The Cleveland Browns Struggle On Third Down

A crucial element of a championship team is the ability to convert on third downs. Regardless of the distance, championship teams need to be able to make enough plays on third downs. The Browns currently rank in the bottom half of the league on third-down conversions. They have a 39.2% conversion rate on third down.

The Browns are struggling on third and long, especially, when the opposing team brings a blitz. In yesterday’s game, the Steelers were daring Baker Mayfield to beat the blitz and he failed.

The Steelers had 4 sacks and 1 forced fumble in their victory over the Browns. They were also able to force Baker into throwing two interceptions. Again, Baker struggled against the pressure. When he was able to escape, he made poor decisions with the football, throwing into coverage rather than, throwing the ball away. The Browns were 1-12 on third down. They couldn’t keep their offense on the field and hence, they only scored 7 points.

When you combine poor defensive play with the inability to convert on third down, games become very hard to win. The Browns need to play cleaner, smarter football on both sides of the ball.

On a side note, the Browns are averaging 6 penalties for about 52 yards per game. Again, when the defensive is struggling, you cannot give an offense multiple opportunities at moving the ball down the field and or second chances by moving the chains for them. You also cannot hurt your own offense with silly holding penalties or false starts that move you backwards.

While the Cleveland Browns are currently sitting at 4-2, they showed too many glimpses of last years Browns’ in their Week 6 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Their next opponent is the Cincinnati Bengals. This game seems very winnable, but remember, Burrow outplayed Baker in their first matchup on Thursday Night Football. This could be a potential trap game for Cleveland.

All I know is, if they lose to the Bengals, Baker’s job might be in serious jeopardy.