The Cleveland Browns Lost Control At The Wrong Time Last Season
As bad as Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns were playing in the first two stages of the 2019-20 season, the playoffs were still not that far off. As they entered the month of December, the Browns were sitting at 5-6 with a solid chance to make some noise. But then it all went left. With five games in that month, the Browns would face only one team that would make the playoffs. To make matters worse, four of those games were divisional contests. It was their shot to right the ship.
But right out the gate, they got off to a terrible start with a loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers. They would get a win against the Cincinnati Bengals the following week but then go on to lose three straight to close the season against the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, and the Cincinnati Bengals. Each of those games were winnable.
The finger can be pointed at numerous placers but it has to begin with the coaching staff. The Browns were just not ready for the season. Expectations were running high entering the new season and the players, well, they never got the memo that eyes were on them.
In one month, they had a chance to correct everything that has gone wrong for them in recent years. Mayfield was struggling. The defense forgot basic fundamentals, and the fans were looking for reasons to jump ship. But there was still a chance.
While they’re heading into the offseason looking at free agents and preparing for the 2020 NFL Darft, the Cleveland Browns can look back at December of 2019 as the month where it all went wrong.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
