Browns come up short to Melvin Gordon and the Chargers. Image Credit: Tim Phillis – For The News-Herald
WELCOME TO THE FANS PERSPECTIVE
*Editor’s Note*
Anthony D. Stevenson is not only our latest addition to the Baseline Perspective team, he’s born and bred from the “HARDLAND OF AMERICA”, Cleveland, Ohio! Anthony’s passion for football has always been there as far back as he can remember and so has his love for the Cleveland Browns.
While in the U.S. Air Force, Anthony played cornerback for the Bitburg Barons CSC football team in Europe. He then played cornerback for the Tri-Country Gamecocks semi-pro football team, in South Carolina.
Anthony offers not only his insight, having played, but also his passion as a fan! It’s only right then that a “dawg pounder for life” gives you his weekly FANS PERSPECTIVE on the 2018-19 season for the Cleveland Browns. Here’s his latest:
Browns fans filed into First Energy Stadium on Sunday expecting to see our team build on that emotional win last week against the Ravens. Oh, were we totally disappointed!
What we witnessed was a total and complete beatdown by the Los Angeles Chargers. If I have to find one bright spot in the game, which I usually try to do in Browns losses, it would be the tribute to Joe Thomas in the first quarter. The Browns were outplayed, out-schemed and out-coached by the Chargers. Sitting through that 38 – 14 shellacking was like being at a family BBQ and watching someone enjoying the last piece of chicken, that you had your eye on…deeply painful.
BROWNS HAD NO ANSWERS
The Browns had no answers for the Chargers run game. They deployed a scheme that would counter the aggressiveness of our defensive ends. The scheme totally neutralized Myles Garrett and Emmanuel Ogbah against the run. They were unable to set the edges, as the Chargers running backs ran outside, play after play. Once they were able to do that at will, Philip Rivers went deep, connecting with his receiver Ty Williams for 2 touchdowns. Chargers running back Melvin Gordon rushed for another 3 touchdowns.
Although the Raiders put up more points on the Browns defense, watching that game against Oakland, you never got the feeling that the Browns defense got dominated. In this game it was totally different. It was like watching water leaking through a crack in a dam; it started with a drip and pretty soon it was coming through too fast to stop it. It didn’t make things better when our defensive engine, linebacker Joe Schobert went out with a hamstring injury. Hopefully it’s not a serious injury because we will need all hands on deck going forward.
The defense did sack Rivers a couple of times. They even got a turnover, making it at least one turnover in every game so far this season.
But, as Coach Jackson eluded to in his post-game press conference, the Browns never really had a handle on this game. It pains me to say this fellow Browns fans, but for as bad as the defense played today…the offense was worse.
THE LAND OF MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
After the first couple of plays of the Browns opening drive, the fans were like “yes…this is what we came here for.”
Baker Mayfield hit tight end David Njoku on a quick pass over the middle and away we go! Mayfield then picked up a 1st down with his legs, but on that play, he hurt his ankle as he slid on the 1st down marker on the sideline. He came up hobbling but he stayed in the game. Then, guess who decided to show up again this week? Yep, you guessed it, the Drop Monster! See the Chargers knew the Browns receiving corps has been weakened by injuries, so their plan was simple…take Jarvis Landry out of the game and force the other rookie receivers to make plays. Unfortunately for the Browns, it worked to perfection, because that Drop Monster attached itself to Callaway and Ratley early in the game. They both dropped scoring opportunities where Mayfield put the ball where only they could make the catch.
The Browns running game was nonexistent today. Partly because of lack of execution but mostly because the Browns kept falling further and further behind, which made the offense one dimensional at that point. When that happens, you’re not going to win many games, and that definitely hurt the Browns Sunday.
Los Angeles Chargers offensive guard Dan Feeney (66) holds up Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon (28) after Gordon Image Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
MOVING ON FROM THIS ONE!!!
For as bad as the Browns looked on Sunday against the Chargers, the reality is that it’s just one game. The best thing to do at this point would be to watch film on Monday to correct the many, many mistakes that were made in all phases of the game and move on to Tampa Bay.
That task will be even more difficult this week, because at the time of this release, the Browns only have 4 healthy wide receivers on the roster, a banged-up quarterback and we’ve lost our starting signal caller on defense. These are what we call “trying times” Dawg Pound. This is also where we see what this Browns team is really made of. Will we continue to reel from this loss, or will we put on our big boy pants and get back to winning starting this Sunday?
One thing I do know, this loss, despite how ugly it was, won’t deter Browns fans. This is Believeland!! And this season, unlike recent seasons past…we BELIEVE!!!
