Cleveland Browns: Grades from game vs. Jets

Oct 30, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; New York Jets outside linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin (55) tries to sack Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown (13) during the second half at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Jets won 31-28. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

It looked promising early on for the Cleveland Browns, but they failed to finish against the Jets. How did each major position group perform in the loss?

It was the best of halves and the worst of halves for the Cleveland Browns. In their eighth consecutive loss to open 2016, the Browns squandered a 13-point halftime lead and a dominant first half performance to the tune of a much different second half, which propelled the New York Jets to a 31-28 victory.

The dilemma of not being able to play a full sixty minutes is not a new one for the Browns. They lost in similar fashion against the Baltimore Ravens in Josh McCown‘s last start at quarterback. Getting over the hump has clearly been a challenge for this young team, even when they manage to play well.

Despite the loss, there were some bright moments in the contest. In contrast to last week, Cleveland was the team converting on the long passing plays instead of surrendering them. But the team could not manage enough offense to pull off the victory, and several different groups are responsible for the collapse.

The following is a complete analysis of Sunday’s defeat in the form of grades given to each major position group. The grades are based on this week’s performance only, with no other factors included.

Oct 30, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown (13) throws a pass during the first quarter against the New York Jets at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback: C

The play of quarterback Josh McCown was, much like the rest of the team, inconsistent. While he connected on several deep passing plays which will stand out to many fans, he also missed additional opportunities.

In total, McCown completed 25 of 49 pass attempts, adding up to an impressive 341 yards. He also converted on two touchdown passes to Andrew Hawkins. However, completing only slightly over half of his pass attempts is not nearly good enough for a very pass-heavy offense.

McCown also threw two interceptions, but they can’t be blamed solely on him. The first pick came when Terrelle Pryor gave up on a route, and the second came off of a deflection deep in Cleveland territory. All in all, McCown didn’t have a career game, but he did play well enough to give the Browns a chance to win.

The mixed performance was not far from what was expected from the veteran. He does bring a professional attitude to Cleveland’s huddle which is beneficial to the team. The Browns should be able to overcome the physical inabilities of McCown as long as he is as tough as usual. With the current quarterback situation, the must discover other ways to produce on offense, and must step up at other positions. Clearly, this did not happen in week 8.

Oct 30, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell (34) jumps into the Dawg Pound after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the New York Jets at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Running Backs: C

It was expected to be a rough day for the Clevleand rushing attack against the second-ranked Jets run defense. While the Browns’ running backs did not have very good outings, they were surprisingly efficient and productive when called upon.

Isaiah Crowell led the way rushing with 29 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. However, Duke Johnson was much more explosive, rushing for 29 yards in just 4 carries. In total, the Browns averaged 3.8 yards per carry, which can be considered average. Against a stout New York defensive line, this is about as productive as fans could have expected Crowell and Johnson to be.

The problem was the running backs only got 15 carries as opposed to 51 pass attempts. Especially for a team which spent most of the afternoon on top, this is a wildly disproportionate offensive game plan. This limited the production of the running game to a total of 58 yards and a touchdown, far from enough to get the job done.

But the running backs still did what they could to contribute to a pass-heavy game plan. Crowell especially picked up blitzing Jets defenders consistently all afternoon, even in obvious passing situations. This is encouraging, but it is only one area in which Cleveland running backs showed improvement.

Oct 30, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Andrew Hawkins (16) and quarterback Josh McCown (13) celebrate a first quarter touchdown against the New York Jets at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Wide Receivers: F

The stats the receivers put up in Sunday’s game are very deceiving to a fan who didn’t tune in. Terrelle Pryor did have a productive game, recording 101 yards on six receptions. He seemed to blow by Darrelle Revis every single play, resulting in the large chunks of yardage.

Other than Pryor, Andrew Hawkins caught the most passes, followed by Ricardo Louis. These three pass catchers though were the only three wide receivers with multiple receptions. This has to change if the Browns want to throw the ball 51 times every game.

The most frustrating part is this group squandered a lot of opportunities to do even more damage to a weak New York secondary. Dropped passes plagued the receivers all afternoon, and though the ball may have been slippery, these drops were unacceptable.

Also, the group disappeared in the second half, a recurring theme for the Browns. This inability to produce for an entire sixty minutes has proven to be the difference in some of this season’s tighter contests. For this reason, the performance of the receivers collectively failed to get the job done.

Oct 30, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; The Cleveland Browns offense celebrates a touchdown against the New York Jets during the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Offensive Line: B

Overall, Cleveland’s offensive line held their own against a stout New York defense. Though they didn’t provide too much space for their running backs, they did prevent negative plays in the running game and protected McCown relatively well.

It was a rough day at left guard as Alvin Bailey and Spencer Drango alternated possessions for much of the game. Center Cameron Erving also continued to struggle at times, but the line never broke down.

McCown was sacked only one time, a season low. Also, the line committed fewer pre-snap penalties than normal. This shows improvement in multiple areas which is encouraging.

Still, the offensive line must do a better job of creating running lanes to aid the rushing attack. The Jets are not the best barometer for a running game, as they are among the best at stopping the run. Since Cleveland showed a few bursts in the running game, they shouldn’t be too worried. But it is something to keep an eye on moving forward, as it is necessary for the Browns to run block efficiently in the coming weeks.

Oct 30, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns tight end Gary Barnidge (82) canoot get the second foot down on a potential touchdown catch as New York Jets strong safety Rontez Miles (45) defends during the second half at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Jets won 31-28. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Tight Ends: C

It was once again a welcome sight to see Gary Barnidge gain large chunks of yardage through the air on Sunday. Following his best performance of 2016 last week in Cincinnati, the beloved Cleveland tight end turned in a productive outing this week.

Barnidge was the team’s third leading receiver, catching three passes for 42 yards. This includes a spectacular route and catch he made on Cleveland’s first play from scrimmage. Also, Barnidge blocked well when given the opportunity, but was more often running routes. It wasn’t his best afternoon overall, but it is no cause for concern for Browns fans.

Barnidge wasn’t the only Cleveland tight end to get extended playing time on Sunday though. Rookie Seth DeValve also played more than he ever has, as well as Randall Telfer. These tight ends were mostly used to block, but both were targeted and DeValve did have one reception for five yards. In the end, no Cleveland tight end really had affected the outcome either way in the game’s result.

Oct 30, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; New York Jets running back Matt Forte (22) gets tackled by Cleveland Browns outside linebacker Joe Schobert (53) and defensive end Jamie Meder (98) during the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive Line: D

Over the past few weeks, Cleveland’s defensive line has outperformed the rest of the defense. This week was a different story though. Against a poor offense that relies on a strong rushing attack, the front three did little to slow down either the run or pass game.

Jamie Meder was one exception, as he influenced the game greatly, turning in five sacks. Danny Shelton had an average game, and Carl Nassib also showed up. But as a unit, the defensive line did fail to consistently stop the run, and they didn’t generate any pressure on Fitzpatrick.

The struggles of the line came to a head early in the game when Bilal Powell ran for a 35-yard touchdown on a third-and-ten play. If not for a penalty, the Jets would have had another first down on the ground later in the game on a third-and-sixteen. These kinds of lapses against an average offensive line prevents the defense from getting off the field when necessary. As a unit, the Browns were not consistent enough stopping the run.

As for the pass rush, it was virtually non-existent. The Browns knew coming in that if they were able to generate pressure without blitzing, they would force Fitzpatrick to make mistakes. The Jets only allowed two sacks though, and the Jets did not turn the ball over. While Fitzpatrick should be given credit, this is also a direct reflection of the defensive line’s inability to create pressure on the quarterback.

Oct 30, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; New York Jets running back Matt Forte (22) runs the ball as Cleveland Browns inside linebacker Chris Kirksey (58) gives chase during the second half at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Linebackers: B

It was once again the Cleveland linebackers who stepped up for an otherwise struggling defense. They did this by both coming up to stop the run on numerous occasions, as well as playing well in pass coverage.

Christian Kirksey, Demario Davis and Emmanuel Ogbah all led the defense in tackles. Kirksey especially played very well in pass coverage, slowing the Jets’ middle-of-the-field pass attack until late in the second half.

Though the linebackers weren’t able to generate a great deal of pressure on Fitzpatrick, they also weren’t asked to since they were preoccupied with stopping a formidable New York rushing attack.

Against Powell and Matt Forte, the Browns gave up 158 yards to Jets running backs. This was mostly due to the defensive line though, as the linebackers were forced to make a lot of tackles after running backs slipped through the front three defenders.

Moving forward, it appears that the Browns are fortunate to have solid linebackers in Kirksey, Ogbah and Davis. This group, along with a committee of others, can have success filling these four slots. The problems the Browns have defensively are currently not due to their linebacker play.

Oct 30, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) stiff arms Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden (23) during the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Jets won 31-28. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Secondary: D

In the past few weeks, Cleveland defensive backs have been downright torched by opposing passing attacks. This dilemma came to a shocking climax when they gave up 308 yards through the air to the Cincinnati Bengals. This week, they were slightly better, but their performance must be taken for what it is worth.

The Jets still gained 228 yards through the air, as well as a touchdown. Quincy Enunwa led the way with 93 receiving yards and the score. Though the Browns looked more comfortable defending the pass, they still surrendered almost equally terrible numbers to a poor Jets passing offense.

In the midst of the rough performance, Joe Haden played well defending Brandon Marshall. Jamar Taylor also had his most solid game in a Browns uniform, making three strong tackles and three pass break-ups.

Still, the Browns must improve in this area. The second half of Sunday’s game is proof that the secondary is not at all consistent. In order for the team to slow down offenses and get off the field on third downs, it is paramount that they find the correct scheme defensively to assist an undermanned and undersized secondary.

Oct 30, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns kicker Cody Parkey (3) and punter Britton Colquitt (4) celebrate a field goal during the second quarter against the New York Jets at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Special Teams: D

It was yet another average and less than influential afternoon for Cleveland’s special teams unit. One solid play which was encouraging to see was the final play of the first half when kicker Cody Parkey belted a field goal in the final seconds to give Cleveland its largest lead, 20-7, of the game.

Other than that, it was more of the same. In the return game, the Browns avoided penalties for a change. But returning kickoffs was an adventure, as George Atkinson was very indecisive on two returns.

The Browns tried an onside kick with just seconds remaining which was unsuccessful. While this is no surprise, they could have at least kicked the ball away from New York’s most solid pair of hands, Brandon Marshall.

Either way, this was not influential really in any way to the outcome of the game, just as little of what the special teams did. But in tighter games which may come down to a special teams play, this unit must step up when needed. Right now, it seems unlikely that they would be able to do this.

Oct 30, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson watches warmups before a game against the New York Jets at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Coaching: D

Any time a coach loses, more blame will be placed on him for his team’s performance than he deserves. Evaluating Hue Jackson is difficult to do after just eight games, and it is unfair to sharply criticize him due to his lack of weapons to work with.

However, when the game plan on offense is insufficient, this can be a knock on the coaching staff. The Browns came in to the game knowing that they would need to throw the ball a lot, but there still needs to be some semblance of balance. This was not existent, as Cleveland ran the ball just 15 times as opposed to their 51 pass attempts. This imbalance held true even though the Browns were averaging a respectable 3.8 yards per carry, and even though they were in the lead for a good part of the game.

Not only was the game plan poor, the Browns didn’t seem in sync on offense. This is a direct reflection on the coaching staff, as there was a clear lack of preparation.

Ray Horton clearly didn’t have his defense ready either. Mental lapses as what was seen on Powell’s third-and-ten touchdown run directly reflect preparation, a responsibility of the coaching staff. While the linebackers performed well, even they were not put in a good enough position to succeed, as they were too often forced to make tackles on running backs.

The team is a work in progress, without a doubt. But the coaches must at least maximize the talent they have been given. It’s no secret that the Browns lack pieces they need to become a contender. But all fans ask of the coaches is to make the most of what they have. There have been flashes of this at times, but the Browns took a step back in this category in Week 8.