Every lopsided loss starts the same debate. Fans and analysts look for someone to blame, and the head coach is usually the first target when a team gets outplayed from start to finish. Coaches get credit when things go well, so they take the heat when they do not. One Browns legend believes Sunday’s loss belongs somewhere else.
BIGPLAY Cleveland shared Hanford Dixon’s take on the 27-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He believes the players deserve all the blame for the loss to the Steelers.
‘You’re the ones that have to play. It’s like they’ll put you in the right position in order to be successful, but you have to go out and you have to make that play,” Dixon said.
Do you agree with @HanfordDixon29 that yesterday was on the players and not coaching? #DawgPound
"You're the ones that have to play. It's like they'll put you in the right position in order to be successful, but you have to go out and you have to make that play." pic.twitter.com/TXUubgV3Zk
— BIGPLAY Cleveland (@BIGPLAYcle) November 2, 2026
Dixon has earned the right to make that point. He spent 9 seasons as a cornerback with the Browns and knows how often games come down to whether players execute the call they are given.
Many of Sunday’s mistakes support his view. The Browns turned the ball over on each of their first 2 drives, including a fumble by Harold Fannin Jr. on the opening possession. They committed 9 penalties for 85 yards and went 0-for-3 in the red zone. Those are execution problems, not play-calling problems.
The players seem to agree. Quinshon Judkins pointed to self-inflicted wounds like false starts and penalties, and Deshaun Watson put all 8 sacks on himself. Todd Monken said his team “earned that one” and refused to use the roster’s youth as an excuse.
The truth about the blame probably sits somewhere in between. Coaches set the tone for discipline and design the early game plan, but players have to protect the football, stay onside and keep their composure.
Dixon has stood up for this group before, defending Watson after the loss to the New York Jets and Jared Verse when the sacks were not coming. This time, his message is tougher, and it may be what this locker room needs.
The Browns visit the New Orleans Saints on Sunday as 2.5-point underdogs. If the players clean up the mistakes Dixon pointed to, the question of who deserves the blame may not come up again.
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