Browns walloped in Washington, fall to 1-4

Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.

LANDOVER, MD

Instant takeaways from Browns’  34-13 loss to Washington Commanders …

1. Hog-tied in Hog heaven: There have been more lopsided Browns losses in the Kevin Stefanski era. But considering the circumstances, this 34-13 trouncing administered by the Commanders deserves the distinction as the worst defeat of them all. The Browns flailed on offense against one of the poorest defenses in the NFL – one that had surrendered a league-high 10 TD passes in four games. The Browns didn’t score a touchdown until a Jordan Akins catch in the end zone with 7:02 to play. The Browns were 0 for 12 on third downs until the last minute of the game. Deshaun Watson was sacked 7 times and lost the ball once. Watson was mercifully lifted with 2:28 to play after passing for 125 yards. Jameis Winston achieved the team's lone first down. Meanwhile, Washington rookie QB sensation Jayden Daniels put on a show for his adoring fans in Northwest Stadium. Daniels threw for 238 yards and 1 touchdown and ran 82 before coach Dan Quinn kindly lifted him with 12:50 to play in the fourth quarter. Daniels is an instant shining star who has lifted his franchise to a 4-1 record. The Browns are a 1-4 team that is getting worse every week. Nobody saw these franchises going in such distinctly different directions when the season started.

2. Beaten down and beat up: The following Browns left the game with injuries – cornerback Denzel Ward (hamstring), long snapper Charley Hughlett (rib), safety Grant Delpit (concussion), linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (cramping), and center Ethan Pocic (undisclosed). End Ogbo Okoronkwo had to leave because of illness. Things are pretty grim when your long snapper has to leave a game.

3. Sublime awfulness: This is how the second half started. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah tomahawked the ball loose from Terry McLaurin on the first play and M.J. Emerson recovered at the Washington 30. Two completions to Amari Cooper took it down to the 2. Then this happened: False start on Zak Zinter. Browns burn a timeout. Watson, zig-zagging in the pocket, is sacked by Dorance Armstrong. Jerry Jeudy drops a pass in the end zone. On third down, Watson throws the ball out of the end zone to save a sack. Then the Browns don’t get a play off in time with Stefanski going beserk on the sideline. So he takes the offense off the field and settles for a 31-yard field goal. Just gross.

4. Same ole, same ole: Can the Browns’ offense get any worse? In the first half, they had 8 possessions and gained 68 yards on 29 plays. They made 3 first downs and were 0-for-8 on third-down conversions. Watson was 8 of 18 for 67 yards and was sacked 3 times for a 54.6 rating. This offensive ineptitude didn’t make life easier for the defense, which was panting profusely when Daniels hit them with a 41-yard TD pass to Dyami Brown over M.J Emerson. That culminated a 59-second possession for Daniels, who was made plays with his arm and legs. Washington led, 24-3, and received the ball first in the second half. The Browns only points came on a 51-yard field goal by Dustin Hopkins after the Browns failed to take advantage of first-and-10 at the Washington 24. That series ended with a Watson incompletion for Amari Cooper, an incompletion for Jerry Jeudy almost intercepted, and a Watson sack.

5. Faster than everybody: Daniels set up Washington’s second touchdown when he avoided Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s blitz, turned the right corner and sprinted 34 yards to the Browns’ 6. Brian Robinson then scored the TD from 3 yards after a holding penalty on Ward. JOK slammed his hand on the turf in frustration after Daniels sidestepped him. Yes, quite a frustrating series for the Browns’ defense. Two times it failed to get a 12^th man off the field in time. And Denzel Ward had an interception broken up when Terry McLaurin knocked it free. 

6. Uncomplementary football: All three phases of the Browns’ team contributed to Washington’s first score. First, the offense went three-and-out for the second possession in a row. Then, the punt team gave up a 15-yard punt return. Finally, after allowing a 10-yard run by Austin Ekeler on fourth-and-2 from the 14, the defense suffered a blown tackle by Grant Delpit. Robinson shook off Delpit with the safety wrapping both arms on Robinson’s legs.

7. Wow factor: Daniels’ first “wow” play came on his second series. On third-and-13 from his 31, Daniels escaped a sack from blitzing defenders Delpit and Greg Newsome, and while running at full speed to his right launched a perfect pass for Terry McLaurin, who sped behind Denzel Ward with his QB in scramble mode. Ward was able to tackle McLaurin at the 3 – a 66-yard play – and it proved important. Two plays later, Daniels forced a pass to tight end Zach Ertz at the goal line and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah intercepted it to prevent the TD.

8. Don’t do that: Mike Ford is probably Bubba Ventrone’s best gunner and tackler on punts. But he failed to see Olamide Zaccheaus’ fair catch signal and flattened him after Corey Bojorquez’s first punt. The 15-yard penalty gave the Commanders the ball at their 34 instead of the 19.

9. The streak is over: The Browns failed to score on their first possession for the first time this year. Their possession ended on a fourth-and-1 pitch to D’Onta Foreman from Jameis Winston in QB sneak formation. Foreman lost his footing short of the first down.

 10. Pre-game notes: Jedrick Wills and Dawand Jones were the starting offensive tackles, with Michael Dunn and George Ifedi in reserve. Inactives: quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, cornerback Kahlef Hailassie, linebacker Jordan Hicks, tackle James Hudson, guard Javion Cohen, tackle Jack Conklin and receiver Jamari Thrash.