The Cleveland Browns left Sunday with a familiar problem staring them in the face again: the offensive line simply didn’t hold up.
In a 27-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Nov. 1, Cleveland’s offense never found the end zone. The first three drives were a mess from the start, with the Browns fumbling twice and punting once while Deshaun Watson was under constant heat.
That pressure never really let up. Watson was sacked eight times and hit with pressure on 65% of his dropbacks in the first half alone. He still finished with 27 completions for 324 yards and averaged 8.3 yards per attempt, but by the time the offense started to move late, the game was already out of reach.
Afterward, Watson took the blame himself.
“I’m always going to put the sacks on me. … I’m always going to take responsibility for those," he said.
But the bigger issue is hard to ignore: this has become a pattern, not a one-game collapse. Watson has now taken 33 sacks overall, and 16 of them have come in just two games - Sunday’s loss to Pittsburgh and the defeat to the New York Jets a few weeks back.
One of the biggest trouble spots has been right tackle Tytus Howard. He’s been flagged repeatedly, and he’s given up too much pressure in both the passing game and the run game.
His run-blocking grade sits at 56.9, which ranks 51st out of 69 individuals. His passing grade is much better at 75.2, good for 21st out of 69 individuals.
Put together, though, he lands 45th among 69 offensive tackles.
The numbers match the eye test. Howard has allowed 17 pressures, two sacks and five quarterback hits, and he’s been penalized seven times.
That kind of production leaves little room for comfort, especially with rookies Austin Barber and Spencer Fano in the mix up front. With the NFL Trade Deadline approaching, Cleveland may need to look at outside help, whether that means a free-agent addition or a smaller trade that doesn’t make a lot of noise.
If the Browns can’t get better protection soon, they may have to consider moving on from the 30-year-old Howard altogether.
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Browns Roster Shuffle Brings Back A Name Fans May Recognize
The Browns kept the practice squad moving with another round of roster tweaks, waiving wide receiver Bub Means, punter Wes Pahl, guard Vershon Lee and tackle Andrew Coker while adding three new names to fill the openings. Cleveland signed wide receiver Xavier Guillory, guard Austin Blaske and tackle Xavier Truss, continuing the kind of weekly churn that often defines the back end of an NFL roster.
Truss is the familiar name in the group for Browns fans who follow college football closely, since he played at Georgia before getting NFL looks with multiple teams. For Cleveland, the addition gives the team another offensive line option to evaluate as it sorts through depth and development on the practice squad, even if the bigger question is how quickly any of these moves can translate into real value down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Are Suddenly Tied To A Franchise Shaking QB Debate
A rough start in Los Angeles has quickly turned Justin Herbert into one of the most intriguing names in the early-season quarterback chatter, and the Browns have been pulled into the conversation almost immediately. With ESPN Cleveland among those floating the idea, Cleveland is being mentioned as a possible suitor if the Chargers ever seriously entertain a move, even though any deal would come with a massive price tag and a complicated fit for a team that has already committed heavily at the position.
For the Browns, the appeal is obvious enough to understand even if the logistics are daunting. Herbert would represent a major swing at a franchise-changing quarterback, but the cost would be steep and the optics would be messy given the investment already made in Deshaun Watson. For now, it remains only speculation, but it is the kind of speculation that can linger around Cleveland whenever a big-name passer suddenly becomes available in the rumor mill. [Read more 🡒]
Deshaun Watsons Status Just Put Browns-Saints In A Different Light
Deshaun Watsons status has quickly become the biggest variable hanging over the Browns Week 9 trip to New Orleans. After experiencing symptoms following a hit in a recent game, the Cleveland quarterback was placed in concussion protocol, and his availability against the Saints now depends on whether he can be cleared in time.
For a Browns team trying to keep its footing, the timing matters as much as the opponent. The betting market has already nudged in response to the uncertainty, a small but telling sign of how much Watsons presence changes the outlook for Cleveland as it heads into a game that suddenly looks different than it did just a few days ago. [Read more 🡒]