With the Browns sitting at 4-2 and perched atop the AFC North after six weeks, the headline is simple: they’re winning. The deeper story is less tidy.
Cleveland just beat a Ravens team without Lamar Jackson, stayed unbeaten at home, and is already close to its projected win total. But the offense keeps making life harder than it should, leaving Todd Monken with plenty to clean up before the trip to face the Tennessee Titans.
The defense has carried a heavy load, and that reality sits under everything else. The Browns have survived five straight games that went down to the wire, and the offense is still searching for answers in key spots.
One issue is how little Jaleel McLaughlin has been involved. Quinshon Judkins isn’t the problem by himself, but Cleveland has lacked a shifty back who can help on third down and provide a different look in the run game. McLaughlin has flashed big-play ability and elusiveness whenever he’s gotten a chance, and even with Dylan Sampson and Judkins expected back soon, it raises a fair question about whether the former Denver Bronco should be seeing more touches.
The passing game has its own missed opportunities, starting with Denzel Boston. He’s shown he can win down the field, but the Browns don’t feature him nearly enough unless the offense is in trouble.
He shouldn’t be a rescue plan. Boston should be getting double-digit targets every game, but instead he’s often standing around while the offense treats him like a last option.
Cleveland has used him on deep shots and in the red zone, yet there still isn’t a consistent go-to play built around him. Monken needs to script touches for him and make him a real centerpiece.
Harold Fannin Jr. belongs in that same conversation. He has a clear skill set: yards after the catch, toughness in space, and dependable hands.
And yet he doesn’t seem to be getting enough chances to make the kind of impact he can. Every time he gets the ball, he tends to help the offense.
That makes his usage all the more puzzling, especially with Watson putting the ball at risk too often. Fannin should be the easy outlet in the middle of the field, the kind of target that turns into first downs instead of wasted snaps.
Then there’s Deshaun Watson, whose role raises the biggest question of all. He has delivered on game-winning drives, and the Browns are still collecting wins, but the offense appears to be built around too much of what he wants to do rather than what helps the whole unit.
The shotgun-heavy setup isn’t helping the run game, and Watson’s habit of taking off when pressure shows up makes it tougher for the offensive line to settle into a clean pocket. His nine-step dropbacks and quick rollouts when he spots the blitz are part of the problem.
Receivers are getting open. The issue is whether he’s giving them enough time and whether he can be more patient.
In Other News...
Browns Enter A Stretch That Could Define Their Playoff Push
The Browns are heading into a demanding part of the schedule with a trip to Tennessee that opens three straight road games, a stretch that will say plenty about how real their playoff push is. Cleveland has already stumbled away from home this season, going 1-2 on the road, so this run will test whether the team can clean up those issues fast enough to stay in the thick of the postseason race.
Beyond the immediate task of surviving the road swing, there is also a longer view creeping into the picture. Cleveland will soon have to make quarterback roster decisions for the 2026 season, adding another layer to a stretch that already feels consequential. For a team trying to keep its present season on track while planning for what comes next, the next few weeks may carry more weight than usual. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Rookie Tackle Is Already Easing One Big Cleveland Fear
The Browns have spent plenty of time trying to solve their left tackle problem, so Spencer Fanos early run has offered a welcome bit of stability. The rookie offensive lineman has already started six games and, despite the usual rookie bumps, has looked capable of handling one of the leagues toughest jobs while holding up well in front of Deshaun Watson.
Pro Football Focus has credited Fano with a 69.3 overall grade, and he has allowed 12 pressures across those six games. For a Cleveland team that has been looking for dependable pass protection, that kind of start is encouraging, even if the broader question of how steady the edge of the line will remain is still part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Rookie Carson Schwesinger Is Entering A Much Bigger Conversation
Carson Schwesinger keeps stacking up the kind of games that make a rookie look less like a newcomer and more like a centerpiece. Even while dealing with an ankle sprain against Baltimore, the Browns Defensive Rookie of the Year put together 13 tackles and forced a fumble, adding to a stretch that already included a strip-sack in Week 5 and a season total of 56 tackles through six games.
For Cleveland, the bigger picture is becoming hard to ignore. Schwesingers steady impact has pushed him into a conversation that usually belongs to the leagues most disruptive defenders, and the way he has produced so far has prompted comparisons to past Defensive Player of the Year winners. The question now is less about whether he has been one of the Browns best defensive players and more about how far that level of play can take him over the rest of the season. [Read more 🡒]