive lights. / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns were one of the NFL's feel-good stories of the year in 2023, as aged quarterback Joe Flacco rallied the team to four late-season wins amid a rash of injuries at football's most important position.

The 2024 Browns could not be more different. Quarterback Deshaun Watson, playing on what is widely regarded one of the worst contracts in the history of sports, has fallen far short of even the most modest expectations. Accordingly, Cleveland is 1-5 and reeling.

Need evidence of the Browns' offensive futility? Look no further than a statistic tweeted Tuesday by ESPN college football writer (and ex-Cleveland beat writer) Jake Trotter.

"With the trade of Amari Cooper, backup safety Rodney McLeod is the only Browns player, including offense, to score more than one TD this season," Trotter wrote.

Trotter's tweet is both true and damning, as Cleveland has just nine touchdowns to its name this season. Only the New England Patriots (eight) and Miami Dolphins (five) have fewer.

The Browns, who have shown virtually no indication that they will right the ship anytime soon, are scheduled to play the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .