Starting 1-4 was not where the Browns wanted to be when they began the 2024 season.
As they prepare for their Week 6 matchup against the Eagles – which will be their third consecutive road game – the players and coaching staff are not letting the three-game losing streak affect their focus on their upcoming game.
But there's still a determination among the locker room to correct the mistakes that have led the Browns to a 1-4 record.
"There's definitely urgency; I'm not going to say panic, but we're urgent," LG Joel Bitonio said on Wednesday. "We want to be urgent. We need to be as urgent as possible because it's a big game for us. But guys, I think, understand the situation we're in but I do think there's optimism that we can turn this thing around."
Bitonio has been a Cleveland Brown since 2014. He's slated to make his 150th career start when the Browns take the field on Sunday, an accomplishment he appreciates but doesn't distract from his desire to leave Philadelphia with a win.
The 11-year veteran has been a part of teams that have made playoff runs in 2020 and 2023. He's also been a part of teams that have finished the season without a win.
During his introduction to the NFL, Bitonio was sandwiched between two linemen with Hall of Fame-caliber resumes in LT Joe Thomas and C Alex Mack. The veterans took care of Bitonio, who called himself lucky to begin his career next to the two linemen.
Check out photos of the team working to prepare for their game this week against the Philadelphia Eagles at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus
Defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo (54) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2024.
Running back Nick Chubb (24) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Kicker Dustin Hopkins (7) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. (51) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2024.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2024.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2024.
Offensive guard Germain Ifedi (65) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Defensive end Isaiah McGuire (57) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Defensive end Marcus Haynes (98) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Cornerback Cameron Mitchell (29) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2024.
Defensive end Za'Darius Smith (99) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2024.
Wide receiver James Proche II (11) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2024.
Wide receiver Cedric Tillman (19) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Quarterback Jameis Winston (5) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2024.
Running back Jerome Ford (34) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2024.
Cornerback Cameron Mitchell (29) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2024.
Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (6) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2024.
Safety Trey Dean (28) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Offensive tackle Sebastian Gutierrez (60) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (17) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2024.
Linebacker Mohamoud Diabate (43) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2024.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Running back Nyheim Hines (22) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2024.
Defensive end Elerson Smith (52) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Linebacker Khaleke Hudson (39) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2024.
Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (6) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2024.
Running back Nick Chubb (24) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2024.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2024.
Running back Nick Chubb (24) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2024.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Cornerback Tony Brown II (38) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Linebacker Jordan Hicks (58) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Linebacker Winston Reid (59) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2024.
Defensive tackle Jowon Briggs (97) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Wide receiver Amari Cooper (2) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Defensive end Sam Kamara (92) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Wide receiver Kadarius Toney (87) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2024.
Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 10, 2024.
Now, Bitonio is the one mentoring a rookie guard. RG Zak Zinter was thrust into a starting role early in his career after RG Wyatt Teller was placed on the injured reserve list in Week 3. Bitonio has helped Zinter scout opposing defensive linemen, giving him tips on how to find success as a young player.
"I was just like, 'hey, these are my key points as a guard in this game, this is what I'm focused on' and I just try and write that down and share it with him," Bitonio said.
Behind Bitonio's desire to help Zinter is his desire to win. The fact that the Browns can claim only one this season is something that Bitonio said frustrates him.
"You want to win games. That's why you play the game. That's why I play the game. I'm in Year 11. I've done everything I need to do in my career. I just want to win," Bitonio said.
For some teams, it takes a while before the wins pile up.
When asked about the Browns' three-game losing streak, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz – who is always quick with a baseball analogy – brought up the 2024 New York Mets, who sat nine games below a winning record in June and are now in the National League Championship Series.
"They were able to find a way out with some intentionality," Schwartz said. "And their best players started playing their best. And when it came to the playoffs and they're down 1-0, [Francisco] Lindor hits a grand slam and they're going to the (NLCS)."
Throughout the season, the veterans in the locker room have expressed that, although the need to improve is immediate, their focus is on taking a daily approach to their upcoming game, not looking at the big picture.
For Schwartz, that approach is what makes sports great.
"There's a lot of lessons to be learned and stuff like that," Schwartz said. "Sports are awesome that way when it comes to things that come up and rewarding perseverance, rewarding intentionality, rewarding culture, rewarding people with track records coming out of things and avoiding overreactions."
The Browns might not need to hit a grand slam on Sunday, but an offense that has struggled to move the ball effectively and has yet to score over 20 points this season is hungry for a strong showing against the Eagles.
Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said that the biggest thing required of the team going into Sunday is working hard during the week with a focus on winning by correcting mistakes and executing at a high level.
"No one's going to feel sorry for you," Dorsey said on Thursday. "You've got to come out and you've got to grind, you've got to work. You have to put yourself in position during the week to go out and have success. And there's a lot of pride in this building and we're going to make sure we're doing that each and every week."
