3 Reasons to Still Believe in the Browns
The Cleveland Browns turned a tumultuous week into a celebratory one with their blowout victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Cleveland survived the drama that came with Odell Beckham Jr.'s release and it proved that it could be a better team without the superstar wide receiver.
The Browns are in the mix for the AFC North title and a high playoff spot because only the Tennessee Titans have been able to create separation in the conference standings.
Kevin Stefanski's team has a three-game stretch before the bye that could be vital to its playoff seeding. That starts with Sunday's trip to face the New England Patriots.
Cleveland might have to play that game short-handed since Nick Chubb and Demetric Felton tested positive for COVID-19. ESPN's Adam Schefter noted that both players could still participate on Sunday because they are vaccinated.
Even if they do not play, the Browns have already proven that they can win games without any of their offensive stars on the field.
Browns Already Proved They Can Win Games Short-Handed
An injury or a positive COVID-19 test for a star player should not scare Browns fans.
Cleveland has found a way to win games without some of its best players throughout the first half of the season.
The Week 7 win over the Denver Broncos was the primary example of that, as Case Keenum and D'Ernest Johnson led the Browns to a 17-14 victory.
The Browns have played without Chubb, Kareem Hunt and Jarvis Landry. Mayfield missed one game as well before returning in Week 8.
Stefanski and his staff have put in an offensive system that is not dependent on star players. That could help them deal with anything else that pops up from Week 10 and beyond.
If Chubb and Felton miss the New England game, the Browns can call on Johnson to step up in a starting role again, and this time he would have Mayfield as his quarterback.
Mayfield should utilize the passing game better than Keenum and he still has an abundance of targets available to him, starting with Landry and Donovan Peoples-Jones.
If anything, the first nine weeks have shown that very little can faze the Browns, and if they do get to full strength, they should make a run at the divisional title.
Most Divisional Battles Still Have to Be Played
Cleveland's next two games against New England and Detroit are vital for it to build up more offensive depth and confidence heading into a brutal closing stretch.
The Browns have one of the most unusual schedule stretches in the NFL. They visit the Baltimore Ravens in Week 12, have a Week 13 bye and then welcome Baltimore to FirstEnergy Stadium in Week 14.
Cleveland needs to be at its best during that stretch to forge its path to the postseason, whether it be as the AFC North winner, or as a wild-card contender.
The finish to the regular season is not ideal either, as the Browns face the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals in consecutive weeks.
Cleveland just beat the Bengals in dominant fashion and it lost a low-scoring, five-point battle to the Steelers in Week 8.
Although the Browns went 1-1 in that stretch, they gained the experience of playing the Steelers and Bengals in back-to-back weeks, which they will have to do again in Weeks 17 and 18.
If the Browns emerge from those games with a winning divisional record, they should sit in first or second in the AFC North and be in fine shape for the postseason.
Offense Looked Better Without Odell Beckham Jr.
Cleveland's passing attack did not look like it missed Beckham in Sunday's win over the Bengals.
Mayfield threw for 218 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Donovan Peoples-Jones and Landry were his top targets, but he spread the ball around with ease.
Cleveland had eight players catch a ball in the win over Cincinnati. Three wide receivers, three tight ends and two running backs caught a pass from Mayfield.
The Browns have tremendous depth at running back with Chubb, Johnson, Felton and the injured Hunt. At tight end, Harrison Bryant, David Njoku and Austin Hooper have all contributed this season.
Peoples-Jones and rookie Anthony Schwartz should be thrust into larger roles alongside Landry to replace the snaps and production from Beckham.
Some teams would be decimated by the release of a disgruntled superstar, but Cleveland has enough depth across the offense to deal with that well, and most likely emerge from the divorce with a successful offense.
Mayfield's abundance of aerial game options should ease any concerns about Cleveland's offensive production.
If he distributes the ball, like he did in Week 9, it will be hard for opposing defenses to key in on a single person to shut down the entire offense.