The Browns 2024 Season…What Happened?
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I’m probably one of the many Browns fans that had high hopes for the 2024 season, based on the playoff appearance from the prior year.
Maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part, but I sure as hell wouldn’t have predicted such an abysmal performance.
I thought I would share an article from the Browns Wire that I ran across today that offers some insight.
https://brownswire.usatoday.com/lists/browns-what-went-wrong-2024/
What went wrong for the Browns in 2024?
The 2024 season did not go as the Cleveland Browns had hoped following a surprise playoff appearance behind an inspired Joe Flacco run. The Browns quickly fell through the ranks, finishing 3-14 as the second-worst team in the league. Perhaps there was some hesitation behind the optimism going into the season, but the lingering feeling that something was off loomed well before Deshaun Watson went down with an injury.
We don’t need to mince words. Watson is what ultimately went wrong with the Browns. The trade assets, the financial commitment, and the on-field play all doomed the team before they truly had a chance. All of their success in 2023 was despite Watson and any hope that he could return to form was quickly dashed early in the season.
But Watson returned the same results as he did the season before and the Browns still were not nearly as competitive as they had been, so what happened?
Injuries
Injuries will be the first excuse any underperforming teams fanbase will turn to in a down year. That doesn’t make it not true. The San Francisco 49ers will bounce between high draft selections and Super Bowl runs almost purely based on the health of the roster.
The Browns of 2024 could not catch a break either. The team’s most reliable weapon offensively, Nick Chubb, came into the season hurt and returned more in spirit than production. Tight end David Njoku had the same fate, battling back from an initial injury only to eventually be shut down as ailments piled up.
The team’s starting tackles, Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin, both began the year out of the line-up and only the latter was able to make it back. When Wills struggled to return, even his backup in young tackle Dawand Jones would go down to injury, forcing the team to start their third-string tackle through the final stretch of the season.
A concerning trend continued, as several of the team’s young and upcoming players were hurt when they were given a chance to show their worth. Receiver Cedric Tillman, defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr., linebacker Mohamoud Diabate, and most notably linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, all succumbed to the injured reserve shortly after stepping into bigger roles.
That of course is on top of the achilles injury to Deshaun Watson, who if he had started to return to form would’ve gone down with a career-altering injury right around the same time
Lack of Depth
Compounding on the previous point, the team’s lack of draft picks and cap space flexibility over the past three seasons greatly zapped the depth chart of reliable backups. In some cases, like offensive tackle, you can’t do much when multiple injuries plague one position.
Some spots remained admirably filled, such as a solid rotation along the defensive line following the trading of Za’Darius Smith. Other spots like running back and tight end suffered when starters were hurt, lacking much-needed fire-power for an offense that could never get going.
Lack of Star Power
This is no indictment of Myles Garrett who played through multiple injuries with little help around him on his way to another 1st-Team All-Pro and Defensive Player of the Year nomination.
But he alone was the only player on the team to receive such honors. Cornerback Denzel Ward was the first corner to miss an All-Pro team, so his contribution was certainly noticed. Otherwise, Jerry Jeudy was the only non-special team starter to receive a vote at all and he still fell well short.
Jeudy, alongside Garrett, Ward, and guard Joel Bitonio did make the Pro Bowl roster. Not much credit was given to Wyatt Teller either, who survived the team’s rash of injuries. Still, three to five strong contributors are not enough to compete in a loaded AFC. The previous season, David Njoku, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, and Amari Cooper all joined the aforementioned (minus Jeudy) as key contributors during the team’s playoff run, and were either injured or traded this year.
Watson or no Watson: No offense
When DeShaun Watson was in the line-up the offense was laughably bad, reaching lows that fans thought would be impossible to go beyond. But even when Watson exited the lineup, the offense had little gas to it. The fourth-worst rushing attack on the season made the team rely on a thin passing attack. When Watson, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, or Bailey Zappe started, the team never went over 200 yards through the air, nor a single receiver over 100.
The team turned to veteran Jameis Winston for a spell and he provided a spark to the offense that it needed, leading the team to 400+ total yard games three times and securing the team three highest scoring outputs of the season, including a 500-yard and 32 point performance against a vaunted Denver Broncos defense on prime time. It showed that the prior lack of production was largely quarterback-related and that this offense had some life to it.
Winston provided his issues, however, name-brand turnovers killed the offense just as much as the previous starter’s inability. Winston did earn two of the team’s three wins but threw a shocking 12 interceptions in a seven-game span.
There was no answer at quarterback and the best option was a double-edged sword.
They Gave Up
No one will say it out loud but they don’t have to either. Leadership and players were burdened with dealing with the fallout of the Deshaun Watson trade and at some point stopped bothering. They began 1-5 before Watson was injured and went into December at 3-9 with no hope of a late-season resurrection. There was very little reason to put Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe in for the last few games if they were competing, even with Winston’s issues.
The front office was well aware too, trading away valuable pieces in Amari Cooper and Za’Darius Smith before the deadline. This was the right move regardless of record at the time as neither produced much afterward and returned good value, but it’s not a move that a team in contention would have made.
Kevin Stefanski gave up play calling, injuries piled up, and defensive effort became harder to muster, all while Watson’s contract cast a shadow over the whole team. You can’t blame the team for losing motivation but it became clear early on that it was going to be a long season.
Canton, I had predicted a 10 loss season. You can't win without your starting Tackles, star running back, etc. And when Watson went down we were totally screwed. And in our current position of not having a QB, we're STILL totally screwed. Myles is giving up on the Browns. You, I and everyone else on this board is NOT giving up on the Browns. But that's because we're Browns fans through and through. Myles isn't. He's a great player, but he's no Joe Thomas. I hope that Stef & Berry can pull the team back together....but they're gonna have to pull a QB out of their hat. (you thought I was gonna say pull a QB out of somewhere else didn't ya. well, that's what they've BEEN doing)
Canton, I had predicted a 10 loss season. You can't win without your starting Tackles, star running back, etc. And when Watson went down we were totally screwed. And in our current position of not having a QB, we're STILL totally screwed. Myles is giving up on the Browns. You, I and everyone else on this board is NOT giving up on the Browns. But that's because we're Browns fans through and through. Myles isn't. He's a great player, but he's no Joe Thomas. I hope that Stef & Berry can pull the team back together....but they're gonna have to pull a QB out of their hat. (you thought I was gonna say pull a QB out of somewhere else didn't ya. well, that's what they've BEEN doing)
You predicted a 10 loss season back in August?
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Canton, I had predicted a 10 loss season. You can't win without your starting Tackles, star running back, etc. And when Watson went down we were totally screwed. And in our current position of not having a QB, we're STILL totally screwed. Myles is giving up on the Browns. You, I and everyone else on this board is NOT giving up on the Browns. But that's because we're Browns fans through and through. Myles isn't. He's a great player, but he's no Joe Thomas. I hope that Stef & Berry can pull the team back together....but they're gonna have to pull a QB out of their hat. (you thought I was gonna say pull a QB out of somewhere else didn't ya. well, that's what they've BEEN doing)
You predicted a 10 loss season back in August?
You predicted a 10 loss season back in August?
I just looked up my questions, and while Orion didn’t do the entire questionnaire, on September 2nd on the Dutch’s 2024 Browns Questions original post he did say he thinks the Browns would go 7-10.
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You predicted a 10 loss season back in August?
I just looked up my questions, and while Orion didn’t do the entire questionnaire, on September 2nd on the Dutch’s 2024 Browns Questions original post he did say he thinks the Browns would go 7-10.
I just looked up my questions, and while Orion didn’t do the entire questionnaire, on September 2nd on the Dutch’s 2024 Browns Questions original post he did say he thinks the Browns would go 7-10.
Call me a homer, I expected at least 10 wins in 2024. ?
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You predicted a 10 loss season back in August?
I just looked up my questions, and while Orion didn’t do the entire questionnaire, on September 2nd on the Dutch’s 2024 Browns Questions original post he did say he thinks the Browns would go 7-10.
I just looked up my questions, and while Orion didn’t do the entire questionnaire, on September 2nd on the Dutch’s 2024 Browns Questions original post he did say he thinks the Browns would go 7-10.
Hey Orion, can you give me the Power Ball numbers for the next drawing? ?
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Maybe too simplistic, but it seems that bad rotten owners
have bad teams, and terrific solid owners have good teams.
It's the people they surround themselves with in their organization.
Haslam hired people in his business that got him into trouble. Once I read where haslam was the driving force for the watson debacle...... that explains a lot about the Browns struggles. Other than that, I can't think of any reason the Browns have failed so many seasons.
-
Maybe too simplistic, but it seems that bad rotten owners
have bad teams, and terrific solid owners have good teams.
It's the people they surround themselves with in their organization.
Haslam hired people in his business that got him into trouble. Once I read where haslam was the driving force for the watson debacle...... that explains a lot about the Browns struggles. Other than that, I can't think of any reason the Browns have failed so many seasons.
Maybe too simplistic, but it seems that bad rotten owners
have bad teams, and terrific solid owners have good teams.
It's the people they surround themselves with in their organization.
Haslam hired people in his business that got him into trouble. Once I read where haslam was the driving force for the watson debacle...... that explains a lot about the Browns struggles. Other than that, I can't think of any reason the Browns have failed so many seasons.
Yeah, I actually thought we were getting the Watson that beat Alabama in the National Championship before going on to make 3 Pro Bowls in the 4 years he suited up in Houston, inclusive of 2 post seasons where he erased a deficit to beat Josh Gordon. The ONLY team Watson failed miserably for is the one that gave him a guaranteed 230 million $ contract. More specifically, he went to a franchise that has had horrific luck drafting or trading for QBs since the 70s. Who woulda thunk one of the the BEST QBs the Browns could draft would be a 13th round pick in 1972 from San Diego State named Brian Sipe at 6'1" 195 lbs. He's still the only NFL MVP this team has had after 1970.
The other successful QB the Browns drafted that this fanbase embraced was Bernie Kosar in the 1985 Supplemental Draft. He gave up his final 2 seasons of eligibility in college at Miami to play for the team he grew up rooting as a kid in Ohio. Much to our delight, he enabled the Kardiac Kids tradition that started with Sipe to live on with the Browns frequenting the playoffs via Bernie.
All the owners this side of 1999 haven't been able to get/keep all the essentials in place to draft, develop and keep a franchise QB.
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Maybe too simplistic, but it seems that bad rotten owners
have bad teams, and terrific solid owners have good teams.
It's the people they surround themselves with in their organization.
Haslam hired people in his business that got him into trouble. Once I read where haslam was the driving force for the watson debacle...... that explains a lot about the Browns struggles. Other than that, I can't think of any reason the Browns have failed so many seasons.
Yeah, I actually thought we were getting the Watson that beat Alabama in the National Championship before going on to make 3 Pro Bowls in the 4 years he suited up in Houston, inclusive of 2 post seasons where he erased a deficit to beat Josh Gordon. The ONLY team Watson failed miserably for is the one that gave him a guaranteed 230 million $ contract. More specifically, he went to a franchise that has had horrific luck drafting or trading for QBs since the 70s. Who woulda thunk one of the the BEST QBs the Browns could draft would be a 13th round pick in 1972 from San Diego State named Brian Sipe at 6'1" 195 lbs. He's still the only NFL MVP this team has had after 1970.
The other successful QB the Browns drafted that this fanbase embraced was Bernie Kosar in the 1985 Supplemental Draft. He gave up his final 2 seasons of eligibility in college at Miami to play for the team he grew up rooting as a kid in Ohio. Much to our delight, he enabled the Kardiac Kids tradition that started with Sipe to live on with the Browns frequenting the playoffs via Bernie.
All the owners this side of 1999 haven't been able to get/keep all the essentials in place to draft, develop and keep a franchise QB.
All the owners this side of 1999 haven't been able to get/keep all the essentials in place to draft, develop and keep a franchise QB.
It almost seems like Rod Serling & the Twilight Zone. "Imagine a football team that can't get out of its own way."
Hey, at least the scoreboards in CLE Browns Stadium look like the state of Tennessee, & there's wifi!!!
Side note: I saw Mike Holmgren was nominated for the HOF. What a piece of crap he was, just took Lerner's money. I hope he never gets in like evil Art Modell.
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All the owners this side of 1999 haven't been able to get/keep all the essentials in place to draft, develop and keep a franchise QB.
It almost seems like Rod Serling & the Twilight Zone. "Imagine a football team that can't get out of its own way."
Hey, at least the scoreboards in CLE Browns Stadium look like the state of Tennessee, & there's wifi!!!
Side note: I saw Mike Holmgren was nominated for the HOF. What a piece of crap he was, just took Lerner's money. I hope he never gets in like evil Art Modell.
It almost seems like Rod Serling & the Twilight Zone. "Imagine a football team that can't get out of its own way."
Hey, at least the scoreboards in CLE Browns Stadium look like the state of Tennessee, & there's wifi!!!
Side note: I saw Mike Holmgren was nominated for the HOF. What a piece of crap he was, just took Lerner's money. I hope he never gets in like evil Art Modell.
I think I've even seen a blade of grass tackle FB Owen Marecic for a loss when he was here. The sad thing is I don't remember him falling forward - or maybe that's a good thing. Can you imagine how scary it's all gonna get when we have to start using Prevagen. I don't want to suddenly remember Paul McDonald getting sacked in a clean pocket by the shadow of his Center. I'm not saying that actually happened; but weird things had a way of unfolding when he came in.
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It almost seems like Rod Serling & the Twilight Zone. "Imagine a football team that can't get out of its own way."
Hey, at least the scoreboards in CLE Browns Stadium look like the state of Tennessee, & there's wifi!!!
Side note: I saw Mike Holmgren was nominated for the HOF. What a piece of crap he was, just took Lerner's money. I hope he never gets in like evil Art Modell.
I think I've even seen a blade of grass tackle FB Owen Marecic for a loss when he was here. The sad thing is I don't remember him falling forward - or maybe that's a good thing. Can you imagine how scary it's all gonna get when we have to start using Prevagen. I don't want to suddenly remember Paul McDonald getting sacked in a clean pocket by the shadow of his Center. I'm not saying that actually happened; but weird things had a way of unfolding when he came in.
I think I've even seen a blade of grass tackle FB Owen Marecic for a loss when he was here. The sad thing is I don't remember him falling forward - or maybe that's a good thing. Can you imagine how scary it's all gonna get when we have to start using Prevagen. I don't want to suddenly remember Paul McDonald getting sacked in a clean pocket by the shadow of his Center. I'm not saying that actually happened; but weird things had a way of unfolding when he came in.
Lol yeah, don't get me started on Paul McDonald. Wow, he really was horrible, which not many saw coming.
1984 season, I think he threw 4 or 5 pick 6s in the 4th Quarter, with the Browns driving to win or pad the lead. In my mind, he's easily top 3 of the worst Browns QBs in my lifetime ( Manziel, Kizer).
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I think I've even seen a blade of grass tackle FB Owen Marecic for a loss when he was here. The sad thing is I don't remember him falling forward - or maybe that's a good thing. Can you imagine how scary it's all gonna get when we have to start using Prevagen. I don't want to suddenly remember Paul McDonald getting sacked in a clean pocket by the shadow of his Center. I'm not saying that actually happened; but weird things had a way of unfolding when he came in.
Lol yeah, don't get me started on Paul McDonald. Wow, he really was horrible, which not many saw coming.
1984 season, I think he threw 4 or 5 pick 6s in the 4th Quarter, with the Browns driving to win or pad the lead. In my mind, he's easily top 3 of the worst Browns QBs in my lifetime ( Manziel, Kizer).
Lol yeah, don't get me started on Paul McDonald. Wow, he really was horrible, which not many saw coming.
1984 season, I think he threw 4 or 5 pick 6s in the 4th Quarter, with the Browns driving to win or pad the lead. In my mind, he's easily top 3 of the worst Browns QBs in my lifetime ( Manziel, Kizer).
Is Kizer still a spokesman for that aluminum company????
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Maybe too simplistic, but it seems that bad rotten owners
have bad teams, and terrific solid owners have good teams.
It's the people they surround themselves with in their organization.
Haslam hired people in his business that got him into trouble. Once I read where haslam was the driving force for the watson debacle...... that explains a lot about the Browns struggles. Other than that, I can't think of any reason the Browns have failed so many seasons.
Once I read where haslam was the driving force for the watson debacle...... that explains a lot
Yeah, we read a lot of stuff. Some of it is even true. But it would go a long way to explaining why the GM & HC didn't get fired.
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But it would go a long way to explaining why the GM & HC didn't get fired.
That’s a very telling tale, one that Haslam will never own…at least not in public.
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1) Horrendous quarterback play.
2) No running game.
3) Offensive line took multiple steps backwards.
4) The defense often quit games by halftime because the offense was so bad it couldn't get us a single touchdown.
5) Hopkins became a complete, unreliable head case at kicker.
There's much more, but that's the gist of what I saw this year.
-
1) Horrendous quarterback play.
2) No running game.
3) Offensive line took multiple steps backwards.
4) The defense often quit games by halftime because the offense was so bad it couldn't get us a single touchdown.
5) Hopkins became a complete, unreliable head case at kicker.
There's much more, but that's the gist of what I saw this year.
1) Horrendous quarterback play.
2) No running game.
3) Offensive line took multiple steps backwards.
4) The defense often quit games by halftime because the offense was so bad it couldn't get us a single touchdown.
5) Hopkins became a complete, unreliable head case at kicker.
There's much more, but that's the gist of what I saw this year.
And is there anything more uplifting than watching the Browns consistently getting flagged before the snap?
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1) Horrendous quarterback play.
2) No running game.
3) Offensive line took multiple steps backwards.
4) The defense often quit games by halftime because the offense was so bad it couldn't get us a single touchdown.
5) Hopkins became a complete, unreliable head case at kicker.
There's much more, but that's the gist of what I saw this year.
1) Horrendous quarterback play.
2) No running game.
3) Offensive line took multiple steps backwards.
4) The defense often quit games by halftime because the offense was so bad it couldn't get us a single touchdown.
5) Hopkins became a complete, unreliable head case at kicker.
There's much more, but that's the gist of what I saw this year.
? Just in case anyone is wondering how this FO has tenure...
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1) Horrendous quarterback play.
2) No running game.
3) Offensive line took multiple steps backwards.
4) The defense often quit games by halftime because the offense was so bad it couldn't get us a single touchdown.
5) Hopkins became a complete, unreliable head case at kicker.
There's much more, but that's the gist of what I saw this year.
? Just in case anyone is wondering how this FO has tenure...
? Just in case anyone is wondering how this FO has tenure...
Hire Elon (Off with their heads) Musk and his do it all ax.
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Hire Elon (Off with their heads) Musk and his do it all ax.
I could use a raise; so I'll baby sit his kid...
I welcome the only Defensive Coordinator to earn a Superbowl Ring in New Orleans while understanding Revenge of the Nerds is a sequel. "Come get some!" -
Hire Elon (Off with their heads) Musk and his do it all ax.
I could use a raise; so I'll baby sit his kid...
I could use a raise; so I'll baby sit his kid...
That kid is a handful. Already told that old orange man to shut up. ?
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