The Browns’ winners and losers of the 2024 season

Loser: Waiting 4 Stability

Three seasons into the five-year deal, and Deshaun Watson’s contract is lining up to become the worst in NFL history.

This is not of personal feeling or implicit bias, but of pure fact.

Suspension delayed his first season, a sudden shoulder injury ended his second, and while an Achilles tear ended his third season, it came after inconsistent play that helped plague the squad.

For starters, Watson would hold onto the ball for too long, ranking ninth in longest time to throw among qualifying quarterbacks, per Next Gen Stats. Though he was responsible for only seven of the 33 sacks he endured, that’s still the most of any quarterback with single-digit appearances this season, per Pro Football Focus.

Furthermore, there was a lack of throwing far downfield. Watson threw 19 deep passes, and only four were completed for 96 yards (5.1 per completion) and one touchdown, per PFF.

While Jameis Winston had the second-most air yards per completion (7.5), Watson tied for the fewest among qualifying quarterbacks (4.1), per Pro Football Reference.

His final appearance in 2023 was the comeback win over Baltimore in Week 10. As of now, that’s the closest we’ll see Watson return to the form we witnessed in Houston.

The form the Browns thought they traded for.

Loser: Offensive masterminds

Multiple pairs of hands helped in how the offense operated.

What did it result in? The worst offense in the NFL, Ken Dorsey’s firing, and a search for a new offensive coordinator.

Cleveland finished 32nd in points (15.2), 31st in average scoring margin (-10.4) and 31st in yards per play (4.6).

Yes, multiple factors played a part, from a decimated offensive line to delayed throws. But that doesn’t excuse the play-calling, regardless of who the main caller was.

A lack of aggression on first and second downs, in really moving the ball forward, would result in third-and-longs. That would lead to the worst third-down conversion percentage in the NFL (29.54%).

Insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result. The eye test determines a repetitive set of calls that opposing NFL defenses would catch up to.

A prime example of this came in the Week 14 loss to Pittsburgh, where two defensive reads implied Cleveland’s predictable tendencies.

First, a read from Keeanu Benton on a slip screen allowed him to pounce on it in the second quarter.

Second, a second read by Elandon Roberts stopped Jerome Ford on a fourth-and-1. Roberts mentioned anticipation of the play from a previous matchup versus the Browns.

“I remember playing them last year. Ford came in the game and kind of did something like that, so I knew it was going to be on the perimeter,” Roberts said.

In the past, they got it done regardless on the offensive end. This year, it hit the fan.

Winner: Jameis Winston

The notorious pregame interviews, slinging the ball with no second guessing, the snow angels.

The 10-year veteran was as authentic as it could get. He was vocal within his personal faith, his belief in his teammates, and taking accountability with grace.

Watson’s injury led to Winston starting the next seven games, and his unwavering confidence to let the football fly led to good things.

Who could forget his first start of the season versus Baltimore in Week 8? His game-winning throw to Cedric Tillman capped off a day with 334 passing yards and three touchdowns.

He made things happen in the snow-globe Week 12 win over Pittsburgh, including his rushing touchdown on fourth-and-goal. The moment featured his best John Elway impression, with his battery contraption that allows communication with coaches dangling from his helmet.

The very next week in the loss to Denver, Winston’s 497 passing yards set the franchise single-game record for passing yards, set by Josh McCown (457) in 2015. A game that also featured four touchdown passes.

Before Winston’s starting tenure between Weeks 8-15, the offense was dull with a lack of throwing downfield, resulting in ranking last in yards per play (4.0).

Through Winston’s seven starts, the offense averaged 5.28 yards per play, and his ability to pass deep downfield and spread the field made the offense watchable.

Winston anchored some of the season’s best moments, including two of the team’s three wins to his name.

Loser: Jameis Winston

Winston contributed just as much to the season’s bad moments, as he did the good ones.

His style of play features a tendency for turnovers, making him a player you’re just as likely to lose with than win with. At times, any thrown pass traveling 10 or more yard felt like a coin flip, between a first down or interception.

His 12 interceptions tied for fourth most in the NFL. Through his seven starts, three of those games included an interception hat trick.

First game: The Week 9 loss to the Chargers, which felt like a 180-degree change from his touchdown hat trick in Week 8.

Second game: The Week 13 loss to the Broncos, with two of those being pick sixes as he threw 171 interception return yards.

Third game: The Week 15 loss to the Chiefs. In fact, Winston’s final pick eventually became his final play of the season.

Winner: Denzel Ward

The epitome of smiling through it all.

The Macedonia native was durable, tough, and laid it on the line every week in 2024, on the way to his fourth Pro Bowl nod.

Ward led the NFL in passes defended (19) and increased his dependability through a career-high 16 games played.

Of Cleveland’s four interceptions, which was the fewest in the NFL, Ward had two of them.

There were a number of games in which he was the best defender for Cleveland. A prime example were his two passes defended, one interception, and one forced fumble in the Week 11 loss to New Orleans.

Loser: The offensive line

The Browns’ offensive line decimated before our eyes.

They finished second in the NFL in sacks allowed (66) and third in sack yards lost (373). Of the 66 sacks allowed, the quarterbacks were responsible for only 13 of them, per Pro Football Focus.

Cleveland also finished the regular season 27th in pass-block grading (59.5) and 30th in run-block grading (50.2), per PFF.

There were early remnants of their inconsistencies in 2023, but that was coughed up to the amount of injuries suffered. This time, there were still regular starters on the field throughout the season, but a lack of cohesion within the line.

Winner: Jerry Jeudy

It took a while, but Jeudy proved he could be Cleveland’s WR1 of the future.

He ended the 2024 season 14th in receptions (90) and sixth in receiving yards (1,229), along with four touchdowns, on his way to his first Pro Bowl selection.

The trading of Amari Cooper after Week 6 opened an opportunity to fill his void in the receiving corps. Not as though the offense was flourishing, instead ranking dead last in yards per game (240.2) once Week 6 concluded.

The stagnancy spread to Jeudy, who only had 248 receiving yards by that point. It wasn’t until Winston was made starter ahead of Week 8 that we really saw what can happen when pairing Jeudy with a solid player in the pocket.

From that point through the rest of the season, Jeudy displayed consistent catching and an ability to be a deep-ball threat. By each game, you could see Jeudy’s fitting in the offense, and his confidence rising through the roof.

No better example shows his ability than his play in the Week 13 loss to Denver.

Jeudy had a career-performance versus his former squad, catching nine passes for 235 yards (26.1 per reception) and one touchdown, with 138 of his yards coming in the second half.

His 235 receiving yards broke the NFL record for most by a player versus their former team, previously held by Terrell Owens with Dallas, recording 213 receiving yards versus San Francisco in 2008.

It will be exciting to see what Jeudy can bring in the future.

Loser: Defensive backs

There wasn’t a visible gelling within the defensive back unit.

At least the way it was in 2023.

The attitude stayed the same, finishing 12th in passing yards allowed (212.4), and a low rate of defensive penalties.

But that wouldn’t cover up other holes within their play, including a 30th rank in coverage-grading (49.5), per PFF.

A lack of takeaways was prevalent as well. After tying for third in interceptions in 2023 (18), they finished 2024 last in interceptions (four).

If not for Greg Newsome II’s interception in Week 13, Ward would’ve been the only one with an interception in the secondary.

There were moments where opposing receivers had a field day, such as the Week 6 loss to Philadelphia, where A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith expected the Browns’ man coverage and wanted to deliver in those moments.

“I was begging for the man, begging for the man, and fighting the emotion that was in it … (Jalen) gave me a great ball,” Brown said after catching six targets for 116 yards and one touchdown.

Smith caught three passes for 64 yards and one score, which came off a slant route that had Newsome mixed up with an opposite slant route.

“We knew it was man (coverage), so you know, a perfect man play … especially when you’re playing a team that you know is going to play man. You know this team is going to play man, so you have to take advantage of it,” Smith said.

There was inconsistent tackling as well.

Cleveland also tied for 15th in total missed tackles (101), and ranked 31st in tackle grading (28.5), per PFF.

Ward finished first on the team in missed tackles (14), and within the starting lineup, Martin Emerson Jr. and Newsome both had seven, per Pro Football Reference.

Take this example from the Week 11 loss to New Orleans, where Grant Delpit was the last member to unsuccessfully tackle Taysom Hill.

By the conclusion of Week 13, Cleveland tied with Dallas for fourth with most 40-yard completions allowed (nine). They’d stay at nine the rest of the regular season, tying for 10th in this category.

Cohesion wasn’t there, as it pertains to the defense as a whole.

Either they’d have a strong start and a slow end, a slow start and a strong end, or a slow day all around.

Loser: Ball security

A high rate of giveaways usually indicates how bad a team is.

It was no different for the Browns, who tied with the Titans for most turnovers in the NFL (34), but stood alone at the top in interceptions (23).

This actually makes it consecutive seasons where Cleveland finished first in total giveaways and interceptions.

In 2023, it was 37 giveaways and 23 interceptions, but they made the playoffs. Giveaways were expected each game, but it was excused because they made up for it with wins.

This time, there weren’t enough wins to excuse this problem. The lack of ball security is prevalent and hasn’t improved. Once again, everybody contributed to this problem.

And it was kind of fitting the way the team’s last turnover this season happened:

An easy read by Baltimore’s Michael Pierce, who anticipated Bailey Zappe’s pass to Jacob Kibodi and has gone viral since making the play.

Loser: Special Teams

The offense and defense are far more popular units, so all eyes regarding underwhelming play this season are on them.

Yet, the special teams unit didn’t help much either.

Kicking

Tables turned for Dustin Hopkins, finishing 18 of 27 on field goals.

In 2023, he passed Phil Dawson for most made field goals in a Browns season (33) and made all eight field goal attempts from 50-59 yards.

This season, Hopkins tied for second in most missed field goals (nine) and only made half of his eight attempts from 50-59 yards.

He was 14 of 18 by their Week 10 bye, but things took a turn after returning. Toward the end of the first half in the Week 11 loss to New Orleans, Hopkins missed two field goals.

First, a 51-yarder. Then, a 32-yarder on a fourth down with 11 seconds left, but a Saints’ holding penalty gave Cleveland a fresh set of downs, so it didn’t count.

Four plays later, Hopkins missed a 27-yarder as time expired in the first half, this time official. It got to the point where he was benched in Week 15 versus Kansas City for Riley Patterson.

Despite ending the season with two made field goals, separately in Week 17 and Week 18, this wasn’t his year.

Protection unit

This NFL season, there were seven kickoff returns and six punt returns for touchdowns.

The Browns were the only team to allow one of each.

In the Week 1 loss to Dallas, they started the second half with the ball and were forced to punt after a three-and-out. Dallas’ KaVontae Turpin caught it and took it back for the 60-yard score.

In the Week 7 loss to Cincinnati, Chris Jones took it to the house for 100-yards on the opening kickoff. It’s also a bad look when giving up the second most punt return yards (530) this season.

Saying the protection unit needs retooling is an understatement.

Loser: Expectation

Hoodwinked, bamboozled … you know the rest.

It wasn’t far fetched to expect a consecutive playoff appearance. A winning record at minimum.

There was this sense of an occurring shift in the team’s culture, one that carried them to the postseason in the previous season.

Instead, the Browns took a step back in 2024.

How many steps forward they decide to take, is up to them.