In the preseason, the Cleveland Browns elected to rest most of their starters and played only a handful of series with more than half the starting lineup inserted into the contest.
Those three preseason games and training camp are meant to get players into game-ready shape.
According to analyst Garrett Bush, many of the Browns did not do any conditioning drills, which is why after two contests Cleveland has a league-leading 24 penalties.
On the “Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show,” Bush explained that the product on the field for the first two games has suffered tremendously because the Browns aren’t in shape.
“For better or worse, the Browns, for lack of better terms, are a team that looks like they are playing preseason games in certain aspects,” Bush said.
The #Browns penalty issues are a result of them looking like a team that is currently playing preseason games | @Gbush91 #DawgPound | https://t.co/f5ie1upKea pic.twitter.com/QCa1lDn9n6
— Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show (@ultCLEsports) September 18, 2024
Bush explained that the level of conditioning can affect both the player’s mental and physical attributes in the game, noting that athletes who aren’t physically able to play the whole game are being penalized as they try to cheat by holding onto opponents’ jerseys or jumping the snap count.
It’s an issue that Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski is vowing to fix.
Analyst Camryn Justice shared his thoughts on X after the coach’s press conference this week.
“Kevin Stefanski said they know they’re the most penalized team in the league right now and are addressing cleaning up the penalties as a point of emphasis this week,” Justice wrote.
#Browns Kevin Stefanski said they know they're the most penalized team in the league right now and are addressing cleaning up the penalties as a point of emphasis this week.
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) September 18, 2024
Cleveland has an opportunity to show their progress and clean up the penalty issue this week when the Browns host the New York Giants on Sunday.
NEXT: Kevin Stefanski Praises Growth Of 1 Browns Player
