3 Takeaways from Browns' Week 10 Loss

The Cleveland Browns had their biggest win of the season in Week 9, dominating the rival Cincinnati Bengals and looking like a legitimate playoff threat in the process. On Sunday, though, they were demolished by a New England Patriots team that is more likely to be a postseason contender.

There's no way to sugarcoat it: The Browns were embarrassed. They scored a touchdown on their opening drive, and that was about the only positive of the afternoon. For the rest of the game, Cleveland was out-coached, outplayed and outshone by what is quickly becoming a scary Patriots team.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield got hurt again (knee), and the Browns' playoff chances took an even bigger hit. Here are three key takeaways from Cleveland's 45-7 loss in Week 10.

Mayfield may seem dangerous from time to time, but the Browns offense has no bite when he's asked to lead it.

The Browns were without both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt on Sunday, and their offense did little after the opening drive. D'Ernest Johnson did an admirable job filling in—he finished with 99 yards and a 5.2 yards-per-carry average—but New England did not respect Cleveland's running game.

Mayfield finished 11-of-21 for 73 yards, a touchdown and an interception and left with a knee injury.

As ESPN's Paul Hembekides pointed out, the Browns have struggled with Mayfield under center when the opposition dominates on the ground: "Baker Mayfield has started 14 games in which the Browns were outrushed by 50+ yards. They are 0-14 in those games (average loss by 17 points)."

Mayfield and the rest of the offense can be dangerous when the run game has to be respected. Unfortunately, Cleveland needs Chubb and/or Hunt in the lineup for that to happen.

The Browns defense looked like a championship-caliber unit against Cincinnati in Week 9. The Patriots quickly proved that performance was a mirage.

Rookie Patriots quarterback Mac Jones looked like a future Hall of Famer on Sunday. He finished an efficient 19-of-23 for 198 yards and three touchdowns. Backup and former Browns signal-caller Brian Hoyer was equally effective in mop-up duty.

Hoyer finished 3-of-3 for 85 yards and a touchdown.

The Patriots were just as prolific on the ground, rushing for 184 yards without starter Damien Harris. This was arguably the most disappointing aspect of the defensive performance, as Cleveland's run defense had been a strength—the Browns still rank fifth in rushing yards allowed.

Defense was the focus of Cleveland's offseason, with the team bringing in the likes of Jadeveon Clowney, John Johnson III and rookie Greg Newsome II. Unfortunately, the unit only appears capable of playing great in spurts. On Sunday, it was anything but.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski was named the NFL's 2020 Coach of the Year, and for good reason. He took a perennial loser in Cleveland and got it to 11 wins. He also helped orchestrate the Browns' first playoff win as an expansion team.

Unfortunately, Stefanski's second act in Cleveland has largely been a disappointment.

Stefanski has made questionable decisions all season—from mismanaging a late drive against the Los Angeles Chargers to calling a reserved game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. What has stood out, though, has been his struggles against quality opponents.

Against the Patriots and Arizona Cardinals, Stefanski has found no answers offensively or defensively. Both games resulted in blowout losses, and in each contest, Cleveland looked and played like an inferior team. On Sunday, Cleveland was 1-of-11 on third down, while the Patriots were 7-of-9.

This is a huge problem because the Browns cannot expect to pick on bad teams and have any playoff success. They may still get into the postseason, but teams like New England will be awaiting them.