The hits keep on coming for the Cleveland Browns.
If Johnny Manziel’s nightmarish rookie campaign was not enough for a franchise that has only made the playoffs twice since 1994 and have not won a Division title since 1989, the news that troubled star receiver Josh Gordon is facing a year-long suspension after another violation of the NFL substance abuse policy might push some over the proverbial cliff.
Once again, the latest news will have many Browns fans once again expecting the worst, and considering how things have been going of late, those all too accustomed to the “same old Browns” might be on to something.
After charging out to an impressive 7-4 record under first-year head coach Mike Pettine, the Browns would lose their last five games of the season. In the process, the Browns found themselves dealing with a host of questions. One of the biggest is whether or not first-round pick Manziel is the answer at quarterback, or if they will look to re-sign hometown favorite Brian Hoyer after he struggled mightily late in the season and was eventually benched.
Now, the continued troubles of Gordon places another major issue onto the Browns plate. Not only are there concerns at quarterback, with Gordon almost certain to miss the 2015 campaign, there are serious questions when it comes to who they will throw to if they ever do settle on Manziel, Hoyer, or somebody else for that matter.
Gordon’s troubles have taken the spotlight away from his immense talent. Despite of only playing 14 games during the 2013 season, Gordon caught 87 passes for a league leading 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns. It was a dominant season for Gordon, and it looked like the Browns had one of the top receivers in the game to potentially pair up with with first rounder Manziel.
Manziel to Gordon? What could possibly go wrong?
Of course, anything and everything did. Despite of serious concerns about Manziel’s abilities to make it as an NFL quarterback, and even bigger worries about his off-field maturity and behavior, the Browns looked to him to be the face of the franchise. Never mind the Browns have been on an eternal, but fleeting quest to find a quarterback since the days of Bernie Kosar, or that Manziel did not exactly evoke comparisons to Peyton Manning; none of that seemed to matter.
The result surprised no one outside of Cleveland. Manziel made headlines for everything but his play on the field, and it all came back to his lack of maturity. Instead of working to gain the trust of coaches and teammates, Manziel seemed more interested in late night parties and pushing his “brand.”
For Gordon, after an All-Pro campaign, 2014 was a complete mess where he only played in five games after missing the first 11 for a previous suspension under the substance abuse policy. Despite of Gordon’s immense talents, the Browns would lose four out of five games after his return, and there were not so subtle whispers that team chemistry was toxic late in the season.
Though the Browns impressive start last year gave fans hope for the first time in nearly a decade, the loss of Gordon, coupled with Manziel looking very much like a bust as a rookie might mean one of the most difficult divisions in the league might not be quite as tough in 2015.
To make matters worse, former Pro-Bowl tight end Jordon Cameron is reportedly planning on leaving via free agency, leaving the Browns with some serious questions on offense, especially in the passing game.
Though the Steelers have tough questions of their own, and what looks to be an extremely challenging schedule next season, there is reason to believe the Browns might be taking a step back with the loss of Gordon and Cameron, along with uncertainly at the critical position of quarterback.
This might mean the Steelers will have one less team vying for an AFC North crown next year. Certainly a long way to go, but things are not looking good in Cleveland.
Once again the Browns look to have more questions than answers with the latest setback for their star receiver, and it’s quite possible the eternal rebuilding process in Cleveland will continue beyond next season.
A shame for both Steeler and Browns fans who would love to see the one-sided rivalry once again become arguably the NFL’s best.
