3 Reasons To Still Feel Good About The Browns’ Season

It’s as if some of my fellow Cleveland Browns fans forget about Week 1 of the 2020 season.

Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens utterly destroyed Kevin Stefanski’s head coaching debut.

That 38-6 loss had many of us questioning whether Stefanski was really the genius he was made out to be.

He looked like just another in a long list of coaching mis-hires that had come to define the 21st-century Browns.

"We didn't play our best when it mattered. We didn't coach our best when it mattered." – Kevin Stefanski

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 13, 2021

But Cleveland went on to win 11 of their next 15 regular-season games and added a playoff victory to boot.

Few folks outside of the Greater Cleveland area really expected the Browns to beat the Chiefs Sunday.

And most of them expect the team to bounce back like they did last year.

But in case you need more support, here are 3 reasons to still feel good about the Browns season.

1. Reinforcements Are Coming! 

Several key cogs missed the Browns 2021 season opener, and a few were truly missed by the team.

And I am not talking about Odell Beckham Jr, either.

No, I’m talking about some extra bodies in the defensive backfield.

Wow….Ronnie Harrison ejected and Grant Delpit inactive.

— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) September 12, 2021

Grant Delpit sat out Sunday’s game, and just 5 minutes in, Ronnie Harrison joined him.

And eventually, Richard LeCounte will show why we thought he might be the steal of the draft in the preseason.

John Johnson will eventually have help, much more than he had in Kansas City.

2. Not Every Team Is The Chiefs 

Kansas City has a way of making other teams look pretty bad.

But not every opponent has a trio of super-humans like Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce.

Cleveland’s pass rush had Mahomes on the run a lot Sunday, and there were times he could not find an open receiver.

Probably should block Jadeveon Clowney
pic.twitter.com/rmJqPH9L1j

— PFF (@PFF) September 12, 2021

And while your first thought might go to Lamar Jackson, even the Baltimore team is not as slippery as the Chiefs.

No other team has a quarterback with the combination of speed, elusiveness, and accuracy of Mahomes.

And the way Cleveland played Sunday does not bode well for the rest of our scheduled opponents.

3. The Browns Looked Good Most Of The Game

Cleveland was a betting underdog as much because of trends and history as anything else.

Mahomes is now a perfect 11-0 in September, without so much as an interception to tarnish that mark.

Andy Reid has his own impressive streak, and of course, there is the Browns’ dismal opening day record.

This play by Denzel Ward 🔥pic.twitter.com/5aTP5PTT4R

— Billy Heyen (@BillyHeyen) September 12, 2021

Cleveland took it to the Chiefs for almost 3 quarters yesterday before a deluge of mistakes undermined the effort.

But the good news is most teams have a finite number of expected mistakes in a typical season.

And the Browns used up an awful lot of their allotment in Week 1.

Expect Good Things From Here On Out 

Kevin Stefanski’s Browns have yet to lose two games in a row.

And even though the Houston Texans looked surprisingly good Sunday,

They will soon find out Cleveland is not the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Browns next 3 games

Texans
Bears
Vikings

Let’s bounce back.

— John (@JohnHillbery) September 13, 2021

Nick Chubb might never fumble again; Jaime Gillan might never drop another snap in his life.

And Baker Mayfield now knows to take a sack when 300-pounds of defender is wrapped around his ankles.

So grieve today if you must, but the Cleveland Browns will be fine from here on out.