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.
I take back the kudos previously given to the Special Teams unit…
Cade, you're still good.#Browns
— Bryan M. Smith 🇭🇺🌻 (@bryanmsmith) October 16, 2022
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.
Terrible play calling on the Browns offense and defense. Time for Coach Joe Woods to go elsewhere. All you have to do is play defense just like the Patriots did. Blitz more often from different positions! All out blitz every now and then, especially against a Rookie third-string QB. The Patriots are playing defense with much less talent than the Browns so why can’t the Browns compete against a subpar team? Answer: COACHING.
This HC is clueless he throws deep on 3rd and 1 who does he think his QB is Joe fricking Montana ? no it’s a career backup who the more you see of the less you like him as a player as a man he’s great to make that clear.
When your down 15 and score a TD “everyone knows ” you go for one not two what a blunderhead Stefanski is he wilted under pressure yet again i think as a HC without doing the play calling he’s be fine but the an’s game plans are putrid they stink . Haslem should give him this ultimatum relinquish play calling or your fried .