The Cleveland Browns had a magical run to the playoffs last season. After losing three quarterbacks to injury, veteran Joe Flacco came in and led the team to an 11-6 record. It put higher expectations on this season. While Flacco would not be the starter, the front office had high hopes Deshaun Watson could return to his MVP form. The defense has shown that it can be elite, and two-time Coach of the Year winner Kevin Stefanski has shown that he can win games. 2024 has been a disaster. Watson looked terrible and then tore his Achilles, ending his season. Injuries on both sides of the ball have made things difficult. They currently sit at 3-10, a record owner Jimmy Haslam called “perplexing.”
Cleveland Browns Owner Jimmy Haslam On 2024 Season
At 3-10, the Cleveland Browns are already thinking about next year. They have been eliminated from playoff contention and now have to make some decisions for 2025 and beyond. After a season like this, many teams may be looking to get rid of their head coach. However, owner Jimmy Haslam doesn’t think that is the answer. He was asked whether he thought Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry were the right fits, and he responded, “I do. We do. We’re very supportive.” He and many other fans are trying to figure out what happened from last season to this season.
“We went from 11-6 and making the playoffs to 3-10, so it’s a little perplexing what happened,” Haslam told ESPN after owners meetings last Wednesday. While he may not have seen this roster competing for a Super Bowl, he probably wanted to see a similar record this year. It doesn’t help that the Cleveland Browns are in one of the toughest divisions in football, but this season has been rough. What has gone wrong?
Deshaun Watson
The Deshaun Watson deal is looking worse and worse every day. The Cleveland Browns gave up a king’s ransom to the Houston Texans for the former first-round pick. At the time of the trade, Watson was under fire for multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. He has not looked the same since coming back. In seven games this season, he only averaged 164.0 pass yards per game. He only threw five touchdowns and had three interceptions. The offense looked anemic and couldn’t move the ball to save themselves.
His contract situation is crippling the team. He has $92 million in guaranteed money over the next two years. If the team decides to cut him, it would count for well over $100 million against the cap. Until his contract is up, the Cleveland Browns will have difficulties crafting a competitive roster. It isn’t impossible, but they’ve made it hard for themselves.
Regressing Defense
Last season, the Cleveland Browns had the top-ranked overall defense. It was one of the reasons for the 11-6 record. Flacco and the offense didn’t have to do much when Myles Garrett and the defense were suffocating opposing offenses. This year has been a different story. They have fallen to 21st in total defense and are 30th against the run. Even if Watson was playing at an MVP level, those numbers are not good enough.
Defense is often volatile from year to year. The NFL schedule differs heavily for each team every year. Teams play different divisions. Depending on how they place in the division, they play better or worse opponents. Teams can catch a good team one year with an injured quarterback. It is hard to sustain a good defense with all of the variables that go into a season.
Final Thoughts
Jimmy Haslam ultimately did this to himself. Many reports have indicated that the owner was involved in getting Watson to come to Cleveland. Until that contract is off the books, the Browns will struggle to compete in a tough AFC.
