PITTSBURGH – The team that hoped to right its listing ship on Sunday instead moved one step closer to capsizing.
The Browns’ 33-18 loss to the Steelers on Sunday featured all the elements of a struggling team: odd clock management, inconsistency on offense, a defense that could not hold up against Pittsburgh’s talent, a young quarterback struggling against a relentless attacking defense, and a kicker who could not make kicks.
Now add on drama within the coaching staff that may have already short-circuited the team’s effort to build a successful offense and bring along said young quarterback.
Forget who bears main responsibility and ask this question: Can a team make more of a mess of things?
The Browns have lost three in a row and are 2-5-1 at the midpoint -- after they beat Baltimore in overtime to reach .500. They face Kansas City and Atlanta at home before a bye. And the status of relations between coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley seems, at best, rocky.
Reports surfaced Sunday that Jackson may wish to fire Haley and take over the offense himself. He tried to light a fire a week ago by saying he would jump into helping the offense, but a coach coming off a winless season followed by a one-win season won’t win that public battle.
Jackson backed off.
Jackson is the head coach who will have this record on his resume; if he wants to do things a certain way Haley should be doing them that way. But the bigger problem is the lack of respect that seems evident between them. Jackson talks of helping the offense, Haley doesn’t even mention the head coach by name in his news conference.
Bottom line: Teams can’t win with this kind of in-house drama. And teams cannot properly develop a young quarterback caught in the middle. The Browns made no immediate moves after the game, and none sounded imminent. Instead the team will try to bring the two parties together so they mesh as the season continues.
The offense started fast Sunday, but got only two field goals out of three excellent scoring chances in the first half. From then the same problems arose that have plagued the Browns all season. Youth, lack of consistency, mistakes, clock managemen -- it’s hard to see how changing coordinators or, for that matter, firing the coach and bringing in an interim will make any difference in the short term.
The Browns talk over and over about being close, close to winning in overtime, close to getting over the hump. With this team, close doesn’t matter. The Browns have had double-digit losses in nine of the past 10 seasons – and are headed for a 10th.
A losing culture and environment envelopes the atmosphere. Losing can lead to fraying. Even the normally placid Garrett questioned the defensive plan, saying the Browns should have stuck with the plan that worked in the opener
This Browns team has needs at several spots; it has talent at others. As it’s built and as it’s working, it’s not good enough to beat a good Steelers team on the road or a bad Bucs team on the road.
John Dorsey was hired last December to revamp the roster. He did that as best he could.
The way this season is going – and it should be said there is half a season to right the ship – it appears Dorsey may have the chance to start completely fresh in 2019, with the new players he brought in joined by an entirely new coaching staff.
This Browns job will be an attractive one, if it opens up.
There are players such as Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward on defense. There is Baker Mayfield. There is a fan base that might give its life savings for a nine-win season.
At this point, change simply feels inevitable.
The Browns and their coaches can change that inevitability, but the signs of sinking that have been seen so often in past miserable seasons are readily visible now.