Each week during the season, Cleveland Browns fans participate in SB Nation Reacts to share their confidence in the team and provide opinions on various topics.
Following their Week 1 loss to the Cowboys, the Browns’ confidence level has plummeted to 13%, a significant decline of 57 percentage points from the prior week. This dramatic shift highlights how a single player can impact a franchise’s enthusiasm, particularly given the team’s defensive performance.
In contrast, the Jaguars’ confidence remains steady at 63%. The Browns are 3-point underdogs to the Jaguars this Sunday, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
This week, we posed two questions about the Browns. The first asked fans who they most blamed for the team’s offensive issues in Week 1. Deshaun Watson received the most blame with 65% of the vote, while 35% of fans pointed to other factors, such as the offensive tackles (21%) and playcalling (13%).
The second question inquired about expectations for the upcoming game against the Jaguars. Only 44% of Cleveland fans expect the Browns to win on the road, with 56% favoring the Jaguars. It remains to be seen if the Browns can reverse their fortunes.
On a broader scale, fans were asked to identify the NFL’s ten worst teams, reflecting some overreactions from Week 1 (except for the Carolina Panthers).
For instance, Kirk Cousins’ performance in Atlanta has raised doubts, but it’s uncertain if the Vikings will remain among the bottom three teams. Notably, the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals, both AFC North teams, are also listed among the bottom ten after disappointing Week 1 performances. It will be interesting to see if these teams can improve their offensive output.
Despite recent setbacks, the team is focused on moving forward and getting healthy for their challenging Week 2 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. On Friday, key players Myles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith returned to practice after missing the previous day, which is a positive sign for their availability on Sunday. According to Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot on X, both players participated in practice, which bodes well for their readiness for the Jaguars game.
In their game against the Cowboys, Smith recorded three tackles and a sack, while Garrett contributed two tackles and a sack, accounting for two of the team’s three total sacks. Head coach Kevin Stefanski clarified that the injuries to Garrett and Smith occurred on Thursday and were not a result of the Cowboys game, suggesting that their absence from practice was more of a precautionary measure.
