Odell Beckham Jr., Baker Mayfield, and Jarvis Landry all on the same team sounds like a recipe for greatness, right? WRONG! There has been so much hype and hoopla over the Browns this off-season which is giving Browns fans false hope. They think Cleveland will win a championship or at least win the AFC North and make a run in the playoffs. Sorry Browns fans, but this is a pipe dream…
This pipe dream of success for the Browns worsens with the addition of running back, Kareem Hunt. Hunt is suspended for eight games, so he will return around mid-season. The main reason this team will not live up to expectations this season is because there are too many big names who have loud mouths and diva complexes. The Browns organization will soon learn that adding all these big names to the roster will result in destruction from the inside (the locker room) out (the field).
In order to truly understand why this season will not live up to the hype, we must examine the big four stars on the team: Beckham Jr., Mayfield, Landry, and Hunt.
Let’s get started with OBJ. When he got drafted by the Giants in 2014, he started out hot. His rookie season he finished with 1,305 receiving yards, 91 receptions, and 12 touchdowns. In 2015 and 2016 Beckham Jr. finished with over 1,000 yards each season and his receptions increased. In 2017, Beckham had only three touchdowns and 302 yards due to an ankle sprain and fracture week five which ended his 2017 season.
Beckham in his final year with the Giants saw career low receptions with 77 and barely over 1,000 yards. This is where his problem began – OBJ wants the ball and when he’s not getting it, he throws a temper tantrum. When asked if Eli Manning could get the Giants back to winning, OBJ said “You’ve got to ask him.” That showed a clear lack of faith in his two-time Super Bowl winning QB. Beckham also dug himself into a deeper hole by making comments like, “I watch everybody across the league. All the top receivers get the ball the way that they, you know, should. And if they don’t, they say something about it.” No Odell, they all don’t say something about it and if they do, they get cut or traded. Beckham is a huge football talent, but his words will be the death of him. This sport is about teamwork, not division. Beckham Jr. needs to walk the walk and get back to his 1,000 yard seasons with double digit touchdowns before he can talk the talk.
Mayfield helped the Browns finished third in the AFC North at 7-8-1, a huge improvement from the previous year at 0-16. He finished his rookie season with 3,725 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. However, that year, the only win that is notable is beating the Ravens 12 -9, the only team that Mayfield and the Browns beat with a winning record. Their wins against the Bengals, Broncos, Panthers, Falcons, and Jets are nothing to be super proud of since they all had losing records in 2018. With that being said, Mayfield is not all he’s cracked up to be and he won’t be elite until he gets some wins against championship caliber teams.
Landry’s first year in Cleveland in 2018 was nothing impressive. He finished the year with 976 yards and four touchdowns – nothing to brag about. Even in his four seasons with the Miami Dolphins, he only had over 1,000 yards receiving twice and never had double-digit touchdowns for the season. Landry is a solid #3 or #4 receiver, but nothing more than that. Landry and OBJ’s friendship goes back to playing together in college at LSU, so the two have history. I believe this history can be a detriment to the team, especially since the two will be competing against each other for TD’s, receptions, etc. It will be all fun and games at first when they get to play together again, but just wait until one of them starts getting the ball more and then the other one will throw a hissy fit.
Kareem Hunt is a new addition to the Browns, but he comes to the team with a bad reputation. Hunt is a great running back, in his two years with Kansas City he had 2,151 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. However, his off the field actions caused him to be released by Kansas City. In November 2018, TMZ released a video of Hunt and a woman in a hotel that involved a physical altercation between the two. When questioned by the Chiefs owner, Clark Hunt, Clark said Kareem Hunt was not honest and truthful about the incident. Hunt is still suspended for the first eight games, but having this drama in the locker room is a recipe for disaster, plus all the public scrutiny the Browns will get from fans for signing a player with a history of violence.
Week by Week Predictions and Scores:
Week 1: vs. Tennessee Titans – WIN 23 – 17
Week 2: at New York Jets – LOSS 24 – 13
Week 3: vs. Los Angeles Rams – LOSS 34 – 16
Week 4: at Baltimore Ravens – LOSS 20 – 17
Week 5: at San Francisco 49ers – WIN 20 – 17
Week 6: vs. Seattle Seahawks – LOSS 24 – 21
Week 7: BYE
Week 8: at New England Patriots – LOSS 37 – 14
Week 9: at Denver Broncos – LOSS 16 – 13
Week 10: vs. Buffalo Bills – WIN 23 – 19
Week 11: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – LOSS 24 – 14
Week 12: vs. Miami Dolphins – LOSS 27 – 17
Week 13: at Pittsburgh Steelers – WIN 17 – 14
Week 14: vs. Cincinnati Bengals – LOSS 28 – 16
Week 15: at Arizona Cardinals – LOSS 23 – 21
Week 16: vs. Baltimore Ravens – WIN 24 – 14
Week 17: at Cincinnati Bengals – WIN 21 – 20
I predict the Browns will finish their season 6 – 10 finishing last in the AFC North. I think they will get three of their wins against each of their fellow division opponents and three wins from the 49ers, Titans, and Bills. Their season like their squad will be average at best. Bottom line: they are still the same old Browns – DON’T believe the hype.
BELLE OF THE (FOOT)BALL 