Destiny Is Revealed. The Browns Are The Browns.

 

I had no doubts of a Browns loss going into this game.  The game had all the makings of the kind of game Pittsburgh likes and the Browns scamper off from, a street fight.  Pittsburgh, having just been embarrassed at home by San Francisco 30-7, was going to come into this nationally televised game whipped into a foaming mouth frenzy, and that's what happened.  From the first snap it was evident that the game was going to come down to the end where Pittsburgh's defensive force of will would overcome the Browns.  I praise the statewide lawmakers for allowing sports gambling so savvy Browns fans that have seen this scenario play out dozens of times could financially benefit.  I feel much more financially secure knowing I could place my money on the Browns coming up short than shoving it on a Bank of America stock and hoping for the best.  The Browns losing to Pittsburgh is the certainty that helps me fitfully sleep at night.  It's my little nest egg.

This was the kind of game that had me question if the sport should be allowed.  I am assuming the Browns came home last night on a series of Medivac helicopters as opposed to a team plane as almost every player of note was injured.  I didn't see the Chubb injury happen.  I had to make a quick drive and listened to the Browns radio team (a step down without Jim Donovan BTW) and received the great radio call of "Ohhh... OHHHHHHH!!!" when they saw the replay of the injury.  It wasn't exactly the "theater of the mind" that great radio is known for, but that tone of voice said it all.  I have said it before and I will say it again.  Nick Chubb was the second best running back I ever saw, and I'm thinking I need to use the past tense on that sentence after seeing that hit for myself.  Fucking A.  How can he come back from that?  It certainly flashed the idea in my head of "is this sport really a good idea?". 

The chatter after this game is going to be "Damn, that Chubb injury was terrible, but we lost that game because of Watson.".  Personally, I'd frame it as that we lost that game because Pittsburgh was going to die on that field instead of losing it, but Watson sure didn't make it easier to win.  It's time to adjust the expectation level on Watson.  He's not a top tier NFL quarterback.  The suggestion that he's "rusty" is ridiculous.  He missed 11 games last year for suspension but has now played a half season for this team.  Dude has been playing football injury free since the summer of 2022.  When Joe Burrow hurt his knee his rookie year, he came back and carried the team to the Super Bowl.  I don't remember talking about how "rusty" he was at the time.  Watson just isn't good enough to carry a team.  I watched people string together nonsensical profanity after some of those Browns passing plays like "what the fucking fuck".  You gotta let it go.  He's just not That Guy.   

The problem with Watson's expectation level is that contract.  In reality his contract is now in line with what teams are paying QBs.  Daniel Jones is making about the same money for example.  Watson got all the headlines for his deal being the first of this new wave of contracts, so it's the one we remember.  He's getting top money, so where is the top play?  The other issue is obviously the baggage. Browns fans got sold the idea of pushing the sexual assault history out of their minds in exchange for elite QB play.  The bottom line on Watson is that in this offensive system, he's floating somewhere in the area of being QB 18-20 in the league.  He can't reliably drop a deep pass in the area of his receivers.  He seems to play with the idea of "chuck it downfield as far as possible and maybe my guy will run under it".  He also holds the ball too long which is creating too many negative plays.  On the other hand, he's super athletic and can make things happen with his legs, so a comparison with Daniel Jones might be more on target than anyone wants to admit.  Browns fans need to stop waiting for exceptional quarterback play.  This is what it is.  Watson is not the savior.  He's a mid tier/bottom third QB, like if Tua played for an unimaginative play caller and didn't have two All-Pro receivers.

On the other side of the ball, things look much brighter.  The Browns defense has been exceptional.  Pittsburgh only had 55 yards rushing.  They held the Steelers to 9 first downs and somehow the Browns still lost the game.  This is because the Browns are the Browns.  The inherent culture of futility of the organization inevitably seeps onto the field somehow like a fungus.  The Browns are the Browns and will always remain thus.  I think Plato said that, but I'm not positive.  I'll look it up later.  It's remarkable when you think about it.  It took two (2) turnover touchdowns to provide Pittsburgh with that late lead.  When the Browns got the ball last with a couple time outs and plenty of time left on the clock, we all thought the same thing.  "There's no fucking way Watson is taking it down the field to win."  Admit it.  You knew how that was going to play out just like all those Yinzers waving their stupid towels did.  Pittsburgh was going to win like they always do versus Cleveland.

Quick trivia question... How many times since the Browns came back in 1999 have the Browns had a better record than Pittsburgh?  Zero.  None.  For twenty three consecutive years, despite having the same payroll, Pittsburgh has outperformed Cleveland.  Dare I say that we are headed straight into year 24?  This team can have better players, but somehow lose close games to teams with more inherent fight.  And next up for the Browns?  A Tennessee Titans team with a remarkably similar profile to the Steelers.  Uh-oh.  Well, here we go.  No Chubb, no Conklin, and both cornerbacks got hurt.  Looks like another season of Browns football has arrived in all of its traditional glory.

Go Browns.