The Cleveland Browns appear to have one of the best defenses in football through three weeks, but the offense is failing to capitalize.
Cleveland is 1-2 after erasing a 10-point deficit with less than four minutes to play against the visiting Green Bay Packers in Week 3, but that result was relatively shocking and will be hard to repeat if the Browns continue to operate so conservatively on offense.
Insiders discussed what one can easily argue is overly cautious offensive scheming on the part of head coach Kevin Stefanski during the Thursday, September 25 edition of “The Orange and Brown Talk Podcast.”
“I think Kevin is probably living in his fears a little bit. And he might be justified in living in those fears a little bit, because they just don’t want to be turning the ball over,” said Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “They want to be playing good defense and running the football and playing clean ball in the passing game.”
However, such an overt effort to do so limits the greatest strength of starting quarterback Joe Flacco.
If a guy like Joe Flacco is your quarterback, you might have to just be willing to live with an interception,” added Dan Labbe of Cleveland.com. “There’s certain quarterbacks, you’re willing to live with maybe an interception a game because that guy can make explosive plays and defenses are scared of that arm and that ability downfield.”
Joe Flacco Willing to Play However Necessary to Win Games
GettyQuarterback Joe Flacco of the Cleveland Browns.
Flacco spoke with media members Wednesday and addressed the team’s lack of success in the passing attack, particularly in its willingness to push the ball downfield.
One reporter specifically asked the 40-year-old QB if he is “taking a backseat to be more conservative.”
“I think as a quarterback, your job is to go out there and do whatever you have to do to win the football games,” Flacco responded. “And I think right now, especially with the way our defense is playing, if that’s what I have to do week in and week out, I’m not going to be shy about doing that.”
Flacco also acknowledged that there are probably more downfield opportunities the team can hit — even in this ultra-conservative version of its offense.
“For sure. … I think I was, in the moment, a little bit disappointed about a couple opportunities that I thought I might have had,” Flacco said, referencing comments he made about leaving big-play opportunities on the field following the win over Green Bay. “You watch it on the film, and maybe the next time you get in those situations, you treat it a little bit differently.”
Browns’ Pass-Catchers Haven’t Provided Joe Flacco With Consistent Downfield Chances
GettyCleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.
Through three games, Flacco leads the league with 126 pass attempts. However, he has compiled just 5.0 yards per throw, which is 34th in the NFL.
Part of the problem is the Browns don’t have great talent in the wide receiver room. In fact, rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. leads the offense in both receptions (15) and receiving yards (136). Fellow tight end David Njoku is second in receptions (12) and third in receiving yards (117).
Only wideouts Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman have at least 100 yards receiving, and the offense as a whole has produced just three touchdowns through the air and is scoring approximately 15 points per game.
For the season, Flacco has tallied 631 passing yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. Stefanski confirmed following the team’s win over Green Bay that Flacco will remain the starter heading into Week 4 against the Detroit Lions.
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