CLEVELAND — Just when you thought the Browns had it all figured out and were ready to take off, the Patriots brought them back to earth and back to the brink of keeping their playoff hopes alive.
Welcome to "The 5th Quarter," your Monday recap of the Cleveland Browns hosted by Jay Crawford and Dave 'Dino' DeNatale.
The Browns were destroyed in Foxborough by the final of 45-7 on Sunday and stand at 5-5 on the season. Here's what the guys focused on during the show:
A MASTERCLASS IN COACHING: It was clear early on that New England head coach Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels were about five moves ahead of the Browns in the proverbial chess match at Gillette Stadium. When the Browns opened up with D'Ernest Johnson running the ball en route to an early touchdown, Belichick adjusted his defense to take away the run, yet also confused Baker Mayfield all afternoon. Meanwhile, McDaniels and Mac Jones easily knifed through the Browns defense all day, including three touchdown drives over 90 yards.
TIME FOR A CHANGE?: It was not only obvious to Jay and Dino that the Browns defense didn't adjust to New England's offense, it was also evident to the unit's best player.
"We've gotta go back to the drawing board and see how we can get better, see how we can scheme better, see how we can make adjustments on the fly," All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett said following the loss. "We never had a chance just because we didn't make any adjustments on the sideline or when we had time to."
Wow. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of defensive coordinator Joe Woods. So with that in mind, is it time for the Browns to make a change and replace Woods? Or should head coach Kevin Stefanski give up his play calling duties to allow him to focus his attention to both offense and defense during the game? The guys discussed both scenarios.
IS BAKER THE MAN?: A less-than-stellar performance in New England by Baker Mayfield is stirring up talk yet again about whether or not he is the long-term solution at quarterback for the Browns. Mayfield was just 11 of 21 for 73 yards with a touchdown and an interception against the Patriots, but could have easily had two or three more of his passes picked off. He has also been battered with injuries this season, including a knee contusion on Sunday. The guys discuss what would be the right price for the Browns to keep Baker here long-term.
Read Jay Crawford's thoughts on Sunday's loss here
Watch the 5th Quarter with Jay and Dino in the player below:
More Browns Coverage:
- Kevin Stefanski talked to Myles Garrett about comments about Cleveland Browns' lack of adjustments
- What are the Cleveland Browns' playoff odds after loss vs. Patriots?
- 'Painful to watch': Social media vents after Cleveland Browns get pummeled by New England Patriots
- JIMMY'S TAKE: Cleveland Browns 'were not ready to play' in embarrassing loss to New England Patriots
- No answers: Cleveland Browns fall apart on both sides of the ball in 45-7 loss to New England Patriots
