The Cleveland Browns lost yet again on Sunday, blowing a 20-6 lead in a 32-28 home defeat against the Seattle Seahawks.
The loss dropped the Browns to 2-4 on the year, and now, Cleveland will head into its Week 7 bye with a Week 8 road matchup against the New England Patriots looming.
There are all sorts of problems in Cleveland right now, so it's hard to pinpoint just one reason for the Browns' rough first six weeks.
Nevertheless, here are the three biggest storylines surrounding the team at the moment.
3. The Defense Doesn't Look Much Improved
The Browns were one of the worst defensive teams in the NFL last season, ranking 30th in yards allowed and 21st in scoring defense.
Over the offseason, Cleveland added veterans such as Olivier Vernon and Sheldon Richardson to bolster the defensive unit, and with youngsters such as Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward improving, the Browns' defense was supposed to be significantly better in 2019.
That has not been the case, as Cleveland currently ranks 23rd in yards allowed and and 24th in points allowed.
To be fair, the Browns have had some injuries. Ward and rookie cornerback Greedy Williams have both been out since Week 3, and safety Damarious Randall missed a couple of games with a concussion.
Still, as a whole, Cleveland's defense has been pretty bad, and everyone was healthy when the Browns gave up 43 points to the Titans in Week 1.
2. Was Freddie Kitchens the Right Choice?
Freddie Kitchens had never coached an NFL team in his life before this season and had never even served as a coordinator in the league before the second half of last season.
So, when the Browns named him their head coach during the offseason, some eyebrows were raised, especially considering Gregg Williams did such a great job on an interim basis last year.
Kitchens' performance over the first six weeks has done nothing to dissuade doubts about his head-coaching capacity, as he has made some head-scratching decisions, and Cleveland has simply not looked prepared.
It's silly to place all of the blame on Kitchens, as the players still have to go out there and do their jobs, but there is always no question that Kitchens has not elevated this group.
Last season, Williams clearly made the Browns better upon taking over for Hue Jackson. Kitchens has not had the same effect, and that is worrisome.
1. Has the NFL Figured Out Baker Mayfield?
Baker Mayfield took the NFL by storm last season when he threw for a rookie record 27 touchdown passes.
The Browns then added Odell Beckham Jr. to a receiving corps that already included Jarvis Landry this offseason, which had many salivating over Cleveland's offensive potential.
Well, through six games, Mayfield has thrown five touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing just just 56.6 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 66.
Plain and simply, he has not been good, and it may have a lot to do with teams watching film of him from last season and now knowing what to expect.
Mayfield hasn't really had one standout performance yet in 2019.
Defenses have adjusted to him. Now, it's time for Mayfield to adjust.
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