It was a long and painful two decades, but the Cleveland Browns are now a truly balanced team. They have real talent across the board, both sides of the ball. We got a glimpse of what they can do with the many weapons they’ve been gifted in the last year or so.
The Cleveland Browns Have Built A Well Balanced Team
No More Quarterback Worries
Countless disappointments and unreliability at this position plagued the team for years. In 2018, the Browns drafted Baker Mayfield and he looked every bit the star quarterback they desperately needed. Mayfield swooped in and gave the fans some hope late in the season. The following year, he declined dramatically giving everyone flashbacks of the many years before.
2020 was a comeback year for Mayfield, shining bright and renewed. A lot of his success can be accredited to head coach Kevin Stefanski, who knew just how to draw out the best from this third-year quarterback. Mayfield threw for 3,263 yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2020. For two decades, Cleveland hadn’t been remotely close to finding a reliable quarterback, but in Mayfield, they finally have ‘their guy’.
Their Running Game Is Solid
Much like the quarterback position, Cleveland hasn’t had the best luck with running backs. Enter Nick Chubb, the best running back in Cleveland since 1999. In just three seasons, he rushed for 3,557 yards and 28 touchdowns. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry and 80 yards per game. He’s been rushing at an elite level since he entered the league and some might even dare say he is top 5 in the NFL currently.
He’s one of only three Browns running backs to rush for over 1,000 yards but his 28 touchdowns are more than the other three combined. Add this to the fact that he’s also one of only three Browns running backs to have double-digit touchdown seasons. Last season, Chubb rushed for 12 touchdowns even though he missed four games.
Making up the other half of Cleveland’s impressive running back tandem is Kareem Hunt. Together he and Chubb broke tackles, broke away for big plays and by fourth quarter broke the will of the opposition. They are everything a team needs from their running backs.
Offense Has Reached New Heights
Stefanski said he wanted to take offense to the next level – and he did. With quarterback and running backs sorted, Cleveland’s wide receivers are set to perform well. While the Browns have said they’re willing to listen to offers for Odell Beckham Jr., others think it would be crazy to give him up. The Browns run-centric offense gives Mayfield a chance to hit his play-action – OBJ and Jarvis Landry are great in that situation. The offense will be explosive on the back-end.
Defense is Looking Good Too
The unit struggled somewhat in 2020. However, smart offseason moves have given much reason to believe they can thrive in 2021. Finally securing linebacker Jadeveon Clowney after a year-long pursuit has really lifted the mood in Cleveland. He is the ideal man to play opposite Myles Garrett – they’ll push each other. John Johnson III was a great decision, being one of the best safeties in the league. Keeping reliable guys like Malcolm Smith will make a difference. Meanwhile, Sione Takitaki and Jacob Phillips are excellent run defenders.
Even The Browns Kicker Is Reliable
Cody Parkey has been all over the league, but he has found a home in Cleveland. He has enough experience with the volatile weather to know exactly how to get the ball through the goalposts. It “was the hardest [season] of kicking [he has] ever had to do”, but he knows things that opposing players do not. “The Houston Texans game, when you looked at the flags, they were going one way, but from experience, I knew that wasn’t going to happen… [the Texans kicker] ended up missing that kick.”
The franchise is more balanced than they’ve ever been. Going into the 2021 season, they know they will face adversity, but they’re in a secure situation and that will help them each week.
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