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The Cleveland Browns dropped to 1-2 on the season after falling to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, and while their 1-2 start is not surprising given their schedule, it does bring forth some concern.
The schedule being tough is not an excuse to not play well, especially for a team that was branded as a Super Bowl contender coming into the season.
And things won't get any easier, either, as the Browns will have to head on the road to battle the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday before taking on a 3-0 San Francisco 49ers club on the road in two weeks.
After the 49ers? Cleveland will play host to the Seattle Seahawks before its bye week, and then it will go back on the road to battle the New England Patriots.
So, there is actually a realistic scenario in which the Browns can find themselves 1-6 heading into November. Will that happen? Who knows, but I would honestly be surprised if Cleveland is any better than 3-5 by that point.
There are a lot of issues with this team.
First of all, Baker Mayfield is not even close to the quarterback he was a year ago. Through three games, he has thrown three touchdowns and five interceptions while completing just 56.9 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 70.3.
The sophomore slump is real for him, and it's not because of a lack of weapons.
Both Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry have shown up over the first few weeks. Beckham, in particular, has been impressive, as he has already caught 19 passes for 289 yards and a touchdown.
The problem doesn't just die with Mayfield, either.
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Cleveland's offensive line has also been poor, as it has allowed 11 sacks, and running back Nick Chubb has only been so-so behind the unit.
It's tough for Mayfield to do his thing when he has limited time to throw, and I don't care how talented Chubb is; it's almost impossible to get going when you're not getting any blocking. Just ask Le'Veon Bell with the New York Jets.
The defense actually hasn't been much of an issue. Holding the Rams to 20 points is pretty much all you can ask for, and on the season thus far, the Browns rank 10th in total defense.
It's the 23rd-ranked offense has been the problem. You know, the offense that was supposed to be one of the most explosive units in the NFL and was going to strike fear into every defense it played against. Cleveland also ranks just 26th in scoring, tallying a meager 16.3 points per game.
I understand that the new pieces may need some time to gel. That is a perfectly valid explanation. But honestly, the Browns' offense is not that much different than it was a year ago.
Beckham has been the only significant change. Yes, Cleveland also added Kareem Hunt, but he is serving an eight-game suspension, so he hasn't even seen the field yet.
Whether it's coaching or a sophomore jinx or wilting under the pressure, there are deeper issues going on with the Browns, and seeing how brutal their upcoming schedule is, I can't imagine things are going to be fixed any time soon.
