Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland Browns: 3 takeaways from the offense after loss to Ravens

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:02 p.m. ET

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Sep 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Corey Coleman (19) runs with the ball after a catch as Baltimore Ravens cornerback Shareece Wright (24) goes for the tackle during the second half at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Ravens won 25-20. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Browns were on pace to blowout the Baltimore Ravens in Sunday’s 25-20 loss, only for the offense to lay down after the first quarter.

The Cleveland Browns finally gave fans something to cheer for in 2016 during Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Three early touchdowns had FirstEnergy Stadium feeling more alive than ever, giving fans hope that perhaps last week was just a fluke and Josh McCown would be the man to lead this team to some sort of success this year.

Well, a blocked extra-point and no scoring for the final three quarters sucked the life out of the building that will not host another game until Tom Brady comes to town in Week 5. At least Josh Gordon will be back too.

Awful news broke today that McCown is out with a shoulder injury, meaning rookie Cody Kessler will be the starting quarterback for Week 3’s game against the Miami Dolphins. So all the progress made in Week 2 may be wiped away, as the offense may have to be a bit more basic for Kessler, at least in this week’s game.

The Monday after a loss is never easy, and this news about McCown being out is making it even worse. But Sunday’s game did have some positives that can be looked at as progress for a team not expected to do well this season, regardless of who lines up at quarterback.

So while Cody Kessler prepares for his first NFL start, let’s look at some key takeaways on offense from the loss to the Ravens.

Sep 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Corey Coleman (19) catches a touchdown pass as Baltimore Ravens cornerback Shareece Wright (24) defends during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

After watching Carson Wentz tear up the Browns in Week 1, fans began wondering if it was worth it to pass on the quarterback in favor of wide receiver Corey Coleman.

The rookie proved he was indeed worthy of the selection with his performance on Sunday, catching five passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns, both of which came in the first quarter. He was consistently getting open against the Ravens secondary, and made it clear he is the number one receiver on this team, at least until Josh Gordon returns from suspension.

While the offense stalled after the first quarter, this was not Coleman’s fault. Josh McCown was likely playing with excruciating pain, and should not have been out on the field. If he had been healthy, Coleman may have had much higher numbers on the day.

Getting this production out of the first-round pick is a great sign. The Browns drafted four receivers in this year’s draft, but Coleman was expected to be a star for this team. And after two games, he is the only rookie receiver with any receptions, even after missing time during the preseason due to injury.

His production may dip with Kessler at quarterback, but he could also serve as a reliable target for the fellow rookie in Week 3 and beyond. With so many questions all over the field, it is nice to know that this year’s first-round pick is capable of being a dominant player from the start.

Sep 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown (13) congratulates Cleveland Browns wide receiver Corey Coleman (19) on his touchdown reception during the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Josh McCown was never in contention to win the starting quarterback job this past offseason, but he made it clear Sunday that he should have been the starter all along.

Robert Griffin III had a horrendous debut in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles, looking uncomfortable in the pocket throughout the game. He is trying to reinvent his whole style of play, which may prove to be too difficult at this stage in his career.

McCown jumped in for Sunday’s game and had an outstanding start, throwing two touchdown passes in the first quarter en route to an early 20-0 lead.

He could not get much going after that first quarter, but with the knowledge of the pain he was playing through, it becomes clear he was out there fighting with all he had.

That pain proved to be too much, with the news breaking today that Cody Kessler will now start for the Browns in Week 3 against the Dolphins. McCown should return at some point this season, but if Kessler does well expect the rookie to hold down the job. But if Kessler struggles, McCown may be right back on the field.

When healthy again, and given Kessler isn’t lighting up opposing defenses, McCown should be the top option at quarterback for the remainder of the season. Griffin won the job in camp, but it appears Hue Jackson may have been blinded by his quest to make Griffin great again, instead of focusing on the well-being of the team.

Sep 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell (34) runs the ball past Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Zach Orr (54) for a first down during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Isaiah Crowell provided fans with the most exciting play of Sunday’s game when he scored on an 85-yard touchdown run, giving him a touchdown in each of the first two games this season.

Along with the touchdown run, Crowell finished with 133 yards on 18 carries. It was a great improvement over his 12-carry, 62-yard performance in Week 1, when many of his yards came once the game was essentially over.

Take away his big run Sunday and he finished with 48 yards on 17 carries, an average of 2.82 yards per carry. That is not a great number, but the goal is to score touchdowns, so if one big run leads to that it is better than having a high average and the team struggling to find the end zone.

The Browns are going to rely on the running game in this week’s matchup against the Dolphins, as Kessler may be limited to short, safe passes all game. The success of the run game relies on the play of the offensive line as well, but the absence of Cameron Erving may actually help the cause.

This is not me expressing any happiness over Erving being injured. It was a scary situation and no one should ever root for a player to be injured. It is just to say that he has been struggling and someone else playing in his spot, in this case it is John Greco, may provide a different result. Based on how Crowell did Sunday, a new look up front could lead to even better results.