In short, the Cleveland Browns really step in it as they wade deeper into their 2023 NFL season. For all their defensive glories the team’s offensive woes have become supernova glaring, mostly owing to injury and to erratic inconsistency. Through six games, the Browns have done the improbable and scored fewer points on offense than any team in the league. They’re only averaging 13.67 points per game. As they prepare for their Week 7 matchup against the Miami Dolphins, the urgency for improvement has never been more pronounced.
The Browns an offensive line that has been hit hard with injury this long time. Consequently, they’ve been forced to play five different players at offensive tackle. This instability has made their offense among the worst in all of football. Further, they’ve risen to second-lowest in the league at 4.1 yards per play. Head Coach Kevin Stefanski acknowledges the necessity for change, stating, “We got to get it fixed because before you start winning, you’ve got to stop losing.”
Cleveland’s run game has shown some promise, ranking 14th in ESPN’s run block win rate at 71.7%. Running back Quinshon Judkins has proven to be a key player in his young career so far. He’s seventh in the NFL, averaging 76.6 yards on the ground per contest. As long as the offensive line remains inconsistent, that’s what will be holding this team back. They’ve only produced 22 explosive passing plays on the season, the second-fewest in the NFL.
The Browns’ passing attack has been further beset by dropped passes and bad quarterback play. One of the leading candidates for last season’s first Pro Bowl selection, Jerry Jeudy, has been in a deep funk this year. This is a shock considering he currently leads the NFL with five drops, adding to the team’s offensive woes. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel is unable to get into a groove. He’s hit on just 57.3% of his passes and has an off-target rate of 18.8%, which ranks fifth highest among quarterbacks.
The Browns’ offensive struggles are further exacerbated by penalties, having been flagged for 32 infractions — including declined penalties — ranking them third in the league for most penalties committed. Stefanski pointed out that these mistakes are detrimental to their success on the field: “And we’re doing some things right now that are preventing us from winning. We’ll get it fixed.”
As they approach their next game against Miami, Stefanski is set to take over play-calling duties in hopes of revitalizing the offense. This line has been working on the team’s porous pass protection leaks all season. This problem has thrown a wrench into their ability to get into a good offensive flow. Veteran players such as Cornelius Lucas have played well against expectations in place of injured starters Jack Conklin and Dawand Jones. These artists and advocates faltered when challenged. Lucas’ pass block win rate is at 79.8%, ranking him 59th out of 65 qualifying tackles.
Stefanski is encouraged by the potential of the offensive unit to bounce back. “I want to stress that we have to get better in so many areas and that includes coaching, how we teach our guys, how we put them in different formations, the ways you run the ball, ways you pass the ball. All of the above,” he stated.
None of which is to say that the Browns are a lost cause. So they need as quickly as possible to address these matters just to get their season back on pivot. Next week’s game at the Dolphins will be their biggest test yet. It’ll be a good test to see if all the adjustments made during the week will result in better performance come Sunday.
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