The Cleveland Browns Week 6 loss to the Patriots was painful to watch.
This team kept it close in the first half, but in the second half, it was as though the Patriots put it into another gear and left the Browns in the dust.
Here are the three things we learned in the Week 6 loss to the Patriots.
1. The Run Game Is The Offense
Going into Week 6, Nick Chubb was the NFL’s rushing leader.
He carried the Browns’ offense through the first five weeks when the defense (more on that later) was a letdown.
Bill Belichick is the master at shutting down a team’s strength, and he did it with the Browns running game.
While you could argue that the Browns abandoned the effort too soon, and Chubb could have broken one or more later in the game, the Patriots defense shut down Chubb.
The #Browns offense is Nick Chubb. Feed the man!
— Ben Thaxton (@benthax10) October 16, 2022
How did Nick Chubb only get 12 carries today. You have the #1 RB in the NFL and you use him 12 times
— Sir Yacht (@SirYacht_) October 16, 2022
Without Chubb, the lack of depth at wide receiver (excluding Amari Cooper and tight end David Njoku) was exposed for the world to see.
Also exposed was the bad playcalling and decision-making by Coach Stefanski and Jacoby Brissett.
Good teams can now see that the Browns are one dimensional and if they can shut the running game down, the game is a lot easier to win for them.
2. The Defense Continues To Struggle
The emphasis on tackling and fundamentals during practice last week did not bear any material change.
To be fair, the defense was better in the first half, but once again, in the second half, everything fell apart.
The three best words to describe the #Browns defense are, and I quote
Stink, Stank, Stunk …
— Don Fowler (@donf0615) October 16, 2022
Bailey Zappe looked like a young Tom Brady spreading the ball around to young receivers who, in some cases, were wide-open and walked into the end zone untouched.
It is still hard to figure out exactly what the problems are, but there are many.
Schemes, execution, communication, conditioning, and general awareness of what’s happening the game all appear to be issues that continue to plague this defense.
Give the #Browns defense time. They have faced a QB gauntlet that includes Mayfield, Flacco, Trubisky, Mariota, and Zappe.
— C.D. (@dyalike_dags) October 16, 2022
3. Special Teams Mishaps Are Becoming The Norm
Special teams, outside of Cade York‘s perfect day going three for three in field goal attempts, did not do well.
https://twitter.com/bryanmsmith/status/1581738175243833346
Special teams unraveled
Illegal touch and a muff punt. Killer when you had some daylight if momentum#browns
— Mac (@macpham26) October 16, 2022
Once again, there was an onside kick that was messed up.
The Browns looked to have it, but the player who recovered it did so with his feet out of bounds.
Then, Chester Rogers fumbled a return.
He was put there in relief of Demetric Felton who had his own issues in the returns game.
Yes, it was a sunny day and the ball could have been lost in that, but it just compounded a bad day at the office for 99% of the Browns team and coaching staff on Sunday.
Conclusion
If ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Rizzo is right, we could hear about changes today.
Changes are a coming, hang in there Browns Nation. Go Guards tonight #Browns #ForTheLand
— Tony Rizzo (@TheRealTRizzo) October 16, 2022
It feels inevitable that something must be done.
The Browns have an extremely talented roster that is playing well below how it should be.
NEXT: Browns Nation News And Notes (10/17/22)