DETROIT — The Cleveland Browns faced yet another tough loss on Sunday, falling 34-10 to the Detroit Lions. This performance has left many questions surrounding the team’s offense, especially the play of veteran quarterback Joe Flacco. Following the game, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski was asked if he would consider switching to rookie Dillon Gabriel as the starting QB. “I understand the question, especially when we are struggling the way we are on offense,” Stefanski said. “But that’s not our focus right now.”
Flacco started the game strong, completing his first five passes for 70 yards and guiding the team to an early touchdown. “We did a good job of attacking their man coverage on that first drive,” he noted. However, things quickly turned for the worse as the Lions scored 34 points compared to the Browns’ measly three points in the last 50 minutes of play. “Obviously, we didn’t do the things you need to do to beat a good team on the road,” Stefanski stated. “It wasn’t one or two people — we all share in that, from the players to the coaches.”
The Browns, now with a 1-3 record this season, have seen their offense struggle significantly, averaging only 14 points per game after four matches. After a promising start, the team could only gather 161 yards for the rest of the game, while Flacco threw two interceptions and fumbled, further crippling their performance. The offensive line also faltered, allowing three sacks throughout the game.
Defensive end Myles Garrett expressed frustration with the challenges the defense faced, saying, “Our job is to go out there and stop the other team no matter where they put the ball.” He emphasized that the defense could have done more to rise to the occasion, despite the turnovers caused by the offense.
Cleveland did see some bright spots on the defensive side of the ball, as they managed to limit the Lions to 277 yards. However, turnovers led to three possessions that started in Cleveland territory, resulting in 17 easy points for Detroit. “We put them in too many tough spots with our turnovers,” Stefanski added. “They made enough plays to win a game, but we needed to come through as a complete team.”
With their struggles on offense, the Browns will need to address these issues promptly to turn their season around before it slips further away.
