Browns Season Review 2021
The Cleveland Browns came into the 2021 season with high expectations. They were coming off a 10-6 season and made their first playoff appearance since the 2002 season. Then, they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers without their head coach and took the Kansas City Chiefs to the wire. With the entire offense coming back, and numerous pickups on the defensive side, many were putting the Browns as a top three team in the AFC.
It’s strange to remember that they actually got off to a 3-1 start. However, after losing a 47-42 shootout with the Chargers, the offense wouldn’t look the same other than one week vs the Bengals. After averaging 28.4 points per game during the first five weeks, the offense struggled the rest of the way. The Browns would only score over 14 points five of the remaining 12 games, seeing the scoring average drop to 17.25 points per game. So instead of a deep playoff run that many Browns fans were hoping for, the Browns finished 8-9.
So let’s look back at the Browns season review from 2021.
The Defense
Browns DE Myles Garrett
The Browns defense was actually a bright spot. They drafted two players in the 2021 NFL Draft that should be staples on the defense for years to come. First round pick Greg Newsome and second rounder Jeremaih Owusu-Koramoah shined during their rookie seasons. Jadeveon Clowney came in on a one year deal and looked more like the collegiate force that earned a #1 overall pick. Denzel Ward earned every bit of his Pro Bowl nomination and entrenched his name as one of the league’s best defensive backs. As the season progressed, the defense continued to show improvement. In fact, it was the defense that kept the Browns competitive over most of the season.
Baker Mayfield
Mayfield played most of the season hurt. Even though the torn labrum was in his non-throwing shoulder, the injury still effected his passing. So while the numbers can somewhat be explained, there were other things not related to the shoulder that cause concerns. His pocket presence was downright awful. Could that be explained by the fact that most of the season saw a backup in at least one or two spots along the offensive line? Maybe. But there are multiple examples of Baker getting himself into trouble by his own doing. His decision making at times makes me wonder if he wasn’t pre-determining his throws before the snap. He would often throw into double/triple coverage with an open receiver elsewhere on the field.
Baker threw for the fewest yards in a season in his career. His completion percentage was the second worst of his career, behind only the Freddie Kitchens’ led 2019 season. There’s no doubt it was a struggle and he’s become a hot button topic in the media as well as among Browns fans. So what do the Browns do with him?
Contract Talks
Cleveland picked up his 5th year option prior to the season. He’s owed a guaranteed 18.8 million for the 2022 season. So the mindset some folks have of the Browns releasing him and eating that dead cap hit is silly to me. There’s a chance that he could be traded. However, any of the popular names (Watson, Wilson, Rogers) are going to come with at least one first round pick. That isn’t something that I think this front office is willing to give up.
I think that the clear answer is that Baker is going to be the QB1 for the Browns in 2022. If it works out, and they’ve already proven they can win with Baker, then they resign him. If it doesn’t, then they’ll most likely be in a better spot for a top QB prospect in the 2023 NFL draft. That class is considered a better QB class, even though there are some interesting prospects in this year’s group that I like a lot.
Browns HC Kevin Stefanski with Baker Mayfield
Kevin Stefanski
Baker’s struggles call into question the play calling. I often thought that the pre-snap formation gave away the play call. When they wanted to run, it was often with multiple tight ends and the quarterback under center. Passing called for a shotgun formation, often with an empty backfield. You didn’t see as many play action fakes or rollouts, things that Baker is supposed to excel at. You didn’t see many runs or draws out of a shotgun formation to keep the defense honest. If you did, it was generally on a 3rd and long.
Wide Receivers
Of course there’s the whole OBJ thing, but when you look at the play of the wide receivers this season, it’s been extremely disappointing. Many expected OBJ and Landry to both go over 1,000 yards receiving. Instead, OBJ was released and Landry never got going. The receiver group as a whole struggled to create separation. I don’t have any official numbers, but it feels like the Browns should be near the top of the league in the number of dropped passes. In key situations, the Browns wide receivers let Baker down.
Offseason Plans
The Browns offense in the huddle.
Bring back Baker and draft a QB. Baker has proven he can win. Let him get healthy and have one more crack at it in 2022. Drafting a QB is solely for a quality backup. Case Keenum was the highest paid backup in the league, and the Browns still thought an injured Mayfield was a better option for most of the season. There are some interesting options available in the mid to late rounds.
Draft multiple WR’s. This is a talented draft class at WR. The Browns should come out of the NFL Draft with two of them. Speaking of wide receivers, if Jarvis Landry wants to stay in Cleveland, he’s going to need to take a cut in salary. He’s due $16.5 million in 2022, something that his recent play doesn’t deserve. The Browns can save $15.5 million if they release him. If they do, it will only leave the Browns with just Donovan Peoples-Jones and 2021 NFL draft picks Anthony Schwartz and Demetric Felton on the 2022 roster. Hence why adding talent in this draft is key.
Play Calling
I think the time has come for Coach Stefanski to give up the play calling. Let OC Alex Van Pelt handle the play calling duties. This will give Kevin more time to worry about overall time management, challenges, and all the other details that come with being a head coach of a NFL team.
Finally, the front office has to find a way to improve the overall depth of the roster. It was so frustrating watching the Browns struggle whenever a backup entered the game. Yet, I watched the Ravens, with half the roster on IR, playing in the final week with a chance at the playoffs.
2021 was certainly frustrating, but remember Browns fans… as we say, there’s always next year.
Browns season review by Brandon Claburn.
