End of Browns season still has me talking to myself … and confused – Terry Pluto

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Talking to myself about the Browns a few days after their 45-14 loss to Houston in the playoffs:

QUESTION: Can you believe how the season ended for the Browns?

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ANSWER: I have a hard time believing the Browns had an 11-6 record in the regular season. I have a hard time believing they even made the playoffs, given all their injuries. And I have a hard time believing how they were embarrassed by Houstion.

Q: What kind of answer is that?

A: It reflects the Browns season, along with the feelings of many fans.

Q: Same Old Browns?

A: I’m throwing a penalty flag on that for unsportsmanlike conduct and a cheap analysis of the season. The Same Old Browns would have been 6-11 given the injuries to Deshaun Watson, Nick Chubb, etc. The Same Old Browns would at least be looking for a new coach right – and probably a new GM. That was the usual story this time of season for the Same Old Browns.

Q: Maybe they should do that anyway …

A: Oh, please.

Q: That playoff game was awful.

A: Let’s start with the big picture. GM Andrew Berry and Coach Kevin Stefanski each have a year left on their contracts. Both deserve extensions.

Q: I’m still mad at the coaches.

A: You can be mad at them – and I am. That’s especially true when it comes to Jim Schwartz. Some fans were upset because I ripped the defense after that game. But for all the same reasons I’ve praised Schwartz and the defense, they deserved to be criticized in the Houston game. They didn’t pressure QB C.J. Stroud. They didn’t cover the receivers. I don’t know enough about the nuance of coverages to diagnose everything that went wrong. But there was a major flaw in the planning and whatever adjustments he made at halftime – they didn’t work. The same problems in coverage persisted.

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Q: How do you explain the Browns defense home vs. road stats?

A: Here are the numbers. The Browns defense held opponents to 13.9 points at home. On the road, it was 29.6 points (worst in the NFL). That was during the regular season. The defense gave up 31 of Houston’s 45 points Saturday.

Q: Those are the numbers, what’s the explanation?

A: The Browns were 8-1 at home and 3-6 (counting playoffs) on the road this season.

Q: I repeat the question, why such a difference?

A: The Browns edge was small, especially after the big injuries hit. The Browns were 5-0 in games decided by 3 or fewer points. Three of those games were at home. The crowd noise certainly helped the defense.

Q: But allowing 16 more points on the road than at home?

A: Here’s a strange stat: The Browns scored more points on the road (24.4) than at home (22.8) this season. Before you even ask, don’t ask me to explain any of this.

Q: What good are you

A: I can tell you what Stefanski said, “It’s something to look at (home/road stats). You can say crowd noise and that type of thing … those are things you look at … We have to pull that apart and look at it … you have to get to the bottom of it.”

Q: So he had no answer.

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A: None that he wanted to share.

Q: You’re not much help.

A: The Browns seemed confused on coverages. There were eight plays where Houston receivers were at least 5 yards behind any Cleveland defensive back. That’s according to NextGen stats. Rookie safety Ronnie Hickman has played well much of the year, but he had an awful day.

A: The Browns actually had a 14-10 lead in this game early in the second quarter. They were down 24-14 at the half. For the first time since he joined the Browns, I sensed a lack of poise from Flacco. In the third quarter, he should have just taken a sack. Instead, he tried to have a pass while being hit. He said he wanted to throw the ball out-of-bounds. Instead, it fluttered and was picked off for an 82-yard TD return by Houston. On the next possession, Flacco threw into double coverage – another interception run back for a TD. Flacco said, “I was trying to jam one in there.” Those two plays were two minutes apart. The Browns went from losing 24-14 to 38-14 with 4:06 left in the third quarter.

Q: Are you excusing Flacco?

A: Not at all. A veteran QB has to be smarter than that. But the Browns lack of blocking for their running game made it harder on Flacco. He also was pressured more than normal. He is the first QB since 2007 to throw a pair of pick-6′s in a playoff game. The injuries on the offensive line were a factor. But the defense set the miserable tone for this game.

Q: What did Stefanski say?

A: “I give them (Houston) credit,” said the Browns coach. “They had some good schemes. They got us on some big plays. For big plays to happen, it’s typically miscommunication or falling out of your gap … it’s little things that add up to big things.”

Q: What did Schwartz say?

A: He was not available to the media. Coordinators rarely talk after games. I’d love to hear from the coordinators and GM Andrew Berry at some point this week for a season wrap up with the media. Not sure if that will happen.

Q: Any last words?

A: I loved the season. I hated the playoffs.