3 Most Surprising Storylines For Browns In 2021 Season

2. Injuries Wiping Out Entire Position Groups

This has been the year of getting to know the Browns’ depth chart in totality because the players were called to action.

Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt were out at the same time.

There were games where more wide receivers were hurt or questionable than were healthy.

This is also the year that close attention was placed on who was signed to the practice squad because they were likely to see playing time.

3. Social Media Infiltration

Injuries are part of the game so all teams must deal with them.

But what is not an issue for all teams was a big one for the 2021 Browns, it was the use of social media by family members and outsiders to poke holes into the solidarity of the Browns locker room.

It began with Odell Beckham Sr.’s 11-minute video with a detailed critique of Baker Mayfield.

That was the worst of it but not the ending.

Then, there was the sharing of a story by Emily Mayfield regarding the toughness of Mayfield’s teammates. and a post by Kareem Hunt Sr. also talking about Mayfield.

For as disciplined as Coach Kevin Stefanski appears to be, even he could not control the raging social media posts that seem to show a Browns team not as unified as it should be.

Conclusion

The final script of the 2021 season is not yet written.

There is still a tremendous opportunity for this talented team to right the ship with the remaining five games of the season.

This team benefits from an AFC North division with teams who are equally as inconsistent as the Browns have been.

The Browns still have a chance, and all of these storylines will be minor blips on the radar if they can fight their way into the playoffs.

With three of the remaining five games against AFC North opponents, the Browns need to stop being distracted by everything that has hampered their play this year and start dominating as was predicted in the preseason.