Browns takeaways: Jekyll and Hyde act threatening to kill Cleveland's playoff hopes

When the Browns began their voluntary offseason program with virtual meetings on April 19, coach Kevin Stefanski reminded his players their success last season would not guarantee them anything in 2021.

Boy, he sure did nail it.

Stefanski pointed out roughly half the NFL teams that made the playoffs from 2017-19 didn't repeat as postseason qualifiers the next year.

The Browns should have heeded the warning because their playoff hopes are on life support after a 45-7 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

The blowout defeat came a week after the Browns had routed the Cincinnati Bengals 41-16 for an AFC North triumph at Paul Brown Stadium.

The Browns (5-5) and Patriots (6-4) both entered their meeting in Foxborough, Massachusetts, with 5-4 records, and New England has a rookie quarterback — No. 15 overall draft pick Mac Jones. Last season, the Browns made the playoffs for the first time since 2002 by beating some good but not great teams, like this year's version of the Patriots.

Cleveland has only itself to blame for being so thoroughly dominated.

Yes, the Browns were missing two-time Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb due to COVID-19, and he's their best player not named Myles Garrett, but there is no excuse for the team falling flat on its face in a game everyone involved expects to have playoff implications as the season unfolds.

“When we do things right, we play pretty well. When we do things bad, we're not good,” Browns three-time Pro Bowl left guard Joel Bitonio said. “There's a little Jekyll and Hyde there. Right now, we’ve had some games, last week especially, where we showed what we could potentially be. On offense, we do want to run the ball, we do want to take our shots on play action when we have those opportunities. Today, we did that for one drive, and then it kind of fell apart.”

Bitonio cannot explain the yo-yo nature of the 2021 Browns. They followed their most complete game of the season with their biggest dud.

“But we do have to figure it out quick because I think in the AFC 9-8 is not going to get you in the playoffs,” he said. “You've got to find ways to win some games. It's really about the executing. We go out there, we call plays and we have to find a way to execute, if it's making a block, if it's making a catch, running the right route, doing all those things on offense where we can't have those negative plays and turnovers and missed blocks for sacks.

“We do have to figure it out. We have to go in tomorrow and be accountable. I think when you lose a game like this, you've got to look in the mirror first and say, 'What did I do? What can I do to be better as a player, as a teammate?' You've got to figure out a way to get better. That's what our focus is going to be this week, I think.”

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The Browns are among six AFC teams that are either 5-4 or 5-5. Of those half-dozen teams, only the Los Angeles Chargers would make the playoffs if they were to begin today. The Chargers are positioned for the conference's seventh and final playoff spot, one behind where the Patriots sit. The Browns are 11th and know they're running out of time.

“A little bit,” Browns safety John Johnson III said. “I think we're at .500 now. We've still got a bunch of division games left, but you never want to lose a game. You always want to be above .500. You always want to be in the hunt of your own division to secure a playoff spot, but you've just got to take it one game at a time, continue to get better and we can look up after the season and see where we are.”

The Browns are fourth in the AFC North, behind the Baltimore Ravens (6-3), Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3-1) and Bengals (5-4).

Assuming the Browns take care of business Sunday at home against the Detroit Lions (0-8-1), they would still have a shot to turn their season around in back-to-back matchups with the Ravens that sandwich Cleveland's Week 13 bye.

But assuming the Browns will take care of business against the Lions is suddenly dangerous. The Lions tied the Steelers 16-16 on Sunday. Two weeks ago, the Browns lost 15-10 to the Steelers in Cleveland.

On Sunday, the Steelers were without starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger due to COVID-19. Now the Browns are less than certain starting quarterback Baker Mayfield will be able to face the Lions on Sunday after suffering a right knee contusion against the Patriots.

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Of the 12 teams that reached the playoffs in 2019, five of them didn't make it back in 2020, when the field expanded to 14 teams.

The Browns are flirting with entering the dreaded category this year.

“We thought we'd be in a better place right now,” Mayfield said. “But we're not. So it's time to reevaluate, and everybody needs to hold themselves accountable.”

The Browns could never recover from Baker Mayfield's interception

Mayfield didn't throw a pick-six, but he threw a virtual pick-six.

"It's always good, you know, when you can get those bonus points from your defense or special teams," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "It's hard to count on those."

With the score tied 7-7, Mayfield's pass intended for tight end David Njoku on third-and-7 from the Cleveland 32-yard line was intercepted by defensive back Kyle Dugger, who returned it 37 yards to the Cleveland 5. On the next play, rookie running back Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for a 5-yard touchdown, the Patriots took a 14-7 lead with 14:43 left in the second quarter and rolled for the rest of the game.

“We got fooled by their coverage, but we can't give the ball away,” Stefanski said. “I mean, Baker's done a really nice job prior to this one, so we've got to learn from it.”

Mayfield hadn't thrown an interception in the previous two games, but the Patriots were a prime candidate to snap the streak. They entered the weekend leading the NFL with 13 picks.

“They did a good job of disguising,” Mayfield said. “I mean, it was sort of a two-match coverage. Corner's eyes were inside. So at that point, need to move on in the progression, or it's going to be a ball that's placed outside and David's going to take a hit on that. I thought [Dugger] made a good play on it. But it's just one of those things they made a good play. Looking back on it, it's a timing throw. Just got to be able to put it in the right spot, and David's going to have to take a hit or move through the progression.”

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The Browns opened the game with the ball, and orchestrated an 11-play, 84-yard scoring drive, which Mayfield capped with a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Austin Hooper on fourth-and-goal.

“You watch the first drive, and you're like, 'Oh, it's going to be a good game,'” Bitonio said. “You feel good, but we just didn't execute after that.”

But after Stefanski's scripted plays ran out, the Browns were unable to get any drives of substance going.

On their next possession, Mayfield committed the game's lone turnover, and it was all downhill from there.

“I don't know exactly what happened on the play,” Bitonio said. “Obviously, we put our defense in a bad position, and we needed to come out and execute as an offense. I think after that, we went three-and-out a couple times or short drives, and if we go out and execute ourselves on offense and score a touchdown or a field goal there, our defense has a chance to rest and recover.”

It didn't happen, and Stefanski summarized the collapse best when he said, “It was bad football.”

Mayfield was emblematic of the struggles. He went 11-of-21 passing (52.4%) for 73 yards and a touchdown with an interception for a season-low rating of 56.2. He took two sacks, and left the game for good with 2:22 remaining in the third quarter after suffering the knee contusion on a hit from linebacker Matt Judon.

Browns wide receivers have least productive game in five years

Whether the Browns laying an egg can be attributed to the players being emotionally drained after wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. forced his way out of Cleveland and the team rallied to play lights out against the Bengals is impossible to know for sure.

However, this is inarguable: The receivers who still play for the Browns combined for just five catches on 12 targets for 42 yards. It's the fewest receiving yards in a game by a Cleveland receiving corps since 2016, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

“We were in a lot of 13 [personnel], with [three tight ends and] one receiver on the field, would probably be one answer,” Stefanski said. “But, ultimately, we just didn't do a good enough job really on third down just getting guys open, and that's where coaches, we have to do our parts in helping.”

Five-time Pro Bowl receiver Jarvis Landry had four catches on five targets for 26 yards. Donovan Peoples-Jones had one catch on five targets for 16 yards. Rookie receiver Anthony Schwartz and Rashard Higgins were each targeted once without making a catch.

Third-string running back D'Ernest Johnson started with Chubb and Kareem Hunt (calf) inactive and led the Browns in catches (seven), targets (eight) and receiving yards (58).

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Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Browns' Jekyll, Hyde act could kill their playoff hopes