Somewhat encouraged watching the game - despite the loss and coming so close:

- In a game most gave us no chance - it came down to a missed extra point and then going for 2 and not getting it.
- Baker played badly - absolutely. Not willing to even begin to think it's time to move on. [1] He was coming off 2 weeks of no practice [2] The first and last interceptions came on plays where pass interference checked the WR. More on the officiating later, but the bear hug and the shirt pull are as much or more to blame for the those two interceptions.
- The idea that been floated around that KS doesn't trust Baker is absurd ... on 4th and 1 early in the game, KS called a pass play. At the end of the game (more later) KS decided Baker was the best chance to get a first down and threw, threw and threw again. Unless KS is sabotaging Baker to make him look bad - KS trusts Baker plenty.
- Defense played one of their best games against an elite offense with significant number of players out. I know we stymied a couple of bad teams early in the year - this performance for me was better. With the exception of the Blitz/Easy TD, it was just solid all round and we had a ton of injuries. You have to factor in we went against one of the top 3 QB in the NFL today and probably in the last 20 years.
- Still issues with too many dropped balls. So funny to see a Packer WR struggle to make a pretty spectacular catch when a Browns DB was draped over him - and how Pissed Rodgers was. And then see our guys have balls hit their hands and drop them.
- Definitely issues with balls thrown behind receivers. Timing off literally 1/2 a second or less. Hard to believe that with a QB coming of Covid and who didn't practice with the team for 2+ weeks. I know, right? Misses none the less and on Baker. And there was another throw of Baker's that could easily of been picked as well. That was probably the worst decision and throw all night, from memory the receiver was possibly triple covered.
- Chubb exploding and showing why he's one of the top 2 or 3 RB's in the NFL. Just a monster. Johnson looking plenty good also. Almost ridiculous for a 3rd string RB.
- Shout out to the OL ... they had a couple spells where the pocket collapsed immediately. But for the hand we were dealt they did more than enough in both pass protection and running game.
- Officiating sucked as bad as any game I remember. Troy Aikman is awful as a commentator. I always feel when he is on for a Browns game he virtually never 'observes' anything for/positive for the Browns. Even he called out 5 egregious calls by the refs. The bear hug on DPJ during the first interception was ridiculous - as was calling a false start when the GB player was offsides and the entire OL didn't move until the ball was snapped ... And the last interception/shirt pull was nearly as bag - certainly blatant. I thought New York could overturn obvious missed calls - especially in the last 2 minutes of the game? wtf.
- I thought KS called one of his best and most balanced games. Clearly it felt like a "must win" game and game seemed to be called accordingly. Right up to the end. 50 seconds left, 2 points behind and 3 time outs. . . . last week we ran 3 times into a 9 man front and I wanted a play action call. This week was totally different in the 4th Q and on the final drive - we were gouging them in the run game. . . . I actually liked the aggressive deep call on the first down, but after that, with the running game averaging over 7 yards a play - 3 time outs, midfield. It was truly incredible to see 3 passes in a row called. I mean if Baker had been on point all game? Maybe. If the run game was getting stuffed? Absolutely. If we needed a TD instead of a FG? Probably not still. On the back of 3 interceptions - miss-timed passes all game - 3 passes. That's just bad coaching and play calling.


- Bottom Line: The team did enough to win - on the road - against one of the best teams in the NFL. We overcame 4 interceptions and 4 or 5 diabolical officiating calls - and we were within 2 points and driving. For all the "Woe is Me, the Browns are totally crap, burn it to the ground" belly aching that I see ... I think that needs to sink in. Baker still is recovering from a torn Labarum, coming off 2 weeks of no practice. We are still decimated by injury. Still cobbling together a make shift OL. . . . I think we are much closer than most want to realize. I think Baker is a no-brainer for a 5th year. And while I think an extension is all about his play next year - I am not giving up on this season either. Lot of football left to be played and other teams that need to win out are going to get hit by Covid too - maybe not like the Browns because precautions are going to get put in place by other teams ... but key players are going to miss games for a lot of teams. Go Browns.