DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2021 NFL Season Looking Back: Browns 14 Cardinals 37 Postgame Thoughts

this felt like we took a time machine back to 1999. We were dominated, out played, out coached, injured left and right, and just a BAD team.

Not sure if we can get ourselves back on track at the moment (and we play in 3 days)

I am of the thought that it's probably a good thing we have a quick turnaround after this game. Bury it and get ready for the next one.

At the lowest level of football you are taught penalties and turn overs will ruin your chances of winning. It holds true at the highest level of football also.

yes, injuries hurt, no doubt. Every team needs to deal with them. It does seem the Browns are dealing with more than their fair share. Penalties and turnovers hurt the most.

i want to blame the refs.

but despite the cardinals having a covid outbreak and no coached, this looked just like the whooping we put on pittsburgh in the playoffs. this time we were on the receiving end.

we got outcoached and outplayed in all phases of the game. good old fashion beat down.

This was what I thought was going to happen today going in. Hate all the injuries piling up, we truly have no idea what we have. I think the last time we were healthy was Chicago.

And even though I hate to do it, I have to agree that Baker is falling way short of expectations. But so are OBJ, the OL, Ski's play calling, and Woods and the D.

by the way, i just saw a 5'9 QB throw perfectly fine in 30 mph winds, unlike our QB who's been here for 4 years.

well we now know where we stand in the NFL pecking order

Grogu out there dropping dimes

My brother says "we're not a playoff caliper team".

I told him to pump the brakes with that kind of talk.

J/C. I’ll tune in on Thursday, but there were a couple times during the first half tonight where it was clear that the officiating had an agenda. If this continues, I won’t watch. I tune in to watch football, not officials on the tv every other minute. AZ was the better team I admit, but the officials ruined the experience today.

The entire team, from the coaching staff down to the QB to the rest of the players, have crumbled under the expectations again.

As for Woods, I don't think he's crumbled. I just don't think he's very good. Another week, another blown coverage, free touchdown.

This is not a very good football team. Coaching, players, execution. Bad all the way around.

The Browns have played three good teams and have lost all three.

Stefanski's recent playcalling is some of the worst I've seen.

Defense is some of the worst I've seen since the return. With a ton of names.

Let this be a lesson for all of us. Never allow the Browns to get your hopes up. Always assume a terrible season. Lol

These guys forget it's hard to be a Browns fan.

This feels like we had our shot to escape the curse of Modell.
Someone decided NAH. Go back to the cellar you red headed stepchild!
I guess future will tell.
My sig still stands true.
That is all.

Bingo. There is still plenty of time to turn it around. We also play several crappy teams.

Also, while it is an excuse for the performance, we were missing three high level starters including our best player on offense.

Regardless of what happens Thursday night we’ll have 10 days to get some folks healthy and IMO that’s the biggest issue we have right now .. last week we played with one hand tied behind our back on D .. this week we had one hand tied behind our back on O …

IF we get healthy we’ll be OK … maybe the 17th game will end up being a blessing in disguise …

Browns need to get healthy fast. Thursday's game is a must win. We will see what this team is made of.

I agree, injuries are the biggest issue right now. We have to get healthy!

The word of the day is suck. All phases AND coaching. KS needs to give up the play calling. Pray for some luck on Thursday. Denver can play defense.

Look guys. See it for what it was.

Pretty much the entire starting roster is either out or hurt, and Baker has a torn labrum (his completion ratio has gone from 85% to like 55%. That's significant).

We just played one of the best teams in the NFL with no defensive line; a decimated secondary; PRETTY MUCH NO STARTING OFFENSIVE LINE; and no Chubb.

THERE IS NO WAY THEY WERE GOING TO WIN THIS GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Should they have looked better than garbage?..................................Yes!!! They should have looked at least fairly competent.

My guess is that Stefanski realized they weren't going to win. So he, HOPEFULLY, gave pretty much everybody the week off, and is just pushing for Thursday night.

After Denver (a game that they unfortunately HAVE TO WIN), they get a week and a half to recover.

I don't think there is any way to judge what they are going to do until then. Hopefully, next weeks injury report looks better than a F'ing MASH report from Vietnam.

You're right, there is still plenty of time to turn it around.

That remains to be seen. This defense has to learn to get the stop when it is needed.

Did not understand the gameplay at all going in to today. We’re missing both tackles, their defense is especially poor against the run, particularly in the middle. Baker hadn’t been playing very well lately, Chubb is out but we have a plethora of other running threats to get creative with and we come out empty backfield for a large majority of the beginning offensive plays? Sure Chandler Jones is out but why in the world would we think we’d have drop back, down field play development time and luck right out of the gates?

Random thoughts:

Diabolical officiating. Some of it (PI on Hopkins) worked for us - but 80% was against us. The roughing the passer call was as ludicrous as I have seen anywhere, anytime, any team.

1stQ felt like a Freddie Kitchens prepared and coached team.

The back up OT's had such a huge impact on the ability to do anything.

I still worry about Joe Woods scheme - maybe I am wrong but wasn't that close to a full strength D? We flashed for a couple of drives and then - poof - any semblance of a Play-off caliber D vanished. Probably what's most worrying (other than WR catching balls without anyone close to them ... Hopkins, one of the NFL's best) -- we continue to line up with CB's 8-10 yards off the LOS. No wonder they get separation.

OCD mentioned how Stefanski's scheme doesn't have separation unless it's off play action ... evident again today and by contrast it seemed the Cardinals regularly had guys crossing or slanting and getting off their guy.

Baker is a tough S.O.B. .... he's clearly still throwing hurt. Swish - you made a comment about throwing the ball in high winds ... Baker did it his rookie season and he still can/does ... just it's very inconsistent at the moment. Overall a bad game for Baker with the interception.

Sucks. We should crush Denver who are a bad team ... if we don't, it might be the end of playoff hopes, or leastways we might not be in control of our own future if we lost.

Edi - forgot to mention our elite playmaker dropping another 4th down catch that hit him in the numbers.

The Cardinals have been playing with only three defensive backs. That's a lot of meat on the field to run on when you are missing your two starting tackles.

The refs definitely flexed their muscles up 14-0 after that, the team couldbt overcome it.

We need to get healthy and we need a little luck to get things back on track

even without the injuries we are a 500 team. The defense is a joke , baker is average at best

interesting side note: the moon rising over Cleveland as the game was winding down was a Waxing Moon. Rather fitting.

Our defensive backfield is putrid. Our backup lineman are horrible. Baker can't handle pressure. Hunt was playing hurt. Referees playing one sided again, that last roughing call was atrocious, and the first one was a joke. Denver will beat us, and then we will lose to Pitssburgh. No playoffs this year mark my words.

Baker not being able to handle pressure is the key point made here and it goes hand in hand with the tackles being out. Baker being pressured is among the worst QBs in the league.

I want to add, that watching Conner carry our Dlineman and LBs for extra yards all fourth quarter was embarrassing. And the no call when Baker got hit helmet to helmet, showed me there were not going to be calls made fairly in this game.

John Johnson III makes no plays at all, and the LBs other than JOK are horrible. I'm done now

I'm inclined to agree I don't se us making the playoffs if this keeps up. We need to get healthy and fast. We always have trouble with Denver. I really don't see us winning Thursday.

I didn't want to believe it, but under pressure he turns into Charlie Frye.

I see what you did there....but I don't think anyone else got it.

So, how are the Ravens 5-1 with all their injuries? I think you know the answer.

This game was doomed from the start. From the refs all the way to the play calling. Baker and our dbacks cost us as well. We had chances to make a comeback and they couldn't step up to the plate when it really mattered.

Even still it's not all doom and gloom. There is plenty of time to right this ship. I can't wait til we get healthy I know that much.

Their QB is way better than ours?

It’s who he was last year we were just able to keep him clean.

I was VERY interested in that no call when Baker got hit helmet to helmet. I guess he's not a big enough name in the league?

Think the Giants would agree to a trade, OBJ for Saquon Barkley straight up?