Browns Season Recap: Magical Run Cut Short by familiar face.
What an absolute roller coaster of a season this Cleveland Browns team has been on. Losing 20% plus of their salary cap, starting five different quarterbacks, and having some of the most improbable wins truly embodies how there can never be a normal season of football in Northeast Ohio. From Deshaun Watson to DTR to PJ Walker to Joe Flacco and even Jeff Driskel, this team found a way to get contributions from everyone who stepped foot in that locker room. After going 11-6, which included a magical Thursday night thrashing to clinch the playoffs versus the Jets, the football gods had other plans for one of the hottest teams in football.
We haven’t spoken in a while, so to update the average reader, once the Browns gave the keys to seasoned vet Joe Flacco, they took off. After a tough loss to the Rams, Flacco and the Browns rattled off four straight wins to lock up that first wild card. Flacco seemed to have hit the fountain of youth, throwing touchdown after touchdown while having one play a game that made your jaw drop. Flacco coming in off the street just embodied the season as a whole, a season where any person on that 53-man roster could be asked to play a part in something special. Whether it was Ronnie Hickman, Geron Christian, Siaki Ika, or even David Bell, whoever it was, gave it their all for this staff no matter the circumstances.
The city was buzzing; finally, we have made the playoffs, and this time the fans will be here to enjoy it. A matchup against the Texans was on the horizon. Flacco had beaten this team once before; this time, however, there was a different animal waiting. Familiar friend of the state of Ohio, CJ Stroud, was finally healthy and just willed his team to an AFC South title against the Colts. It wasn’t going to be easy; hell, nothing was all year; that's how the Browns liked it. Unfortunately, once the lights were on and the clock started, it wasn’t about Flacco's story, but about CJ’s.
CJ Stroud torched the all-time Cleveland Defense; it was apparent that this wasn’t the same Texans team that Cleveland had beaten three weeks prior. Going into half losing wasn’t unfamiliar territory; the team was used to this; this is where they thrived. However, the luck had fizzled out when on back-to-back drives Flacco threw two pick-sixes to Steven Nelson & Christian Harris to pretty much ice this game for Houston. Just like that, the season was over, and the loss was courtesy of a man who many fans in Ohio believe didn't have what it took to win big games. An utter bittersweet way to go out.
Of course, this wasn't the outcome any fan wanted, but this season will be implanted into fans' heads for years to come. Fans should be thankful for Joe Flacco, Jim Schwartz, Kevin Stefanski, and any other player or staff member who positively affected this team because, lord knows, a lot of us fans didn’t think this was possible given our circumstances. Now we wait for another offseason to see what additions this front office can make, how certain contracts get restructured, who leaves and who stays. Everyone will have a chance to get healthy and showcase against a second-place schedule what a completely healthy Cleveland Browns roster is capable of. Thank you to all the players who stepped up throughout this time period; it's not the end result anyone wanted, but us as fans appreciate you all for giving it your all. Until next season, Dawg Pound, Go Browns!
Tory Pierce
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