Biggest Takeaways from Cleveland Browns 2014 Season

The 2014 season can be remembered in two different ways for the Cleveland Browns. The first would be that it was a season of improvement. They achieved a 7-9 record—tied for their third-best mark since 1999—and will be keeping a coach around for a second season. The other way to view it would be as a squandered opportunity after a 6-3 start and a claim to first place in the AFC North.

Both of these viewpoints would be inaccurate by themselves because the story is much more complex than that. They took great strides in some areas and steps backwards in others. In the end the Browns once again find themselves out of the playoffs and looking for answers at quarterback.

Just like their 16 games, my takeaways from 2014 will be a mix of positives and negatives. Let’s take a look at what we have learned.

Mike Pettine is an NFL Coach

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The Browns can stop the revolving door at head coach finally. Mike Pettine was impressive in just his first year at the helm of an NFL team. They played like him for most of the season, with a chip on their shoulder and something to prove. That attitude apparently has earned him at least another year.

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Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said he "absolutely" plans to have Farmer and Pettine back next year.

— Zac Jackson (@FSOhioZJackson) December 28, 2014"

The Browns had gone through four coaches in five years and eight since their return to Cleveland in 1999. Pettine probably had the best rookie campaign out of any of them. He already has the highest winning percentage among the bunch.

Sure, he has plenty of room for improvement in clock management and sometimes the running back rotations were questionable, but all in all he was solid. The Browns won three “feather in the cap” type games in 2014 and he instilled discipline into a locker room that was in desperate need of tough love.

The QB Situation Is Still a Mystery

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It seems like the same old story in Cleveland, except this one has a little more flare. Just like every other year since 1999 the Browns have no idea who their quarterback will be next year. I’m sure they would like for it to be Johnny Manziel but that seems less likely by the week.

First of all, no one can legitimately write off Manziel because of his play on the field just yet. He has played just one full game and bits and pieces of others. His one start was miserable and ended with a 27.3 quarterback rating but was also just his first start.

Where people can begin to write off Manziel is in the maturity category. He has shown no signs of evolving into a professional and that should be very worrisome for the Browns. Just days after claiming he was a changed man, he threw a party and was late for treatment, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

That is not how the future of a franchise works. Brian Hoyer left the door wide open for him to grab the steering wheel and drive this offense into contention and he crashed before he got out of the driveway. If Manziel is going to be “the guy” in Cleveland, he needs to change his ways quickly. Otherwise he will find himself in another city and dangerously close to being called a bust.

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More from Haslam: we're going to give them a chance, we're going to work w/them, hopefully they grow up. if can't, they won't be #Browns.

— Scott Petrak ct (@ScottPetrak) December 28, 2014"

Ray Farmer still has a lot to prove

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Looking back now, general manger Ray Farmer’s first draft with the Browns was somewhat of a precursor to the season. It was a wild roller coaster of successes and failures that amounted to an average result. At least, that is how it looks after year No. 1.

It is thoroughly unfair to judge a draft class after one season. This is especially true when your first two picks play quarterback and cornerback, the hardest two positions adjust to in the NFL. Still, when your eighth overall pick can barely get on the field all season and then is made inactive for the final game because he was late for a meeting (reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network) something is wrong. Justin Gilbert essentially wasted a season.

His other first-round selection is making headlines for partying, still, instead of contributing on the field.

Farmer did seem to hit a home run with rookie guard Joel Bitonio and found undrafted gems in running back Isaiah Crowell and cornerback K’Waun Williams.

The 2014 draft cannot be truly evaluated until we see what Manziel and Gilbert become and whom Farmer selects with the first-round pick they acquired from Buffalo. For now, however, it is not looking too good.

Gordon Will Probably Not Be with the Browns Next Season

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The Browns waited 10 weeks for wide receiver Josh Gordon to return from suspension, and they are probably asking themselves why they did. Despite catching 15 balls for 195 yards in his first two games back, he faded quickly and was a major disappointment.

Over the final four games he caught just seven passes for 108 yards, never found the end zone and was suspended for missing a walkthrough prior to the season finale in Baltimore. Gordon’s effort was a concern heading into the season and remained one all the way until it was over.

Gordon may appeal his suspension according to ProFootballTalk.com so this season can count towards his free agency, but it probably will not matter. It looks more and more like the Browns will wash their hands of the oft-troubled receiver and move on. And they should.

Gordon may wind up getting himself together somewhere else, but the Browns cannot afford to keep him around. If they let him stay then it sets a bad precedent in Pettine’s locker room. He is also just one drug-related slip-up away from being banished, and so far he has been popped each of his two offseasons in the NFL.

The Pass Defense Is as Good as Any in the League

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The Browns will finish the season in the bottom 10 in overall defense but the top 10 in passing defense. They entered Week 17 with the most interceptions in the league and will send two separate players to the Pro Bowl. They did all that with one of the worst interior pass rushes in the NFL.

The Browns managed just 31 sacks on the year, which is among the worst five pass rushes. Despite generating almost no pressure all season, the Browns still held opposing quarterbacks to the lowest rating in the league.

Joe Haden and Tashaun Gipson will be heading to the Pro Bowl and both deserve to be there. Buster Skrine, who will be a free agent after this season, was a huge piece to that puzzle as well, and the Browns will need to figure that out.

If they can ever get Justin Gilbert on the field and playing to his potential, they could be scary good against the pass next year.

Chris Tabor Might Finally Be Replaced

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The Browns special teams was everything but special in 2014. They ranked 23rd in the NFL in kickoff and punt returns, and had a litany of turnovers and mistakes throughout the season. That could end up costing special teams coach Chris Tabor his job.

They had to cut kick kicker Billy Cundiff and bring in Garrett Hartley late in the year. They also went through numerous different options at the punt returner position. The Browns did excel at kick coverage as they ranked among the best teams in the league on both kickoffs and punts in that category.

Tabor has survived two different coaching changes and is a guy teams do covet. According to Pat McManamon of ESPN.com, there were plenty of suitors for Tabor if the Browns let him go last offseason.

That does not change the fact his unit underperformed all season and teams that lack talent need special teams to help boost them up. It would not be a big surprise if the Browns went in a different direction.

The Browns Have Two Young, Talented Backs

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For Terrance West, the Browns traded back up into the third round of the draft to make sure they could select him. For Isaiah Crowell, the Browns just had to make a phone call and he was in camp. Their journeys to Cleveland were vastly different, but they formed one heck of a running back duo this season.

They combined for 1,280 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. They also added another 151 receiving yards and a touchdown through the air. These kids are good.

For West, who led the Browns with 673 yards, the key to his success was his play-breaking ability. He is able to juke and jump as fast as any back in the league. For Crowell, who led the team with eight rushing touchdowns, the key to his success was his bruising running style and “take no prisoners” attitude.

They were a great complement to each other.

They were so good the Browns were able to part ways with Ben Tate halfway through the season and focus on giving reps to the “baby backs,” as they’re so lovingly called. Running backs do not last long in the NFL, and the Browns now have the luxury of two second-year talents heading into next season.

Joe Haden Is as Good as His Reputation

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If you hear anyone say cornerback Joe Haden is overrated, feel free to give him or her a swift kick to the backside. Haden proved in 2014 he worth every penny of his five-year, $68 million contract extension he signed this past offseason.

Haden finished the season top-three in passes defensed and also added three interceptions. He is not a “lockdown corner,” but then again there are only a few of those in the league. Haden is what I like to call an elite playmaker and possibly the best of them in the league at his position.

He will allow some balls to be caught but will break up a pass, deflect an interception to a teammate or snag a pick himself far more often then an offense will get the better of him. Haden is not afraid to play physical, and he handles bigger receivers at the line of scrimmage as well as anyone in the league.

The best part about Haden is he is only 25 years old and hopefully still has another three or four years playing his position at a high level.

They Need Linemen

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The Browns need lineman on both sides of the ball in a bad way. They were exposed in the trenches down the stretch, and that will often lead to an abundance of losses; five in a row to be exact.

When center Alex Mack went down for the season, the Browns were never able to recover. They were the league leader in rushing yards per attempt at that point. They finished the year 28th in yards per attempt and 17th in yards per game. It isn’t just depth the Browns need in case of injury, however.

They need to start thinking about who will replace Joe Thomas if and when he starts to slow down at the left tackle position. This was his eighth year in the league, and he is now 30 years old. How long can he do it and how much longer will he want to do it are questions the Browns should be asking themselves.

On defense the Browns need to revamp their defensive line. Billy Winn, John Hughes and Ahtyba Rubin all underperformed this season and it led to the worst run defense in the NFL. Desmond Bryant had a nice year but was injured far too often, and Armonty Bryant and Phil Taylor barely played before getting placed upon injured reserve.

The Browns will need to make decisions on Taylor and Rubin this offseason, and it would not be completely surprising to see both of them walk in free agency.

The Browns Made Real Progress

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This is not something that angry fans want to hear right after their team lost five straight to end a season but it is true: The Browns made real progress in 2014. A seven win season should never be the goal but as the year progresses expectations change.

When the Browns entered training camp most thought they would win four or five games. When they sat at 6-3 and alone atop the AFC North entering Week 11 those expectations escalated. But just as there is wiggle room for expectations to rise there should also be room for them to fall.

11 wins and a playoff birth should not still be the standard when the quarterback’s performance takes a nose dive, seemingly the entire defense goes down with injury, the schedule gets tougher and their rookie coach finally starts getting outcoached on Sundays. The Browns may have actually over achieved this season.

But there is real reason for optimism. With sub-par quarterback play the Browns still won seven games and competed for the AFC North. If they can get Manziel or anyone else to elevate the quarterback position they could be even better next year. They will have another year’s experience, two more first-round picks on the roster and a large bankroll to spend in free agency.

Yes, the Browns can be better next year. There will be expectations for them to better next year. Fans should be excited that relevant football is back in Cleveland.