The NFL’s worst team could be the Chicago Bears or the San Francisco 49ers, but the best answer is the Cleveland Browns, the one team which hasn’t won a game yet. The Browns are 0-7, which means they’re nearly halfway to an 0-16 mark. Obviously, this is a bad team, but even bad teams typically win one or two games. Why might the Browns do what only a few teams have ever done and go 0-16?
The Team Has Been Decimated At The Quarterback Position
Plenty of teams in NFL history have had three different quarterbacks in a season. The starter doesn’t work out, the backup comes onto the field relatively early in the season, and the third-stringer gets a chance when the number-two guy doesn’t pan out. Most teams go through only one or two quarterbacks based on health, but for any team which gets hit hard by injury, three quarterbacks is an occurrence which is hardly unheard of. It will happen at times. Such is the nature of football, which is so replete with injuries.
This season is not quite 50-percent over.
The Cleveland Browns have gone through six – that’s right – six quarterbacks.
It is unreal.
Robert Griffin III started, and then came Josh McCown, Terrelle Pryor, Charlie Whitehurst, and the fifth quarterback, Cody Kessler. On Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, Kessler was knocked out with a concussion, so in went the sixth quarterback on the team this season, Kevin Hogan. He pulled off a long touchdown run, but it was far too much to ask him to win his first NFL game in relief. The larger issue with six quarterbacks in seven games is that no quarterback can get a rhythm. It will likely take some time for Hogan to feel even somewhat comfortable at quarterback. This leads to reason…
The Most Beatable Team On The Schedule Is The Next One, And That’s Bad
This is weird, but it makes sense: It’s a bad thing that the Cleveland Browns play their most beatable opponent next. The New York Jets are 2-5, the worst team by record that’s left on the Browns’ schedule at this point. The strength of the Browns’ schedule could change, but right now, the Jets are the worst team on the list, and in terms of going 0-16, this could hurt the Browns.
Precisely because of all the injuries at quarterback, Cleveland hasn’t developed any consistency on offense. In Week 12, the Cleveland Browns and Hogan might have been ready and razor-sharp, but with the quick week of work, it will be hard for Hogan to be as good as he hopes to be, and as good as the team needs him to be. The Jets have an advantage, and if the Jets win, Cleveland will only face tougher games in November and December.
Josh Gordon
The Browns’ playmaker could have been a huge asset, but he’s still suspended and has entered drug rehab. His absence from the roster is a main reason the offense has not been able to perform well. There is no getting around this.
First-Year Head Coach
Coach Hue Jackson might be a longtime NFL man, but this is his first head coaching job, which means a learning experience. It might take an 0-16 season to give Jackson the humility and insight he needs to make improvements, which might not take effect until next year. He can only press so many buttons and right now, it’s just not working for this team.
The Secondary Is Struggling
The Cleveland Browns secondary is absolutely terrible, which is going to make it hard for them to win at any point this season. They are currently ranked 30th in total yards allowed but that’s only because they’ve seen fewer passes than the two teams behind them. They are giving up a whopping 8.6 yards per pass this season. They have produced 12 sacks so far, which is 22nd in the NFL, and have given up a league-high 18 passing touchdowns. While they have some prospects on offense that could help them get better, it doesn’t look like this will get better for them on defense – especially in the secondary.
