Browns Lose Not As Badly As Expected (A Cleveland Version Of A Christmas Miracle)

 

The great thing about watching Browns games in December, regardless of the year, is that at no point are you concerned about the team winning.  December brings the holidays and an overwhelming sense of "let's get this fucking thing over".  The amazing thing to me is the off season is long enough for all those season ticket holders to get amnesia and send in checks to do the same thing all over again.  "Next year will be different."  No, next season will be very similar to this season.  From an entertainment standpoint though, today's game far outreached expectations.  Buffalo has an annoying trait of playing up or down to their level of competition, and they certainly didn't look very impressive today.  That was fortunate for the Browns, who didn't look very good but kudos to them on how much effort they showed.

The most memorable takeaway from the game is the horrible injury to Judkins, an injury so bad that CBS refused to re-air the footage, and they showed me Charlie Kirk getting shot in the neck a dozen times.  The worst part of football as a sport is that a young guy like Judkins takes an injury that is more common to soldiers stepping on a landmine.  Thank you for your service.  Who wants nachos?  Hopefully he has the option to come back and be somewhat normal again because it would be especially bleak to have lost your NFL dream on a totally pointless game in December in Browns Stadium.  If you want to know how different an NFL player is to yourself, note how calm and composed Judkins looked going off on that cart after having his leg shattered while I contemplated suicide because my big toe hurt on Saturday.    

The question about "Is Sanders a legit NFL starter?" doesn't seem any closer to being answered.  It's especially difficult when the Browns offensive line consists of Bitonio and four dudes you've never seen before.  The team is so depleted and poorly constructed on offense, anyone playing QB is going to look bad.  However, I'm starting to lean into the idea that Sanders is likely an NFL backup QB.  That one INT he flicked to Bosa was an amateur hour special.  He holds the ball too long, isn't decisive enough and doesn't have the level of command that one expects from an NFL QB.  Don't get me wrong, he's better than Gabriel, but that's not the real point of comparison.  Does he look like an NFL starter or does he look like a Browns starter?  At this point the only team that would start him over what they've got is the Jets, and that's because their starter is for all intents and purposes a Make-A-Wish kid.  A good organization might develop Sanders because he clearly has many of the basic tools, but it's not like the Browns have a rich tradition of cultivating quarterbacks.  You flip around the channels to other games and see what real NFL QB play looks like, and they don't have that shit in Berea.  If Sanders wants to become a trusted NFL starting QB, his first move should be to get out of Cleveland.  He's doomed here.

The organization seems VERY lukewarm on Sanders, which is odd as he has shown more upside than anyone they've run through recently except Mayfield or Flacco.  It's baffling how the Browns approach the franchise QB idea.  This organization could not have kissed Watson's ass any harder, ignored any success that Jameis had, threw out compliments all summer on Gabriel, and then seem to keep Sanders at arm's length.  The most important thing to the Browns appears to be that whoever plays well validates their public decision making process.  The Browns front office NEEDS to be the smartest guy in the room, or they aren't interested.  Knowing the Browns, they will attempt to pound a square peg into a round hole by drafting some questionable QB prospect 4th overall and fuck the whole draft up.  If Sanders came out this year he'd be the #1 QB on the board, no doubt about it.  If I'm the Browns, I'd roll with Sanders next year with some new o-line and see what the hell happens.  The Browns are going to have another 4 or 5 win season in 2026 anyway.  There is no escape from the Watson contract in the near term.  If Sanders sucks, just replace him in 2027 when there are some actual prospects available and you're drafting in the same basic spot anyhow.  

Stefanski seems like a Dead Man Walking.  I keep seeing all these "NFL Insiders" who keep saying that Stefanski will immediately get scooped up by other organizations.  Hey man, have at it.  Are the Miami Dolphins fan base going to run down to the stadium to buy season ticket packages because Kevin Stefanski is bringing his brand of football to South Beach?  "Fuck the nightclubs!  We are going to get 3 yard slant passes to undersized receivers and 4 yard outs to tight ends!  Sign me the fuck up!  Let's go Fish!"  Or maybe "The streets are abuzz in Atlanta as the Falcons announce the acquisition of Kevin Stefanski to run football operations!  The Panthers are shaking in their boots."  I have no clue who the Browns will bring in to coach, and really, it doesn't matter.  You and I both know the primary problem is with the owners and not the coach, and the Haslems aren't going anywhere.  They're sort of like a really bad rash and we all have it.

The Browns special teams again helped cost the team the game.  You have to hand it to Bubba Ventrone as his failure to have his group ready each week extends to all phases of special teams.  Why can't they cut that guy loose?  I can't recall ever watching an NFL franchise allow a punt return TD, kick return TD, blocked FG, blocked punt, bungled field goal, and bungled onside kick all in the same season.  That's really saying something because over the last 26 years I have stared at some of the worst professional football teams in history on a weekly basis.  Here's a study in comparisons.  The Rams allowed a punt return TD that helped cost them a game on Thursday night and fired the special teams coach 12 hours later.  The Browns allow a weekly disaster and Stefanski goes out to the podium and talks about "cleaning that up".  That's why the Rams are NFL Championship contenders every year and Browns fans are hoping other shitty teams win around Xmas time so they can have a higher draft pick.  Every team has essentially the same ability to put together a good special teams.  Special teams show how good an organization is in finding good players that fit a need amongst the the bargain bin leftovers and then assembling that into a functioning unit.  All the good teams have crisp special teams, and the Browns have punters tossing game deciding field goal attempts into the stands.

The calendar has rolled around for the annual "Get Embarrassed By The Steelers Late In The Season As They Wrap Up Another Playoff Berth With a Crappy Looking Squad" game.  A beloved Cleveland holiday tradition like no other, the December game versus the Steelers will again demonstrate how one organization can take a sorta bullshit looking roster and totally dominate another similar collection of players because they are more physical, have more focus on detail, and are motivated.  The Cleveland stands will be filled with black and gold, the Browns will score about 13 points or less, and the Steelers will absolutely dominate.  It's an event that rolls around every single year like a shopping plaza Christmas tree lighting or Jason Aldean's Country Handjob Christmas Special on CBS.  As Jason always says, sit back and enjoy it.

Go Browns.