4 Downs: Browns now need miracle to make playoffs after ugly loss to Bengals
The Cleveland Browns have now dropped to 5-8 on the season after losing a sloppy game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Penalized nine times on the day for 98 total yards, the Browns far too often gave the Bengals extra possessions and shot themselves in the foot.
They have now called to 2-2 in the AFC North and will need a miracle to pull off an appearance in the playoffs this season. With four games to go, the best the Browns can now do is get to nine wins on the season and hope for the best.
Other than dashed playoff hopes, what stood out in this loss to the Bengals?
List
2023 NFL Mock Draft: Browns trade down, land Lukas Van Ness and Byron Young
1st Down: The run game is broken and reaching the point of no return
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) hands off to running back Nick Chubb (24) in the first quarter of the NFL Week 14 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022. The Bengals led 13-3 at halftime. Cleveland Browns At Cincinnati Bengals Week 14
It has been multiple weeks in a row, since the injury to starting center Ethan Pocic, that the Browns cannot get their ground game going. While they experienced lighter boxes against the Houston Texans to spring them free, this offensive line cannot get movement and is getting manhandled up front.
Today, the Browns ran the football 24 times, averaging just three yards per carry. It is extremely rare to see Nick Chubb, perhaps the best running back in the NFL, bottled up as significantly as he was today. Hjalte Froholdt is struggling at center, and the other four are not playing their best football either.
Pocic has to miss at least one more game before he can be designated for return, so it will be interesting to see if the Browns can get movement against the Baltimore Ravens on a short week this Saturday. This may be just the indication the Browns need to extend Pocic, who has played like a top-three center in all of football this season.
2nd Down: Deshaun Watson was much better, but not nearly good enough
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) scrambles out of the pocket in the first quarter of the NFL Week 14 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022. The Bengals led 13-3 at halftime.
Cleveland Browns At Cincinnati Bengals Week 14
After a rusty showing against his old team a week ago, quarterback Deshaun Watson was better today against the Bengals. However, mustering just one offensive touchdown on the day, he still has plenty of room to continue to get better over these next four weeks.
On the day, Watson finished 26-of-42 passing for 276 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. It still seemed as though the game was moving fast for him, but slower than it did a week ago. He even added another 33 yards rushing on the ground as the Browns look for answers to their run game.
Next week he will be tasked with going against the 12th-ranked passing defense of the Baltimore Ravens. This team is also sixth against the run in DVOA, meaning Watson will once again be asked to float the offense as the run game continues to soul-search.
Can he get incrementally back into the swing of things over these last four as the Browns do not have much to play for at this point?
3rd Down: Ja'Marr Chase dominates a soft secondary
Dec 11, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) scores a touchdown against Cleveland Browns safety John Johnson III (43) in the first half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
After getting strapped up last season, and then missing the first appearance this season against the Browns, the Bengals’ All-Pro wide receiver, well, played like an All-Pro in this one. The connection between Burrow and Chase is a special one, as 10 of Burrow’s 18 completions went to his LSU teammate on the day.
Chase scored the first touchdown of the game, finishing with 119 yards and a touchdown on those 10 catches. He is one of the best receivers in the league for a reason, and it was only a matter of time before he left his mark against this Browns team. Luckily for the Browns next week, the Ravens do not have a receiver that instills much fear in a secondary.
4th Down: Myles Garrett is inching closer to the Defensive Player of the Year
Dec 11, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) looks to throw a pass under pressure from Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) in the second quarter at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports
While the outcome was not a pretty one on the scoreboard, Myles Garrett continues his race for the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year. He finished this game with two sacks, three tackles for loss, and two passes batted down at the line of scrimmage.
He is now up to 12 sacks on the season in 12 games played. It cannot be taken for granted how truly generational it is to average a sack per game as consistently as Garrett does. This now puts him tied for third in the league in sacks.
Garrett gets double-teamed more than anyone else in the league, and still wins off the edge more than anyone else, as sack totals do not tell the full story. While not much has gone right this season, and not much went right today for the Browns, Garrett continues to be a dominant presence week in and week out.
Extra Point: What do we have to look forward to over next four weeks?
Dec 11, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones (11) returns a punt in the first quarter of the NFL Week 14 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports
This season looks lost. And we knew there was a good chance of that when the news of the Watson suspension came down. However, the Browns have an opportunity to build real momentum heading into the offseason over these last four games. And who knows? Maybe nine games is good enough to sneak into a final playoff spot given how the New York Jets, New England Patriots, and Los Angeles Chargers have been playing down the stretch.
The Ravens may also be without MVP-winning quarterback Lamar Jackson on a short week, meaning they may get Tyler Huntley again this Saturday. From there, the Browns wrap up the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Commanders, and New Orleans Saints.
One thing the Browns have shown over the past few weeks, at least, is there is no quit in this team until the final whistle. This allowed them to come back and beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and even put them in a position to close the gap today (to no avail).
With that being said, there are some real issues this team has to figure out, and they will use the last four weeks to do so. There are highly-paid players in the secondary who could be fighting for a roster spot next season. There are coordinators on thin ice with a chance to patch up their standings, and there is a rapport that can continue to be built offensively.
Do not expect this team to stop churning their legs until the conclusion of Week 18.
[listicle id=82025]
