Dawgs By Nature
So much is going on with the Cleveland Browns this week, even if nothing actually happens. HC Kevin Stefanski spoke to the media today, GM Andrew Berry is likely to speak following the NFL trade deadline (but not before, which is unusual during a bye week), and QB Dillon Gabriel is likely to be the team’s starting quarterback for the foreseeable future.
The only real changes are at the bottom of the roster and with injury concerns mounting coming out of Week 8’s destruction by the New England Patriots.
The Browns offense has been terrible; a change at quarterback is unlikely to do anything about that. Even firing HC Kevin Stefanski or handing play calling over to OC Tommy Rees is unlikely to impact what ails the offense. Cleveland’s defense, while far from perfect, on the other hand, has continued to play well statistically.
The Browns rank third in total defense and second-to-last offensively. The rest of the AFC North is among the worst defenses in the league:
Defense really doesn’t win championships anymore, huh?
Cleveland is not alone near the bottom of offensive performance in the division. The Cincinnati Bengals rank 29th and the Pittsburgh Steelers rank 25th. The Baltimore Ravens are the best offense in the division but are also in the bottom half of the league’s offenses (21st), according to ESPN.
Offense
Defense
A look at division standings around the league shows that the AFC North-leading Steelers have the fewest wins at the top of any division (4). Two NFC divisions have leaders with five victories, but the NFC North and NFC West have three teams with winning records and five total teams with five wins so far this season.
The AFC North is not what it once was, both in the record book and in the boxscore. In the end, someone has to win the division and the team that started Week 8 in the division cellar, the Ravens, currently have the best odds to do so despite just two wins so far this season.
