Mike Pettine's Job Security Nonexistent After Embarrassing Browns Loss

Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine said "there are some positives to take" from the team's 37-3 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. If that's the case, it's not possible he watched the effort from his players.

The Browns are now 2-10 on the year, boasting the worst record in the NFL. And granted, Cleveland had to handle the AFC North-leading Bengals with multiple injuries to their wide receivers and a highly deficient defense. But these aren't adequate explanations for what happened on Sunday nor this season.

There's a lot of blame to go around, to be sure. And not every player on Cleveland's roster is substandard. But the product on the field is becoming increasingly more dreadful, and someone needs to take the blame and the punishment.

Pettine looks to be the sacrificial lamb, whether this week or when the season wraps. Pettine saying post-game that he was "absolutely satisfied" with his players' efforts against the Bengals feels like a joke.

The Browns were outgained on offense, 377 yards to 273. They turned the ball over twice—or four times, if you count the two failed fourth-down plays. The offense averaged 4.6 yards per play. The defense gave up 144 rushing yards. And the Browns reached the red zone exactly zero times.

Cleveland's run game disappeared in the second half yet again. They rushed 14 times for 60 yards in the first half and ended the day with a combined 19 carries for 68 yards. Cameron Erving was in at left guard yet again after Joel Bitonio re-aggravated his ankle injury. Erving outmatched by the Bengals' pass rush all day, and he was eventually pulled for Austin Pasztor.

Pettine is not at fault for everything that has not gone the Browns' way this year, but he is the man tasked with trying to coax improvement out of this team—and out of his players. Instead, there seemed to be little effort on the field on Sunday.

While there's much to be said for the Browns maintaining continuity at head coach, there's no reason for continuity for continuity's sake. The Browns have gotten worse in Pettine's second season. And no two-win head coach should expect job security in today's NFL. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has a decision to make, sooner or later, and Pettine should be more concerned about what seems like the inevitable end to his Browns tenure.

It seems like no longer a matter of if Pettine will lose his job—but when.

When the Browns are losing home games in the manner they did on Sunday, there are few arguments in Pettine's favor. He needs to reap what he's sown. Cleveland's failures are Pettine's. His time should be up.