The Cleveland Browns entered the 2019 season with sky-high expectations. Not only did Las Vegas position them as favorites in the AFC North, but many league analysts and football followers went so far as to anoint Freddie Kitchens' team as a Super Bowl contender.
Three games into the regular season, the Browns haven't exactly lived up to all of that promise. They sit at 1-2 following Sunday night's dispiriting 20-13 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, a game in which troubles reared their ugly head on both sides of the ball from the opening kickoff.
On Monday's edition of FOX Sports' First Things First, Hall-of-Fame receiver turned pundit Cris Carter explained why he would “panic” if he was one of Cleveland's leaders in the locker room.
"If I'm one of the leaders on the Browns, I'm in an all-out panic." — @criscarter80 pic.twitter.com/RovbtUWbUZ
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) September 23, 2019
The Browns haven't been consistent on either side of the ball this season, but their biggest problems so far have certainly come on offense. They rank 21st in total yards and 24th in points, averaging a mere 16.3 points per game.
While Nick Chubb has been stoic as Cleveland's workhorse in the backfield, rushing for 233 yards and a score on 58 carries, he's yet to manage a run of 20 yards or more. Still, Baker Mayfield's play is what's really concerning for the Browns. The sophomore signal-caller completed just half of his 36 throws for 195 yards against the Rams, and barely managed to connect on more than half his throws against the New York Jets in Week 2.
Cleveland's struggles aren't all about Mayfield. The offensive line has been porous so far, and Kitchens clearly still needs to get more comfortable serving the dual roles of head coach and play-caller. But three games into the season, Mayfield's labors serve as a microcosm of the Browns' lackluster play overall, a surprising development that warrants many re-thinking their preseason prognostications.
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