The Cleveland Browns entered the 2019 NFL season with tons of hype and as one of the favorites to be a contender in the AFC after their numerous major offseason additions and the expected growth of Baker Mayfield in his second year.
Their first game was at home against a Titans team they were expected to handle with relative ease, but after an early touchdown (and missed extra point) the offense sputtered and they found themselves trailing to Tennessee. The biggest storyline for the Browns in the first half against the Titans were constant bad penalties, as they racked up 9 penalties for 97 yards in the first half, offering significant assistance to Tennessee’s offense in moving the ball down the field.
The biggest and most impactful penalty, however, came on the offensive end when left tackle Greg Robinson decided to kick a Titans player in the facemask while on the ground, leading to an ejection.
welp, the Browns will have to play the second half without their starting left tackle. Greg Robinson ejected for kicking Kenny Vaccaro right in the face pic.twitter.com/y324hpluQ7
— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) September 8, 2019
The Browns offensive line was already the biggest question mark on the offense, as they were somewhat surprisingly one of the best units in the league last year, but many wanted to see if they could do that again after swapping in a new right guard. Robinson’s absence from the remainder of the game only causes more stress for that group, as they look to keep Baker Mayfield upright and allow him time to find his dynamic weapons downfield.
