The voice of the Cleveland Browns, Jim Donovan, has seen a lot of Browns football, both good and bad, over the years.
Donovan ranked the Raiders loss as the most heartbreaking of the Stefanski era and also one of the most disappointing since the Browns’ return in 1999.
He talked about the Browns being three seconds from what could have been one of the greatest victories in history.
On the day after the disappointing loss, Donovan was asked the question that many of us were asking ourselves on the now infamous 3rd down and 3 play last night.
It ended up being a handoff to Nick Chubb that failed.
What could have been had the Browns attempted a different play?
Donovan’s Take
When he was calling the action, did Jim Donovan want the @Browns to run or throw on 3rd and 3? He joined @TheRealTRizzo and @HammerNation19 this morning this discuss.
Click to listen to the whole conversation: https://t.co/cziaywxjIE pic.twitter.com/7cUEqvGqDO
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) December 21, 2021
Donovan was not surprised by the play call.
He said the analytics probably dictated that as a higher probability for success.
However, with a short amount of yardage to gain, he wondered, like most of the rest of us, why the Browns did not give quarterback Nick Mullens an opportunity.
Mullens played a smart and good game and took care of the ball.
Donovan talked about a different scenario giving Mullens a chance to make the play.
“Maybe give him an option to roll out and either keep it and throw the ball or throw the ball to the tight end.”
Jim Donovan says he would have wished that Mullens got the opportunity to throw on 3rd Down..
End of the argument folks, #Browns should have done that
You going to disagree with the GOAT??? https://t.co/kVufS2fwJK
— Nick Paulus (@NickPaulus) December 21, 2021
Play Calling Is A Recurring Issue In 2021
Third down and three. A first down ends the game with a Browns victory. There’s a million plays they could’ve gotten three yards on. A simple handoff to Chubb isn’t one of them in that situation. Recurring theme all season. Where’s the imagination in play calling?! #Browns
— CleWest (@erjmanlasvegas) December 21, 2021
Though the players and the playcaller were not the same against the Raiders as the rest of the season, play calling is not a new issue or an isolated incident occurring just in Week 15.
Many believe the Browns call plays with the mindset not to lose instead of playing to win.
It is time to flip that script to a more aggressive approach with a big Christmas Day game ahead at Lambeau against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.
The Browns have nothing left to lose so it’s time to ball out and play high risk and high reward football.
NEXT: Kevin Stefanski Gives Injury Update On Myles Garrett
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A long list of possible excuses but the play calling in the final series was to quote our head coach recently, ‘very, very average.’ Van Pelt needs to be accountable for a lame set of calls that left the defense, minus both of its pass rushers, an impossible task. In a pressure situation with a lot on the line, the play calling contributed to a tough loss.
Are we working out place kickers? 2 of 5 in the past 5 games? A 4 point lead in that scenario is an entirely different challenge for the Raiders. I’m sure Chase is doing his best but it isn’t good enough for a contending team in the NFL. Accountability falls to the coaches if they tolerate that level of performance.
We find a reason to fault a kicker we have bigger fish to fry,try the worst number 1 draft pic in history,the a head coach that call plays like he’s in the 1970 and a defense not sure what there doing..ill stop there can go on but it’s frustrating..
I feel your pain…but “the worst number 1 draft pick in history”? Really? I don’t think so. If you’re talking just Browns…it’s Tim Couch in a landslide. If you’re talking the entire NFL….there are dozens of picks who were way worse.
Roses are red, violets are blue, blame the snowflake coaching through and through.
Anybody with half of a brain knows the raiders will over pursue chubb, either a reverse or a bootleg maybe similar to the touchdown pass would catch the raiders off guard. But dumb is the norm in Cleveland. They call a play that has no misdirection because… dumb. I knew it, the raiders knew it and with the game and the season on the line it was the dumbest call possible. Expect the dumbest possible call from Cleveland. Dumb again… lose again… dumb.
I Second d that emotion 👍🏿
Same as all the other games. Can’t get the offense going and can’t stop a team from going all the way down the field with short passes that are not defended.
The Browns stink in the clutch. The Browns play calling sucks. They could have called time out again before the second kick but the coach sucks. How many times are they going to run plays up the middle. Try a few trick plays or play action. Try putting 2 backs in the backfield. The coaches are all in over their head. Fire Stefanski. Look for another quarterback. They will get killed by Green Bay and Aaron Rogers.
green bay wins? we rush for 200 yards and we try passing with plenty of time left to kick 3 i dont understand playcalling this year! still luv my browns just try to play to win not play not to lose