Cleveland's teams heading in opposite directions

Cleveland's baseball team, the Guardians, was playing on Sunday afternoon.While the Cleveland Browns were struggling in the second half against the Detroit Lions, the Guardians were playing a game where – had they won – they'd be assured the American League's Central Division title.But the Guardians didn't seem all that interested in winning the division. They had clinched a postseason berth with a win on Saturday night. They didn't put out a great lineup. They didn't use their best starting pitcher.Winning the division didn't seem to mean a whole lot to them.They did, of course, win the title. The Detroit Tigers lost on Sunday, giving Cleveland the crown. Then, the Guardians defeated the Texas Rangers in extra innings.But it was hard not to be startled by the contrast between the Guardians and the Browns.In the last 30 years, Cleveland's baseball team has won 13 division titles.They've won so many that winning a division seemed of secondary importance. Win or lose the division, the Guardians were going to play the Tigers. The only thing to be decided was where the best-of-three series would be played.The Guardians have dominated the Tigers in Detroit this season, so why stress about a division title?Essentially, Cleveland's baseball team could take it or leave it.Meanwhile, the Browns, after a 34-10 loss to the Lions, are careening toward another season of irrelevance.The Browns have not won a division title since 1989. If you think of the pre-1995 Browns and post-1999 Browns as separate franchises – which, in reality, they are – the current team has never won a division title.As a baseball fan, and as a Cleveland Guardians fan, I am energized by the team's late-season surge, and their appearance in the postseason.But the Browns winning a division? I'd want to paint Findlay, Tiffin and Fostoria red.Or, perhaps, orange.And yet, watching the Browns on Sunday was a struggle. The defense is still among the best in the league. The offense is one of the worst.And if a team doesn't score points, it becomes worse than bad.It becomes boring.The Guardians have had a terrible offense this season, but they've overcome it. Having a full-fledged superstar like Jose Ramirez helps.The Browns have no such impact players on offense, and it shows.On Sunday, three plays summarized where this football team is right now.Early in the fourth quarter, the Browns trailed the Lions 27-10. On second down at the Lions 27, Browns quarterback Joe Flacco lofted a pass for Harold Fannin that went right through the tight end's hands.On third down, Flacco tried the far sideline, and lofted a perfect pass to receiver Jerry Jeudy. The Lions defender had fallen down. If Jeudy had brought the pass in, it likely would have gone for a touchdown.Instead, the ball glanced off Jeudy's hands.Now, forced to punt, Cleveland Corey Bojorquez released a short, returnable kick.Detroit's Kalif Raymond fielded the ball and ran 65 yards for a touchdown.That doesn't happen if Fannin or Jeudy just catch the football.The Browns have lost three games, two of which have been blowouts. In their one win, they scored a grand total of 13 points.The offense is just bad. No way around it.And because of that, the Browns are bad.Any idea of ending their 36-year division title drought this season seems laughable.But it's not all bad for Cleveland.Its baseball team is back in the playoffs. It has home postseason games starting today.That should be enough to distract fans from the mess the Browns have been and continue to be.PLAYER OF THE GAME: Quinshon Judkins. The running back carried the ball 21 times for 82 yards and a touchdown. He also caught four passes for 33 yards.Judkins has become the Browns feature back, and likely will be for years to come. He's likely to get lots of usage, especially since Browns receivers generally don't, you know, receive.NEXT WEEK: The Browns travel to London, England to take on the Minnesota Vikings.This is not great for me, since I'm generally not a morning person and also have been overly grumpy when watching the Browns this season.Browns coach Kevin Stefanski was evasive when asked if Flacco would start at quarterback.It's never good for a player when Stefanski starts an answer with "I understand your question" then proceeds not to answer it.As I write this on Monday evening, it seems likely Dillon Gabriel will get his first start at quarterback against the Vikings.Frankly, I think the Browns problems go way beyond Flacco. At the same time, the offense has been so unproductive that you can't blame Stefanski for wanting a change.Even if it probably won't make much of a difference.MY PICK: Vikings 23, Browns 10 Zach Baker is the sports editor for The Courier and Review Times.