Cleveland Browns: Grades from shameful loss in Buffalo

Dec 18, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Brandon Tate (15) runs a sweep during the first half against the Cleveland Browns at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Were there any passing grades from the Cleveland Browns’ epic defeat in Buffalo? The grade book is out, and the results are miserable.

The most incompetent professional sports organization in the history of the world. After Sunday’s loss to the Bills, there is really no doubt that the Cleveland Browns can be described in this way. Reaching a new low in an effortless defeat, the team has just one legitimate remaining opportunity to avoid the worst season in NFL history.

This football is unwatchable. And once again, there are few words to describe to those who may not have tuned into the game just how embarrassing it was.

The numbers do not tell the complete story. The reality is, this team performed so much more poorly than even the 33-13 score indicates.

It is hard to move forward from a game like this, but the Browns have no choice. Christmas Eve is fast approaching, so Cleveland will have one less day to prepare for their home finale against the San Diego Chargers. They don’t want to disappoint the 10,000 fans who will come out to support them.

But before the focus shifts, it is time to break down what happened in Buffalo. The grade book looks ugly, and is well deserved.

So without further ado, here are the grades for the major position groups from Sunday’s game. Only the players’ performance in this game are taken into account.

Dec 18, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) runs with the ball and is pursued by Buffalo Bills defensive end Leger Douzable (91) during the second half at New Era Field. Bills beat the Browns 33-13. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback: F

Poor Robert Griffin III. He deserves a far better opportunity than this. But fair or not, Griffin has done nothing to earn a passing grade in either of his first two starts back from injury.

Statistically, Griffin was better than last week. He completed 17 of 28 pass attempts for 196 yards. He also didn’t turn the ball over.

On the ground, the elusive quarterback managed to gain 48 yards on eight carries, scoring the lone touchdown on the afternoon. So why does he deserve a failing grade?

Griffin missed four throws of under five yards, lacked command at the line of scrimmage, and took three horrible sacks. In the end, the numbers for any quarterback who throws the ball as much as Griffin did on Sunday will not look all that poor.

The reality is, much of this yardage came in garbage time. When it counted, the former Baylor Bear was not a leader of this young offense. He appeared to be lost at the line of scrimmage, failing to take command. And when he needed to get rid of the ball, he didn’t. As a result, Griffin may have even more bruises than usual.

Dec 18, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Duke Johnson (29) tries to jump over Buffalo Bills cornerback Ronald Darby (28) during the first half at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Running Backs: F

It really is difficult to assess the performance of Duke Johnson and Isaiah Crowell in this one, since there really wasn’t one. As it turned out, it was yet another day when not much went on for this position.

Carrying the ball a total of 13 times, Johnson and Crowell combined for 59 yards. They did what they could with absolutely no space, and had a couple of exciting plays negated by holding penalties.

Through the air, Johnson led the way among all receivers with 62 yards on five receptions. But with drops from both him and Crowell, even this area of the offense was frustrating to watch. The Browns made a clear effort to get the ball to these two backs with screen passes, but this backfired quickly.

As for pass protecting, the running backs were nowhere to be found. It is hard to pin any of the five sacks Cleveland surrendered on Johnson or Crowell, but they sure didn’t help.

Dec 18, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Terrelle Pryor (11) runs the ball after a catch and gets tackled by Buffalo Bills cornerback Ronald Darby (28) during the first half at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Wide Receivers: F

The question is, where did the offense come from? This game was really unbelievable in so many ways. As bad as the running game was, it doesn’t even compare to the play of the inept wide receivers.

In total, this unit accounted for 76 of the team’s total yards. Given the fact that Griffin dropped back to pass 33 times, this is extremely low.

Corey Coleman, Terrelle Pryor, and Andrew Hawkins combined for eight receptions. Unfortunately, no others were even targeted. Hawkins had just one catch for 33 yards, Coleman three for 24, and Pryor four for 19.

This offense is built to throw the ball, so when the receivers turn in a performance like they did today, there is ample cause for alarm. Sure, the offensive line played horribly, but Pryor also had two clear drops. How are the Browns supposed to compete when another problem surfaces every time they fix one?

In the end, the play of the receivers on Sunday was a microcosm of the season. With sloppy play, nobody was even on the same page. And what is possibly even more irking to fans is that nobody seemed to care.

Dec 18, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) gets sacked by Buffalo Bills outside linebacker Lorenzo Alexander (57) and Buffalo Bills defensive end Kyle Williams (95) during the first half at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Offensive Line: F

Physically, there is just no way the Browns’ offensive line could compete with anybody. Not even Alabama. Slow and out of shape, this unit did little more than take up space on the field in this one.

Anyone could make the claim that injuries have plagued this unit all season, as it could not be any more clear that this isn’t an NFL starting line. But even the constants in this group are being humiliated play after play. Cameron Erving was dominated by Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus, to the point at which it became excruciatingly painful to witness.

Spencer Drango and Austin Pasztor are also notable due to their awful play. Drango could not handle the stunts Buffalo was throwing at him, and Pasztor was the main reason for which the pocket was never preserved.

Penalties were also a story of this game, as there were two holding calls on the linemen. The penalty coming on the opening drive was especially demoralizing, as the Browns were marched back 10 yards after gaining 12. This eventually led to a three-and-out, and set the tone for the remainder of the afternoon.

Tight Ends: F

It was a rough day for Cleveland tight ends. Gary Barnidge, who caught two passes for 35 yards, has seemed to completely fall off of the face of the earth this season. Other than him, there is really nobody besides rookies Randall Telfer and Seth DeValve; neither of whom were on the field for multiple consecutive plays.

Given Hue Jackson‘s offense which emphasizes the use of tight ends, their lack of production sums up how everything has been going lately. Barnidge is on the field almost every play. He even runs routes on most of them. Yet somehow, one of the team’s main targets only comes away with a wild catch on an unorthodox play and another five-yard reception.

It is safe to say that Barnidge was completely eliminated from relevance in this contest. For one of the team’s most reliable all around players who was even selected to go to the Pro Bowl in 2015, this has got to be frustrating for the coaching staff.

Where this hurts the Browns the most is in the red zone. As their main red zone target in 2015, Barnidge was able to catch nine touchdown passes. This year, he has just one.

With the Browns converting on just one of their three red zone trips on Sunday, the impact of Barnidge’s disappearing act is well documented.

Dec 18, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback EJ Manuel (3) calls a play during the second half against the Cleveland Browns at New Era Field. Buffalo beats Cleveland 33 to 13. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive Line: F

The defensive line was as bad as a defensive line could possibly be. Gaping holes were readily available for LeSean McCoy all afternoon, explaining his 153 yards and two touchdowns. In fact, the Browns were so horrible at run defense, the Bills averaged seven yards per carry. Over the course of 40 carries, maintaining a ridiculously high average like this is unheard of.

Indicative of the kind of afternoon it was, the leading tackler among defensive linemen was the ninth-leading tackler on the defense. To put this in simple terms, this means that virtually every tackle was made by either the linebackers or the secondary, the two units who play behind the defensive line.

Danny Shelton and Jamie Meder led the way with an entire three tackles, really contributing everything they could offer. Other than that, no other defensive lineman recorded a tackle.

Dec 11, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill (32) runs the ball past Cleveland Browns inside linebacker Christian Kirksey (58) during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Linebackers: F

Now, it isn’t like it was just the defensive line who ought to be held responsible for the 280 yards Buffalo was able to gain on the ground. A poor afternoon from the linebackers contributed to this as well.

The most important duty of linebackers is to fill the hole and make tackles on running backs. Given the aforementioned 280 yards rushing the Bills were able to pile on, it is a fair conclusion to come to that this group did not do their job.

Demario Davis and Christian Kirksey were able to lead the defense in tackles, combining for 19. Even Jamie Collins decided to show up for the second week in a row, turning in five tackles.

Emmanuel Ogbah was also impressive, coming up with the only sack on the afternoon. But besides Ogbah, there was absolutely no pressure generated by this unit. Allowing quarterback Tyrod Taylor to run for 49 yards on seven carries, there was no containment either. Also, tight end Charles Clay led the Bills in receiving with 72 yards and a touchdown. Since covering the tight end is the responsibility of the linebackers, this unit didn’t do its job there either.

Ultimately, a reasonable question to ask is; what did the linebackers do all afternoon?

Dec 18, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills tight end Charles Clay (85) catches a pass for a touchdown as Cleveland Browns outside linebacker Jamie Collins (51) and free safety Ed Reynolds (39) look on during the first half at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Secondary: F

Usually when an opposing team runs the ball 40 times, the secondary isn’t in on just about every tackle. But for the consistently unconventional Browns, they feel that incorporating their pass defenders in on every running play is a necessity.

Ed Reynolds played an excellent game, recording eight tackles. But with the exception of the second-year player nobody has heard of, Cleveland’s secondary performed disastrously.

Missed tackles and blown coverages plagued this undersized unit. On the touchdown catch made by Charles Clay, three defenders were covering him. Yet somehow, none were in the same zip code of the tight end. The same was true on Buffalo’s 3rd-and-22 conversion to Marquise Goodwin. The defenders had every inch of the field covered, except for a 10-yard radius around the intended receiver.

A lot of this is due to the disaster known as the zone defense. Intended to protect the reputations of players, this is making it hard to point out one specific player who is at fault. Unfortunately, it only makes everyone at fault.

Other contributing tacklers included Jamar Taylor with four, and Tracy Howard with two. Joe Haden also earned his $838,000 this week by making one tackle. Maybe Sunday wasn’t a lost cause after all.

Nov 6, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns punter Britton Colquitt (4) against the Dallas Cowboys at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Cowboys won 35-10. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Special Teams: F

The MVP as far as special teams was concerned on Sunday is whoever provided those orange jackets for all of the players. Standing on the sidelines, this group was able to brave the frigid Buffalo temperatures with remarkable success.

On the field, it was an entirely different story. The Browns averaged just 17.4 yards per kick return, far from the 25 that they could by simply kneeling in the end zone. They also surrendered 46 yards of punt return yardage, enough to set the Bills up in perfect field position on multiple occasions.

Mario Alford was the one somewhat bright spot. Just signed this week, the 24-year-old took some risks and made some plays. Unfortunately, beyond what he could do himself, there was nothing more.

On the first punt of the game, Briean Boddy-Calhoun hit Buffalo returner Brandon Tate prematurely, drawing a personal foul flag. This put the Bills inside Browns’ territory to begin their first drive, already handicapping an incompetent defense.

All afternoon, these sorts of struggles persisted. Little field position went the Browns’ way due to a special teams unit that simply can not create any room to set up punt and kick returns. And on punt and kick coverage, they were unable to slow down Tate.

Of everything that went wrong for the Browns on Sunday, the special teams is not the most glaring. But when analyzed deeper, there is still a lot for this group to work on.

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: F

We’ve all heard about how there are 23 rookies on the roster. We’ve all been reminded that this season has been devoted to the early stages of a rebuilding process. We’ve all been told to remain patient. Yet somehow, nothing ever changes. The reason? An incompetent coaching staff.

Football is all about balance, yet Crowell and Johnson only had 13 carries. No running game was stimulated, no rhythm was established, and no sense can be made of any of the play calling.

Even when the Browns did throw the ball, it was rarely vertically. Refusing to take chances despite having the weapons to do so is puzzling. Not to mention, they were 0-13. Why play conservative?

Eventually, it all comes down to preparation and adjustments. Few know what truly goes on behind closed doors, so it is hard to criticize the coaching staff for a lack of preparation. But adjustments? This is plain as day.

Defensively, the Browns finally got a stop by bringing pressure. They forced a premature throw from Taylor, and rattled the young quarterback. But instead of continuing with the same aggressiveness, the defense decided to return to the soft zone coverage with a three or four man rush. Ray Horton has a lot of explaining to do.

Offensively, the inability to adjust to the relentless pressure Buffalo was manufacturing was mind-blowing. Cleveland’s offensive line was getting manhandled on every play. The response? None, really, unless the coaches were holding out hope for a Clark Kent moment.

Now, of course the Browns shouldn’t part ways with Jackson. The only way for them to regain any sort of stability is to keep a coach long enough for him to get to know what good restaurants are in town.

It would just be nice though to see some sort of improvement over the course of a season. Even if the Browns are to lose 14 straight, is it too much to ask for them to learn anything from the losses? And even if they aren’t going to do that, is it too much to ask for them to pretend like they care?

Maybe finding that challenge flag was about enough Jackson could take. But for the hundreds of fans who made the trip to Buffalo, and the others who suffered through it on television, this sort of afternoon isn’t going to cut it. If fans are to hold their coaching accountable, this one won’t go over well.