Undoubtedly, the Cleveland Browns did not play anywhere close to expectations in the team’s Week 1 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
All the preseason hype of the Browns making and advancing in the 2024 playoffs was shaken when Dallas came into Cleveland and served up a humbling 33-17 loss.
Since then, Browns players and coaches have admitted that too many mistakes were made and that the organization needed to improve.
Recently, special teams coach Bubba Ventrone shared that the overall effort wasn’t there during the loss and that the urgency needs to be better.
Defensive end Myles Garrett agreed with Ventrone’s assessment and added his take while meeting with the media on Friday.
“There was some bad busts in each phase [of the loss] and when you have busts like that, you have to play with overwhelming effort to account for that and I don’t think we played with that kind of effort to counteract those busts that we had in each phase of the game. If it was going to be an off day, you have to take it to the next level as far as that effort and that passion,” Garrett said, via Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot.
#Browns Myles Garrett agreed with Bubba Ventrone that the effort wasn’t enough vs. the #Cowboys: pic.twitter.com/eLPFwPz0lb
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) September 13, 2024
Garrett had a solid outing against the Cowboys that included a strip sack of Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott.
However, most of the team looked underwhelming.
Deshaun Watson resembled a third-string quarterback, passing for 169 yards, one touchdown, and two picks and his QB rating was awful.
Some of Watson’s receiving targets also dropped passes, and the running game for Cleveland was non-existent.
The Browns’ defense, which has been touted as one of the best in the league, looked pedestrian in giving up big plays and 33 points at home.
Cleveland fans can only hope for a huge turnaround in Week 2 against Jacksonville.
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