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Was Sam Darnold’s performance vs. Browns actually deserving of praise?

The Cleveland defense is not good against the pass, entering Week 16 ranked 25th in pass defense DVOA. And, at MetLife Stadium, they played like a 25th-ranked passing defense, botching numerous coverages to leave wide open targets galore.

Yet, despite facing a weak opponent that handed him plenty of easy throws, Sam Darnold still produced at a poor level. He surely had his moments of excellence, but overall, Darnold once again didn’t do much more than manage the game. Even if that is the bar, Darnold arguably failed to clear it.

Darnold completed 16 of 32 passes for 175 yards.