The offense is bad, but the defensive secondary fell apart when it was needed the most.

Cleveland Browns v Baltimore Ravens | Rob Carr/GettyImages

We all know the Cleveland Browns’ offense is bad. Kevin Stefanski is already under-utilizing the successful aspects of his team and forcing his passing game to work beyond the talent it has. We know this. We’re not defending this. The offense is a hot mess. Yet, that wasn’t unexpected heading into the season.

What is concerning is that this Browns defense, which for three quarters looked like world beaters who could handle anyone, fell apart so fast. The secondary, either due to a lack of energy, depth, or desires, fell apart and let the Baltimore Ravens go from a 20-10 score to 41-10.

Browns’ Secondary Fell Apart at the Worst Possible Time vs. Ravens

Lamar Jackson threw four touchdowns, none of them to their best players in Zay Flowers or Mark Andrews. In a game where the Ravens were held to just 45 rushing yards, and guys like Myles Garrett, Mason Graham, and Carson Schwesinger looked like standout stars, the secondary fell apart when it was needed most.

That’s not to say that guys like Grant Delpit didn’t have their moments; they did. They kept Andrews from catching a touchdown at one point while making some big deflections along the way. You can argue that for three quarters, the secondary was as good as it should’ve been.

Yet, typically, NFL games are four quarters. It’s not enough to be great for three-fourths of a game. The Browns’ secondary just fell apart in the last quarter. We can make excuses for all of it; they were on the field too long, the Browns gave the defense bad field position, they were tired, or whatever other excuse you can come up with.

The facts are, we knew the defense would need to carry this team, and in the closing moments of a close game, they fell apart. We know the Browns’ offense is going to be ugly. They have no one to throw to, the offensive line is in shambles, and Kevin Stefanski is once again coaching against himself.

We expected all of this, but if the team is going to outperform expectations, the defense is going to have to be great for all four quarters, specifically, the secondary. If they can be great, this team won’t lose too many more games.