Myles Garrett couldn’t explain why everything went wrong in the Browns’ latest loss. At this point, there isn’t much more to say. Cleveland seems to be in a tough spot.
After suffering two communication errors in the secondary that led to two long touchdown passes from Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, the Browns’ season hit a new low with a 27-10 defeat.
Just a week after a surprising win over Baltimore that raised hopes for a winning streak and playoffs, the Browns (2-7) head into their bye week facing questions throughout the organization.
“It’s tough,” said Garrett, who had three sacks in a four-play stretch during the first half. “We beat ourselves a lot of the game. Don’t take anything away from them. They made the plays they needed to make—big ones down the field, and they took advantage of our mistakes.
“Kudos to them for being where they’re supposed to be. We’ve just got to be better. We’ve got to be smarter.”
In the first half, Cleveland’s defensive backs allowed Chargers wide receiver to get behind them for two easy touchdowns. Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward and safety Juan Thornhill were involved and seemed to be playing different coverages.
“You can put it all on me,” said Ward, who was cleared from concussion protocol on Saturday. “They were both blown coverages. They were gimmes.”
Thornhill appreciated that his teammate accepted the blame but noted that the issues were bigger than just him and Ward not being on the same page. “It’s not all on Denzel,” he said.
The defensive mistakes put the Browns in a 17-point deficit at halftime, which was too much for quarterback Jameis Winston to handle.
Winston, who threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns last week to help the Browns beat the Baltimore Ravens, had three interceptions in the second half and was sacked six times.
It was a rough start, as the Browns managed only 57 yards in the first half. After the game, coach Kevin Stefanski stated that he plans to keep Winston as the starting quarterback moving forward.
“Yes,” he responded when asked if Winston would remain the starter. “Those are the type of things that we just have to play better as a team.” Winston mentioned that the bye week is coming at a good time for the Browns to regroup.
“My faith is not wavering,” he said. “I still believe. I still know what this team and this offense and this defense can do. The biggest thing is we have to eliminate the plays that hurt us. I had three of them.
“We all know the plays that can help this team. So, that’s just accountability, and I think we’re going to embrace that. Having a week to really think about how we can improve is necessary.”
With eight games still left in a season that started with Super Bowl hopes, Browns general manager Andrew Berry might start making moves for 2025 and could arrange a trade or two before Tuesday’s deadline.
End Za’Darius Smith has been mentioned in a possible trade to the Detroit Lions, who are seeking help since Aidan Hutchinson broke his leg. Garrett didn’t want to think about the possibility of Smith being traded.
“I don’t look into the rumor mill or trade rumors,” he said. “I focus on my job here and getting this team out of the hole we’re in and keeping these guys together. All the talk outside of this team has nothing to do with me and nothing to do with us.”
As the losses keep piling up, Garrett has stayed positive. He said personal achievements don’t make up for the frustration of losing.
“I’d rather have no sacks every game than continue losing like we are,” he said. “The stats are what they are, but I’d rather win every time. It’s frustrating as hell.”
