It’s not been a good 2021 season for the Cleveland Browns. Among the many fingers to point at the team’s underachieving 7-9 record entering the Week 18 finale against the AFC North champion Bengals, one deserves to point at the team’s presnap penalty problem.
Going into the final game, the Browns have committed more presnap penalties than all but one other team. Only the two-win Detroit Lions (46) have been guilty of more mental lapses before the snap than the Browns (45). Cleveland has spread out the preventable penalties across the offense (29), defense (13) and special teams (3).
The two biggest culprits are two of the Browns’ best players: defensive ends Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney. Each has earned five presnap penalties, though three of Garrett’s offside fouls were declined. Left tackle Jedrick Wills and guard Joel Bitonio lead the offense with three false starts apiece, per data from NFL Penalties.
The Browns could seize the dubious title from Detroit. No team has drawn more false start penalties (30) than Cleveland’s Week 18 opponent, the Cincinnati Bengals, though QB Joe Burrow will not play.