With another tough loss in the books for Cleveland, things are definitely looking bleak right now. As they continue to battle with several players still stuck in health and safety protocols, the Browns will have to put together a string of wins if they want to avoid missing the playoffs this season. Nonetheless, in this post we'll be looking at our Browns Week 15 takeaways after their stunning loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Even though they came up short against the Raiders, the Browns still fought hard and held their own until the final moments of their heartbreaking loss to Las Vegas on Monday. As the Browns fight to stay in the AFC playoff hunt, we'll now take an in-depth look at the two biggest takeaways from their devastating Week 15 loss to the Raiders.

Browns Week 15 takeaways

The Browns need Baker Mayfield back under center ASAP 

Even though it was a close loss and Nick Mullens did well for them, it was quite obvious that the Browns offense was somewhat dysfunctional in the absence of Baker Mayfield. Mayfield's quarterback vision and elite playmaking are definitely what can keep this team at bay as they continue fighting for a playoff spot. Already in an ultra-competitive division, the Browns must do all they can to keep pace with the Ravens, Bengals, and Steelers.

Especially since the AFC wild card hunt has become quite crowded.  This would start with the return of Mayfield, who's poise and precision in the pocket are sorely needed on the Browns right now. So if they hope to keep their season alive, then Mayfield will have to be back in full form for them in the final weeks of the 2021 NFL season.

David Njoku and Donovan Peoples-Jones had a productive night for Cleveland 

With Jarvis Landry out injured for the Browns, they got a ton of production from star tight end David Njoku and blossoming wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones. It wasn't a pretty day for the Browns overall, but they did have a few bright spots on the offensive side of the ball in Njoku and Peoples-Jones who came up with some big catches against the Raiders in Week 15.

Despite enduring a tough loss on Monday, the Browns got a ton of help from their deep and dynamic receiving corps and that started with the strong play of Njoku and Peoples-Jones who helped the Browns to keep the chains moving during a dramatic finish against Las Vegas. In their quest to return to the playoffs and overtake their AFC North rivals in the hopes of nabbing a wild card spot, the Browns will need more productive nights like this from Njoku and Peoples-Jones.

In conclusion, the Browns possess a ton of talent and depth on both sides of the ball and absolutely have the potential to do something special this season. However, health and safety protocols, injuries, and internal issues have held them back some, but as they strive for more and aim to turn the page next weekend, the Browns should be in good position to overcome their upcoming challenges and power through for a surprise run this season. Only time will tell whether or not they'll be able to pull off a surprise playoff run, but anything's possible in this league.