Browns Receiver Sends Message to Rest of NFL After Loss

The Cleveland Browns might be down, but they’re not out, which veteran receiver Rashard Higgins made very clear on Sunday.

Higgins wasn’t dwelling on the team’s crushing 24-22 loss on Christmas Day to the Packers. Instead, he was looking at all the ways the Browns could still punch their ticket to the postseason despite their rough luck the last two weeks.

“We still got a chance,” Higgins tweeted. “S–t ain’t over.”

Higgins had what was probably his best game of the year against the Packers, hauling in a season-high five catches for 58 yards. He had just 18 catches all season prior to the matchup at Lambeau and was a healthy scratch on a couple of occasions.

“Gave it my all,” Higgins tweeted after the game. “Merry Christmas.”

Browns tight end David Njoku also sent a very strong and concise message on what Cleveland has to do via social media.

“It’s kill or be killed,” Njoku posted on his stories.

The Browns still need some help to make it to the postseason but got a boost from some Week 16 results, with the Ravens losing to the Bengals and the Steelers getting thumped by the Chiefs.

But regardless of what other teams do, the Browns have to win out against the Steelers and Bengals to have a chance to make the postseason for a second consecutive year.

“Win in Pittsburgh,” Browns star Myles Garrett said of the team’s focus after losing to the Packers. “We haven’t done it often enough here. And we need some wins. If we win there, win at home, then we have a chance. It’s not up to us like you said, but we have to go out there and see what we can make of it.”

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Browns Frustrated After Another Close Loss

Things could be very different for the Browns heading into the final few weeks of the year if a few things went differently. The Raiders hit a late field goal to knock off a depleted Browns team in Week 15 and a late interception that featured a controversial no-call against the Packers sunk the Browns to 7-8.

“It’s frustrating for everybody watching,” Garrett told reporters after the loss to the Packers. “If you’re a Browns fan, you’re frustrated. If you’re a Browns player you’re frustrated. If you have anything to do with us, you know that we’ve had our chances. We just haven’t converted, we haven’t capitalized. I don’t have to tell you how frustrated we are or I am. It’s obvious.”

The Browns have lost six games by six points or fewer, with chances to win late in nearly every one of those contests.

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Browns Need Baker Mayfield to Step Up

What the Browns really need over the last two weeks is for Baker Mayfield to show off the best version of himself. He has been banged up for most of the year but was the healthiest he’s been for most of the year against the Packers. Still, Mayfield tossed four interceptions and cost the Browns big time.

Mayfield had missed nearly two weeks of practice and a game with a positive COVID-19 test. However, he did not look for the easy way out after his miserable outing.

“I don’t think it was anything preparation-wise, mentally, it was just missed throws, uncharacteristic and I hurt this team,” Mayfield said. “That’s the most frustrating thing for me because I felt this defense played tremendous against a really, really good offense, but when you turn the ball over in your own territory in the red zone and around midfield and give them extra opportunities, they’re going to take advantage of it, it’s who they are.”

Mayfield is also playing for his future, needing to play well down the stretch to earn an extension from the Browns. At this point, it’s very up in the air whether or not the franchise views him as their quarterback going forward.

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