Are the Cleveland Browns due for regression?
The Cleveland Browns have performed well since thier Week 1 disaster against the Baltimore Ravens, but is a correction on the horizon?
Things have been going well for the Cleveland Browns since their predictable Week 1 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Kevin Stefanski has appeared to right the ship and things seem to be going well. The team is accomplishing things that they haven’t done often in the history of the franchise, which is impressive and depressing at the same time. All that being said, is regression in the form of a correction on the horizon for the Cleveland Browns?
Nick Chubb on IR
The Cleveland offense is built off success in the running game and Cleveland will be without Nick Chubb for a while. Chubb was placed on injured reserve and is expected to miss up to six weeks. This thrusts Kareem Hunt into a starting role and D’Ernest Johnson and Dontrell Hilliard into complimentary roles. Even a slight drop off in the running game will have a ripple effect on there rest of the offense.
Baker Mayfield
That ripple effect mentioned above? Yeah, it is about Baker Mayfield. Mayfield’s box score stats look fine, but actually watching him on the field tells a different story. Mayfield hasn’t looked anything more than average and that is concerning. The Browns are enjoying offensive success with Mayfield throwing the ball less which says a lot about the quarterback. If the running game were to falter he will have to throw more and it will come with disastrous results.
Turnover Luck
There is such thing as turnover luck in the NFL. Currently the Cleveland Browns lead the league with a +6 turnover differential. Let’s be real here, this is not sustainable. Cleveland has been lucky to end up with some of their turnovers and lucky not to turn the ball over themselves. Turnover luck works like a pendulum, it will swing hard in the beneficial direction but when it swings back it will wreak havoc on a team. The injury to Nick Chubb may be the catalyst for that pendulum to swing negatively.
Defense
Watching the Cleveland Browns on defense is an exercise is in frustration. Sure, there have been a few exciting strip sacks from Myles Garrett, but overall this defensive unit is bad. At some point the turnover luck mentioned above will change and the defense will be impacted in a negative fashion. They have gotten away with a lot of sub-par defensive performances through four weeks, but it will not last long. This team lacks talent in a lot of places on defense and it will come back to haunt them sooner rather than later.
So, is regression coming?
To quote David Puddy while wearing his 8-Ball jacket “All signs point to yes!”. At some point a correction is going to hit this team and it is going to hit hard. Whether it is the loss of Nick Chubb or Baker Mayfield being unable to continue his 7-2 TD-INT ratio he currently has, regression will come and that could happen as soon as this Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
