Baker is Nearly Perfect and the Front Office Faces a Dilemma

Not since the great balloon release of 1986 has this kind of unbridled enthusiasm swept through Cleveland. It’s the kind of excitement that surrounds a half-price sale at Higbee’s, finding a Cleveland Force t-shirt at a thrift shop in Tremont, or spotting Iron Chef Michael Symon grinding some pierogies at Sokolowski’s University Inn. In the week prior, a malaise had fallen across the region, and despite a 4-2 start, Browns fans were reeling from yet another lopsided defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I’ve written before about the emotional roller coaster that is unique to Browns fans, and I am definitely not immune. I stewed about the Pittsburgh loss all week, as predictable as it was, but managed to bolster my spirits and get ready for the Bengal game sure we’d score a bunch of points. Cleveland sports radio was full of every opinion imaginable about our young gunslinger Baker Mayfield, and all of the sudden an early season game with the Bengals felt like a must-win and would serve as a referendum on our quarterback. In a very Cleveland-style series of events, it looked like the Bengals would strike first, but BJ Goodson intercepted Burrow in the endzone and the Browns took over. (BJ Goodson, if you’re reading this, take a knee next time for a touchback) Two plays later Baker threw an interception, and on the same play we lost OBJ for the season to a knee injury. However, the remaining 54 minutes of the game will be written in the annals of Browns history because after a little scuffling, Baker completed his last 22 pass attempts of the game, including the winning touchdown with 11 seconds left in the game. It was as remarkable a performance as we’ve seen in a long time, especially with no Nick Chubb or OBJ, and deserves a spot on my list of most memorable sports memories.

So not surprisingly, Monday morning in Cleveland was all about the playoffs, as if they are a forgone conclusion. Personally, I am trying to temper my enthusiasm and keep a bit of perspective, because to be fair, the Browns haven’t really beaten a good team yet, not to mention I’ve seen this team wilt down the stretch after a decent start. (In 2014 we went from 6-3 to 7-9 in a long, painful swirl down the toilet bowl) I’m not fixated on the to soft schedule like some fans, because yes it’s true that we’ve got wins against bad teams, but it wasn’t that long ago that we lost to those same teams. And I believe that the first step in beating good teams, is to beat the bad teams in front of you. And the Browns have done that, by hook or by crook, in spite of the fact that this porous Cleveland defense allows 31.6 points per game. It’s not been without drama and you can probably say that a couple of those wins could have easily gone the other way. But regardless of how we got here, it feels pretty good to be sitting at 5-2 with some winnable games in the near future.

However, there is the loss of Odell Beckham Jr. to consider. I’ve never been the biggest supporter of OBJ, I felt that along with his crazy athleticism comes a suitcase full of drama and prima donna behavior. While that’s true, his impact on the field cannot be underestimated. It’s not so much about his stats (23 catches, 4 total touchdowns) but more about what his mere presence forces other teams to do defensively. He’s so quick, and is a threat to score everytime he touches the ball so teams need to constantly account for where he is on the field, and that contributes to how the other receivers for Cleveland get open so often. Don’t be fooled by the success of the offense against Cincinnati, that secondary couldn’t stop Firestone High School from scoring 24 points. Much has been made of the “chemistry” that Mayfield and Higgins seems to have, but Higgins to me is sort of a journeyman kind of player. Don’t get me wrong, he was fantastic last week, especially in the fourth quarter when it matters the most. But it’s hard to see that kind of performance happening week in and week out, so clearly the offense will have to be retooled a bit.

Not surprisingly, there has been a ton of discussion this week about what the Browns should or shouldn’t do as the trade deadline approaches. I understand the temptation to go after another wide receiver to replace OBJ, but I don’t think that this front office views that as a viable option. I think they are willing to roll with Landry, Higgins, and two other dudes with strange names at the wide receiver position. Plus Hooper, Bryant, and Njoku are all good options as well, so I can’t see a scenario where they make a move to bolster the offense. So the next question is should they make a move to shore up the defense. They are paper thin at safety and cornerback, partly because of bad luck with injuries to rookie Grant Delpit as well as Greedy Williams. This week the team hasn’t really said if they plan to be active in the trade market, which leads me to believe they will not. To me, this is incredibly disappointing. The defense is terrible, and puts the team in a position where they have to score 35 points to have a chance at winning. There’s no real reason to think it will dramatically improve during the rest of the regular season, although maybe defensive coordinator Joe Woods can work some magic during the bye week. (spoiler alert: there’s no way that happens) The Browns covet draft picks, and cling to them like grim death and have historically been reluctant to make big trades during the season. But in this year, with all the weirdness swirling around this team and this league, why not roll the dice and try to bring somebody in who can be a difference maker on the defensive side of the ball? I’m not making the claim that the Browns can even make a run in the playoffs, but I do believe they have the offense to win a playoff game. They haven’t done that since 1994, and it would be worth sacrificing some future picks to get an impact player right now.

Go Browns.