CLEVELAND — There aren't a lot of silver linings.
The Browns and their fans felt like they had to have this game, and it was there for the taking. But despite four takeaways and a bevy of opportunities, Cleveland fell 16-10 Sunday night in a critical AFC North showdown.
At 6-6, the season is (again) at a crossroads. The Browns certainly aren't out of the playoff race, but they'll have to play better down the stretch, and all of their remaining five games are against contenders.
Though there were good moments (the defense played well overall), there were plenty of reasons for the loss: The running game was nonexistent, the penalties piled up, Lamar Jackson was able to make some crazy plays, Kevin Stefanski's play-calling was questionable, and a hobbled Baker Mayfield once again couldn't lead the team downfield late in the game.
It was expected that social media would be a minefield after the final whistle, and fans are looking for who to blame and fearing the worst. Here are some of the top reactions we saw:
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- ESPN analysts slam Baker Mayfield for comments about Cleveland Browns fans