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20 Dec 2011

Browns learn some valuable lessons

Even though the Cleveland Browns walked out of Arizona with an overtime loss to the Cardinals, they still learned three important lessons on the way to falling to 4-10 on the season.

1. If you are trying to punt the ball out of bounds, make sure you get it done.

Brad Maynard’s punt in overtime stayed in bounds, that gave an opening to Arizona’s Patrick Peterson to return the kick 32 yards and set the Cardinals up for the game-winning score.

“Believe it or not, I was trying to kick it out,” Maynard told The Plain Dealer. It’s hard, easier said than done. You just can’t let him touch the ball in that situation.”

You play for the Browns, Brad, trust us we believe it.

2. It’s probably a good idea to cover Larry Fitzgerald in a big spot.

Facing a third-and-six on the drive following Peterson’s return, Arizona quarterback John Skelton hit a wide-open Fitzgerald for a 32-yard gain to set up Jay Feely’s game-winning field goal.

“He’s supposed to make catches, but when we were on him, when we were covering him, we were doing our thing,” Joe Haden said after the game. “He didn’t catch any passes over anybody. We feel that if we played that technique better, we would’ve done the same thing we’d been doing the whole game. It always happens. We’ve just got to find a way to get that fixed.”

3. The Browns learned that Seneca Wallace is a capable back-up quarterback, one who won’t embarrass the team (think Spergon Wynn), but there’s a reason why he is 6-13 in his career as a starter.

Wallace got the start in place of the injured McCoy, and while he was efficient early on, nothing went right for the Browns once they took a 17-7 lead with 3:21 left in the third quarter.

From that point on, the Browns had five drives – four ended in punts, the fifth ended with a Wallace fumble on the second of consecutive sacks – as the team faded down the stretch.

During that stretch the Browns gained 52 total yards of offense as Wallace was 5-of-11 for 47 yards. And for the game the Browns were just 5-of-14 on third down.

“We had them on their heels and when it gets to that point, it is about not making mistakes,” Wallace said in published reports, “not turning the ball over and giving them some easy points, and making plays. They played well on defense and made some plays. I need to help us out a lot more and make some more plays for our team.”

So at least the Browns got something out of the trip.

“It’s important that you stay on the field and execute on third down; that keeps drives alive,” Browns coach Pat Shurmur said. “It’s really good when you’re getting first downs on second down. We need to continue to do the things we did on the first drive and I think the third drive. We’ve just got to do what we have to do as a team. It was a team thing to get ahead — offense, defense and the kicking game — and it was a team thing to fall behind. That’s the deal, so we’ve got to find a way to finish games.”

Two more games to go.

(Photo by The Associated Press)

Posted in Cleveland Browns, lessons learned, NFL | Leave a comment
15 Dec 2011
1 Comment

Holmgren speaks, but is anyone listening?

Cleveland Browns team president Mike Holmgren spoke to the media on Wednesday about the manufactured controversy surrounding Colt McCoy’s concussion and showed more piss and vinegar with the media than the Browns have shown on the field this year.

While the headlines will scream “Browns did not test McCoy for concussion” the reality is far different.

According to Holmgren, team doctors did not administer the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool 2 test because McCoy “was talking, answering, knew how much time was left. So, following our normal protocol, (his responses) did not dictate they administer the test.”

Just as important, when McCoy started feeling strange after the game, he was seen by trainer Joe Sheehan who sent him to a doctor. That doctor administered a concussion test, which McCoy passed.

After returning home, McCoy’s conditioned worsened and he was diagnosed with a concussion on Friday.

Holmgren explained the team’s decision to not talk until Wednesday because they were meeting with NFL and NFLPA officials about the situation.

“There’s a lot of speculation, there’s a lot of things that have been written and said and the reason that we’ve waited as an organization to have this meeting is that we had to have those other meetings before so I wouldn’t say something and then I’d have to come back and change it,” Holmgren said. “Now, we’ve had those meetings so now here it is. I also want to comment that on the schedule and how we have these, it’s going to be our decision. It’s not going to be your decision.”

Holmgren’s going to get roasted by the local media for that last part, but he’s right. He doesn’t have to put on an act like a dancing monkey just because the media starts whining.

He also made a very important point that – the current regime simply can’t be held responsible for what went on before they arrived in Berea.

“The problem is and the tough thing for you guys and our fans is it seems it’s business as usual, which is very easy to write and say, but I’m telling you that it’s not,” Holmgren said. “You can choose to believe me or you can say, ‘I’ve heard it before.’ That’s your choice, but when it does happen, don’t come to me for extra tickets to a playoff game or something. Don’t do that. You’re either with us or you’re not. I’m telling you it’s different now.”

In hindsight the Browns obviously should not have let McCoy return to the game. And they certainly didn’t do a good job earlier in the week explaining the situation – they should have gotten out in front of the story by explaining the upcoming meeting with league and union officials.

And if you are one of the fans who is predisposed to thinking everything the Browns do is wrong, then it really doesn’t matter what Holmgren says because your mind is already made up.

But to think the team intentionally ignored an injured player and put him back in the game is preposterous and not supported with any kind of facts.

One final thought: Why are the Steelers getting a pass on all this? Why isn’t someone in the media demanding that Art Rooney II come forward and explain why they continue to let James Harrison act the way he does on the field? Somehow they get a pass because the Rooneys are an “old football family that does things the right way.”

Just another reason to hate the Steelers.

(Photo by The Plain Dealer)

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Colt McCoy, concussions, Mike Holmgren, NFL
14 Dec 2011
2 Comments

NFL hits Harrison where it hurts

The NFL got it right on Tuesday, suspending Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison one game for his blatant illegal hit on Browns quarterback Colt McCoy.

According to the NFL press release announcing the suspension, this is Harrison’s fifth illegal hit against a quarterback in the past three seasons.

In addition to four fines for illegal hits against quarterbacks in 2009 and 2010, Harrison also was fined twice for unnecessary roughness during that period. Harrison totaled six fines in that two-year period.

According to the NFL’s 2011 League Policies for Players manual: “Players who were fined for violations in 2009 or 2010, and whose fines were either partially or fully upheld, will be considered second and/or repeat offenders under this policy.”

If that doesn’t describe Harrison, we don’t know what does.

Read more…

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Colt McCoy, James Harrison, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers
12 Dec 2011
1 Comment

Source: Browns may have made regrettable mistake

As we pointed out yesterday, the Cleveland Browns now find themselves under the spotlight for their mishandling of Colt McCoy following James Harrison’s illegal hit during Thursday night’s game.

According to ESPN: the team’s handling of the situation is being labeled as a “blatant system failure” by a union source because the team’s medical staff did not conduct proper testing before sending McCoy back into the game.

The NFL and the NFL Players Association’s chief physicians — Dr. Elliott Pellman and Dr. Thom Mayer — have conducted the initial review, sources said, and both the league and the union will continue the process that one source says will “likely” be the catalyst for the placement of independent neurologists at each game site in time for the 2012 season.

It will be interesting to see what the NFL comes up with as they review the situation. If it leads to having an independent neurologist at each game, then something good will have come out of the situation.

Short-term, however, it raises questions about what the Browns are up to on the sidelines during the game. We still find it very hard to believe the team willingly put McCoy back into the game knowing that he had a concussion – there’s no benefit to McCoy or the team under that scenario.

And making a mistake is not the same thing as having malicious intent.

But if the NFL can determine the team intentionally ignored McCoy’s symptoms and put him back in the game knowing that he had a concussion, then the franchise needs to be fined heavily – starting with coach Pat Shurmur.

We understand that things can get hectic on the sidelines, especially at the end of a close game against a division rival, but the coach’s job is to know what is going on and act accordingly. The player is always going to want to go back into the game – it’s the coach’s job to make sure the player is not putting himself or the team at risk.

Lost in all this is the fact that Harrison’s hit was clearly illegal and now he may face a suspension.

According to ESPN, the NFL will look at the hit and, at the very least, fine Harrison. If he is suspended for a game or two, Harrison would be the first player suspended under the league’s crackdown on player safety violations.

“Our staff is going to be looking at that play along with every other play that happens this weekend, and they’ll make their decisions,” NFL Roger Goodell said.

Fines are obviously not working, so maybe a suspension that could cost the Steelers as they position for the playoffs, will finally do the trick.

***

What if we told you that, against the Steelers the Browns would:

  • Win the turnover battle.
  • Knock Ben Roethlisberger out of the game.
  • Win the third-down battle.
  • Commit fewer penalties.
  • Force Pittsburgh to be inefficient at scoring points.

The Browns should win, right? Well, that’s what they did Thursday night and it still wasn’t enough, as Cold Hard Football Facts points out:

Cleveland forced 3 turnovers while surrendering just 2 (4-2 if you count Pittsburgh’s meaningful turnover on downs). Cleveland forced Roethlisberger to the sidelines for a whole 6 minutes of game time (an eternity for Ben), leading Ben to limp and slide through the second half. Cleveland held Pittsburgh to its second worst 3rd Down conversion rate of the season (25%) while converting 43.75% of their own. Cleveland was the more disciplined team as Pittsburgh committed 6 extra penalties for 43 extra yards. And Cleveland forced Pittsburgh to travel 29.71 yards for each point they scored, the least efficient scoring output from Pittsburgh since Week 1 (and this a team that is known to be inefficient this season coming in at No. 23 in the league in Scoreability).

In many ways, Cleveland did exactly what they needed to do. Well, except score points. Pittsburgh’s defense stepped up in the game forcing Cleveland to travel more than the full length of the field for each point they scored (101.33 YPPS). Cleveland may have converted third downs just about at will on Pittsburgh’s side of the field, but the Pittsburgh defense clamped down past the 50. In fact, Cleveland converted 7 out of 8 third down opportunities on their own side of the field and converted a perfect 0 out of 8 third downs in Pittsburgh territory.

Just another fun day in paradise for the Browns.

***

Finally, several of the early season darlings of the NFL have crashed back to earth.

Buffalo is 1-7 after starting 4-1.

Oakland is 3-4 after starting 4-2.

Cincinnati is 1-4 after starting 6-2.

Tampa Bay is 0-7 after its 4-2 start.

Detroit is 3-5 (which should be 2-6 after the refs somehow missed a blatant face mask penalty at the end of Sunday’s game against Minnesota) after its 5-0 start.

Just wanted to point that out.

(Photo by Getty Images)

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Colt McCoy, controversy, NFL, Pat Shurmur
08 Dec 2011
1 Comment

Browns vs. Steelers – Week 14

The Browns head to Pittsburgh for a Thursday night game against the Steelers, the first of two meetings between the teams over the final quarter of the season.

Clearly the schedule makers in the NFL offices hate the Browns.

The Opposition

Pittsburgh’s record: 9-3 (tied for 1st in the AFC North)
Offensive rank: 11th overall/9th passing/18th rushing
Defensive rank: 1st overall/2nd passing/7th rushing
All-time record: Steelers lead 62-56, including postseason
Last meeting: Pittsburgh won 41-9 in Week 17 last season
The line: Browns (+14)

What to Watch For

There’s really not much to say – especially after Sunday’s performance against the Ravens.

The Steelers have won 14 out of the last 15 against Cleveland and seven in a row at home. The last three visits to Pittsburgh have seen the Browns lose by an average of almost 21 points a game.

Last year, the Browns were outscored by the Steelers 69-19, as Ben Roethlisberger passed for 537 yards and five touchdowns, and Rashard Mendenhall scored three touchdowns. The Browns threw five interceptions and gave up 10 sacks.

And that was during a season when the team was “competitive.”

The Browns stagger into Heinz Field with an offense ranked 30th in the NFL and a defense ranked 31st against the run – giving up an average of 151.2 yards per game.

“We need to try and get better in every facet in terms of how we coach, to how we do things day-to-day, we’re always looking to get better in everything that we do,” Browns coach Pat Shurmur said. “Pittsburgh, obviously, they’ve been very consistent and strong performers. They’ve won multiple Super Bowls and they’ve found a formula that works for them and I think what’s important is we keep building and try to find the one that works for us.

“I think we all understand what the AFC North rivalries are. I talk about it through the week in my team meetings and how important it is to win a division game. I think the most important thing is this is our next game and I think we need to keep that in mind as well.”

One area to watch is Joe Haden against Pittsburgh wide receiver Mike Wallace – a player the Browns passed on three times in the 2009 draft so they could select Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi.

Haden had a good week against Baltimore, according to Pro Football Focus:

During the broadcast it was commented that Joe Haden wasn’t yet a shut down corner because opposing quarterbacks aren’t scared to throw the ball at him. That much is true, he has been thrown at 69 times this season, but on Sunday Haden more than made up for his struggles a week earlier against AJ Green and the Cincinnati Bengals. Targeted four times by Joe Flacco, he didn’t give up a single catch while breaking up two. Both pass breakups came in the endzone to save touchdowns, including on 3rd-and-goal with 0:09 left in the first half. Haden covered Ravens wide receiver Lee Evans perfectly before getting getting his arm in front right as the ball arrived.

The only other thing is to see if Colt McCoy can make it through another game without getting broken in two.

It would help if the offensive line could hold a block for more than 0.3 seconds and the receivers would catch ball when it’s thrown to them, especially Greg Little. According to Pro Football Focus:

Each week I hear how Greg Little is poised for a breakout game and each week I come away disappointed. This week was no different with Little catching just three passes for 18 yards. It’s not that he isn’t getting the opportunity to make plays, seven passes were thrown his way, he just isn’t making the most of them. dropping two passes . On the year he has now dropped 14 passes, compare that to his team mate Jordan Norwood who hasn’t dropped a single one of the 24 passes thrown his way and Mohamed Massaquoi, who has just two drops, and you could understand if the Browns began to limit the opportunities Little is getting.

We suppose we should blame the coaches for not teaching McCoy that Little wants the ball placed on his right index finger, rather than his left ring finger, because hitting him in the hands clearly isn’t working.

The Prediction

As bad as the Browns have been within the division since returning in 1999, every once in a while they pull out a surprise against the Steelers.

In 1999, they won on a Phil Dawson field goal as time expired.

In 2000, Courtney Brown’s three sacks lead the way.

Who can forget how, in 2003, Tim Couch threw for two touchdowns and scored another one in a stunning 33-13 win in Pittsburgh?

Finally, there was the 2009 win in a frigid Cleveland Browns Stadium – aka the most over-rated win in franchise history.

And it is Christmas, a time for miracles. Does that mean the Browns have a holiday surprise up their sleeves for the fans?

What say you, coach?

“I think beating Pittsburgh is something that we want to be able to do and that we have to do to move forward as an organization. Any victory you have takes the sour taste out of your mouth for at least one week and then your next opponent comes into view so I think that’s what we need to keep in mind. Obviously division games, although we take them one at a time, when you look back on them in the offseason, they’re a little bit more special.”

Well, OK then.

Despite all that, we’ll take the Steelers and the points and hope the Browns can at least make a respectable showing on the NFL Network game of the week.

Record picking the Browns (using the point spread) this year: 7-4-1.

Posted in Cleveland Browns, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers
06 Dec 2011
4 Comments

Veruca Salt is clearly a Browns fan

I want you to get me an Oompa Loompa right away!

I wanted to be the first to find a Golden Ticket, Daddy!

I want it now! What’s the matter with those twerps down there?

***

We were surprised – even though we shouldn’t be – at the level of acidity in the comments being thrown at the Browns today in the wake of Sunday’s loss to the Ravens.

Which leads us to a simple question: have you been watching the Browns this year?

While we’re not happy with the record or the performance on Sunday, we were more upset with the loss to the Rams, as that is a team the Browns are better than (or at least equal to).

But against the AFC North? This team isn’t good enough to win in the division.

But that’s nothing new, or at least nothing new since 1999.

The Browns have been abysmal against division foes since returning, be it the AFC North or the old AFC Central. This year they are 0-3, losing by an average of 9 points per game.

That fits into what they’ve done every year since 1999:

  • 1999: 1-9 in the division, average loss by 17.2 points per game
  • 2000: 2-8, average loss by 23.2 points
  • 2001: 5-5, average loss by 11 points
  • 2002, 3-3, average loss 3.7 points
  • 2003, 2-4, average loss 17.3 points
  • 2004, 2-4, average loss 12.3 points
  • 2005, 1-5, average loss 16.8 points
  • 2006, 0-6, average loss 13.7 points
  • 2007, 3-3, average loss 11.7 points
  • 2008, 1-5, average loss 15.4 points
  • 2009, 1-5, average loss 14.4 points
  • 2010, 1-5, average loss 13.8 points

If anything, the current team is just carrying on a dubious tradition laid down by their predecessors. And those numbers from the past few years pokes a big hole in the myth that this team was “competitive.”

For every fluke win over New England, there is a corresponding beat down by the Steelers. For every surprise Monday night win over the Giants, we get a shutout loss to the Bengals.

That’s Browns football.

And just as its going to take a bit more time for general manager Tom Heckert to fix the mistakes of his predecessors – and there were a lot – it’s going to take this franchise time to learn how to win in the toughest division in the NFL.

“I think it’s just like everything you do,” coach Pat Shurmur said in his Monday news conference. “You just keep plugging ahead and this thing will turn when we least expect it. We just keep pushing. You just keep pushing. Again, I saw some eyes roll in here, so I can tell that maybe doesn’t sink in real well. But, I will say this all you do is keep pushing. I don’t have the memory of what’s happened before. I do know this though, I’ve been around teams that have won and have built winners. You just be patient.”

The Browns are not going to win until they can win consistently within the division. And they are not going to consistently win within the division until they get some better talent on the field.

Browns fans have been patient seemingly forever, what’s a few more years if it means the team finally gets in right?

***

First off, God doesn’t care who wins a football game. We’ve understood that for a long time, although there are still people who struggle with that concept.

Having said that, we admit to being puzzled by what is going on with Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos.

Tebow’s ongoing and seemingly unexplainable success led us to post a question on Twitter during the Browns game:

Why does Tebow’s God like him more than McCoy’s God likes the Browns quarterback?

***

Finally, we recently read a short article in Sports Illustrated about St. John’s football coach John Gagliardi, who has coached the team for 63 years.

The article talked about how Gagliardi has had success – an NCAA-record 484 wins and four national titles – by treating his players with respect.

Further proof that you don’t have to be a douche bag to be a good football coach.

Posted in Cleveland Browns, NFL
05 Dec 2011
2 Comments

Sleeping with the enemy

With the Cleveland Browns taking on a Baltimore Ravens team that is probably going to finish 13-3 with the No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the AFC, the Browns need to play a perfect game to have a chance at winning on Sunday.

Now, while being perfect is probably unrealistic, you have to at least try.

Unfortunately the Browns were their own worst enemy on Sunday, falling to the Ravens for the seventh consecutive game.

This was a team loss in every way possible.

From the first play of the game – when Greg Little dropped another pass that hit him square in the hands, the receivers had a day to forget as Little had three catches for 18 yards, Jordon Norwood had three catches (and one weak penalty) and Mohamed Massaquoi had a lone catch.

Josh Cribbs earned the Brian Robiskie Memorial Blutarski Award this week for 0 receptions and 0 yards.

The tight ends did their part, with Ben Watson and Evan Moore both dropping passes that hit them square in the hands – Moore dropping a sure touchdown that would have cut the Ravens’ lead to 10-7.

Running game? How about 59 yards on 17 carries, with 24 of those yards coming on the opening drive.

Offensive line? Three sacks allowed and general lackluster play.

Quarterback Colt McCoy? For every play where his receivers betrayed him, he made just as many bad throws. A interception near the end of the first half set up a Baltimore field goal and McCoy finished with 192 yards on 17-of-35 passing.

McCoy may not throw many interceptions, but he knows how to make the ones he does throw count.

The defense got in on the act as well, giving up 204 yards rushing to Ray Rice and 290 on the ground overall.

After the Browns had to settle for a field goal because Moore dropped a sure touchdown in the third quarter, the defense gave up a 67-yard run to Rice on the first play, taking away what little momentum the Browns had.

The special teams clearly didn’t want to be left out of the fun as they gave up a 68-yard punt return for a touchdown to Lardarius Webb.

And so it goes for the Browns.

They haven’t beaten the Ravens since Phil Dawson’s field goal hit the support in Baltimore in 2007, they are most likely going to finish with 1 or fewer division wins for the fourth year in a row and, oh yeah, they’re heading to Pittsburgh on Thursday night to take on the Steelers.

And when we went to the team website after the game, we got the image you see at the top of this post. Is that what you really want to give someone for Christmas?

Bah Humbug, indeed.

(Photo by Cleveland Browns.com)

Posted in Cleveland Browns, disappointment, dispair, NFL
03 Dec 2011

Browns vs. Ravens – Week 13

The Cleveland Browns are at home on Sunday against Baltimore for their penultimate home game in the 2011 NFL season.

The Opposition

Baltimore record: 8-3 (1st in the AFC North)
Offensive rank: 17th overall/13th passing/27th rushing
Defensive rank: 3rd overall/5th passing/3rd rushing
All-time record: Ravens lead 17-7; the Browns are 4-8 at home against the Ravens
Last meeting: Baltimore won 20-10 in Week 16 last season
The line: Browns (+7)

What to Watch For

The Browns have been making progress on offense the pass three weeks and actually scored a first-quarter touchdown against the Bengals last week – a first for the season.

But this week is going to be different.

The Ravens come in with the third-best defense in the league, and have been resting since Thanksgiving, when they decimated an over-rated San Francisco team. Baltimore held the 49ers to just 170 yards and sacked quarterback Alex Smith nine times.

Which means this is a particularly bad week for the Browns to struggling in pass protection. According to Pro Football Focus:

After a sub-par, by his standards, start to the year where he allowed nine total pressures through the first four games, Joe Thomas (+10.6) has been back to his best and has allowed just one sack and four pressures since.

Sadly, nobody else along the offensive line can come close to Thomas’ level of play but none have been more disappointing than left guard Jason Pinkston (-12.8). Pinkston has allowed 24 total pressures in the passing game and sadly has been worse as a run blocker with a grade of -9.8 in that regard.

That’s not what you need going up against a very talented Ravens defensive line. You already know about Terrell Suggs (+27.3) and Haloti Ngata (+15.0), both among the very best defensive linemen in the league. However, what’s impressed so much about the Ravens’ defensive line this year is the supporting cast. Paul Kruger (+6.2) is relishing his role as a pass rusher lately, with no game more impressive than the Week 11 win over the Bengals where he had five pressures on 28 rushes. And then you have Pernell McPhee (+13.1), who has delivered a PFF grade of +3.0 or better in four of the last six games.

And if that is not enough, Baltimore safety Ed Reed likes to torment quarterbacks in the AFC North, especially the Browns. In his career, Reed has more interceptions (10), more return yards (356) and more TAINTS (3) against the Browns than against any other team.

Reed picked off Browns quarterback Colt McCoy twice in the team’s last meeting, but McCoy has avoided multiple-interception games this season and that needs to continue on Sunday.

“In this division, you’re going to face a tough defense every week,” Browns quarterback Colt McCoy said. “Cincinnati’s a really good defense; Baltimore’s really good; Pittsburgh’s really good. This is just one more test for us. We’re excited that we get to play at home. That’ll be good for us and we want to get one week better. We felt like we got better, we just didn’t finish like we wanted to last week.

“I think it’s important for us, as a young team, to really focus on some of the positives things that we did and build off those and then, correct the things where we were short, where we messed up or we didn’t finish and then, put it behind us and move forward.”

One way the Browns can do that is to start completing some passes down the field.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, McCoy has thrown a league-high 76.1 percent of his passes 10 yards or fewer downfield this season. He averaged a career-low 4.4 yards gained on his 34 pass attempts at the Bengals last Sunday. McCoy’s average yards per attempt is 5.9, the lowest of any qualifying quarterback.

Whether its McCoy, the fact that the receivers are average, at best, or the struggles along the offensive line (probably an equal combination of all three), the Browns need to start moving the ball through the air better.

The one thing the Browns have working in their favor is that the Ravens have stumbled all year following big wins. They’ve lost on the road to Tennessee (after beating Pittsburgh), Jacksonville (after beating Houston) and Seattle (after their second win against the Steelers).

So there is a precedence, and hope, no matter how slim.

The Prediction

The Browns have never beaten Joe Flacco as the Ravens have won six games in a row in the series.

That includes four games over the past two seasons where the Browns lost by an average of 18.5 points a game.

If the Browns don’t turn the ball over, limit the stupid penalties, and force the Ravens into a couple of turnovers that result in short fields for the offense, the Browns have a chance. You know, the same game plan from every other week this season.

It seems hard, though, to see that happening. But we do like the Browns to keep the game close, so we’ll take the good guys plus the points.

Record picking the Browns (using the point spread) this year: 7-3-1.

(Photo by The Plain Dealer)

Posted in Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, NFL | Leave a comment
28 Nov 2011
1 Comment

Browns can’t cage the Bengals

For the first time since Week 3, maybe, the Cleveland Browns had their first team offense in uniform and on the field Sunday against Cincinnati.

So it was no surprise, really, that the Browns had one of their better offensive days of the season, scoring a first quarter touchdown for the first time this season, building a 17-7 halftime lead and scoring 20 points for only the second time all season.

Apparently, having all your starters on offense healthy and playing makes a difference.

But it wasn’t enough to pull out a win.

Peyton Hillis returned after missing six games and ran for 65 yards on 19 carries. Overall, the Browns rushed for 134 yards and a 4.5 per carry average against a Bengals defense that was giving up just 88.6 yards per game on the ground.

But it wasn’t enough.

Colt McCoy threw for two touchdowns – one to Jordan Norwood and one to Greg Little – as the Browns put up those 17 first-half points.

But it wasn’t enough.

Phil Dawson made a 54-yard field goal – his longest of the season and seventh of more than 50 yards this year – to put the Browns up 20-10 with 3:50 to go in the third quarter.

But it wasn’t enough.

Because even after the Bengals had come all the way back to tie the game, 20-20, early in the fourth quarter, the Browns still had their chances and couldn’t capitalize.

Given one last chance after the defense forced a three-and-out, the Browns took over on their own 32 with 4:52 left in the game.

McCoy drove the Browns to the Cincinnati 37 before the drive stalled and coach Pat Shurmur strangely called on Dawson for a 55-yard field goal attempt into the wind.

Need we say Dawson was not able to convert? Need we say Ryan Pontbriand’s snap rolled to holder Brad Maynard?

“I think it’s safe to say a 55-yarder in that situation, into the wind, everything needed to be smooth,” Dawson said after the game.

The miss gave the Bengals the ball at their own 45 and that’s when A.J. Green made the play of the day. Green went up to catch a poor throw from Andy Dalton and the resulting 51-yard catch-and-run put the Bengals on the Cleveland 7-yard line where, after a few plays, Mike Nugent kicked the game-winning field goal.

Green’s catch stood out even more because, in addition to catching his first touchdown pass of the season, Greg Little had 6? 7? 8? drops on the day. And most were “the ball hit him in the hands” drops.

That’s the difference between a No. 1 wide receiver taken in the first round and a converted running back drafted in the second round after not playing last year.

We don’t mean to bag on Little, and it’s not as if the Browns could have drafted Green anyway, but that comparison shows just how far the Browns still have to go to get play makers on offense.

The Browns probably deserved better than this; they probably deserved to win the game. The defense was solid for the most part – especially Jabaal Sheard, who had four tackles, one sack and one forced fumble. The Browns also held Cincinnati to just 6-of-14 on third down and didn’t let the Bengals run too wild in the rushing game.

Of course, Green’s catch came on a third down, so …

“We have to figure out (how to play with) a lead, which we haven’t really done all year, and go finish,” McCoy said. “Don’t stop. Let’s continue to make the plays that we’ve made. The defense was playing well. It’s really frustrating.”

With the Browns, it seems like it’s never, ever enough.

(Photo by The Plain Dealer)

Posted in Cleveland Browns, never enough, NFL
27 Nov 2011

Browns vs. Bengals – Week 12

The Browns start a stretch of five division games over the next six weeks as they travel to Cincinnati on Sunday to take on the Bengals.

The Opposition

Cincinnati record: 6-4 (3rd in the AFC North)
Offensive rank: 18th overall/17th passing/19th rushing
Defensive rank: 6th overall/11th passing/3rd rushing
All-time record: Bengals lead 40-36; the Browns are 14-24 in Cincy, with their last win coming in 2008
Last meeting: Cincinnati won 27-17 in Week 1
The line: Browns (+7.5)

What to Watch For

This game may not be as one-sided as some people believe.

The Bengals were an early season flavor of the month as they grew fat on a weak schedule that included wins over Buffalo, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Seattle and Tennessee (combined record of 17-33). Somehow the Bengals were supposed to be good because they beat those teams, but when the Browns scored wins against some of those same teams it was a sign of their abject incompetence.

When the Bengals stepped up in class the past two weeks, against Pittsburgh and Baltimore, the results were predictable losses.

Of course the Browns aren’t in the category of the Steelers and Ravens, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a chance on Sunday.

The Bengals offense is good, but hardly a powerhouse, although they do average 23.6 points per game, which is a problem when you consider the Browns only average 14.5.

Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton comes into the game with five interceptions the past two weeks, (3 against Baltimore, 2 against Pittsburgh) and one thing that Browns quarterback Colt McCoy has avoided is multiple interception games.

After dropping at least three interceptions last week against the Jaguars, this might be a good week for Joe Haden and Sheldon Brown to focus on holding onto the ball. If the Browns defense can force Dalton to make mistakes and give the offense a short field to work with, that would go a long way toward a win.

The Browns may be able to focus on Dalton because running back Cedric Benson hasn’t been much of a threat in the running game. After hitting the Browns for 121 yards in the opener, Benson has broken 100 yards only once and hasn’t gone over 78 yards in his last five games.

This seems like a good opportunity for the Browns 29th-ranked run defense to actually step up and help out for a change.

One thing that would definitely help the Browns is if Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty can both play today. Hardesty is expected to play and Hillis says he’s ready, and if true, adding them to Chris Ogbonnaya can only pay dividends against a Bengal defense that is giving up just 88.6 yards per game on the ground.

A strong running game will help McCoy, who has played his best the past two weeks as it seems like the coaching staff has finally figured out how to put him in situations that maximize his abilities.

“I’m looking for him to lead the charge in terms of ‘show improvement and win the game’ and I think that’s what we’re looking for as we go forward,” Browns coach Pat Shurmur said this week. “The way I look at it, we’re 4-6 and we’re trying to win this game as we push into the second half of this season. Hopefully we get on a roll here and then we can do something beyond January 1. We’re putting all our efforts into beating the Bengals and Colt is no different.”

That’s nice that the coach is throwing out the challenge, but let’s not forget it’s a team effort there, Pat, and that includes the coaching staff.

The Prediction

With the Bengals coming off consecutive losses in the division, and with another division game next week in Pittsburgh, today could be a good day for the Browns to pick up an unexpected win.

However, the Browns have lost 11 of their last 14 against Cincinnati, including six of seven on the road (including two ugly losses under super coach Eric Mangini).

The best chance for the Browns will be to minimize mistakes and keep the game close (where have we heard that before?) as Cleveland is 3-1 this year in games decided by four points or less.

The Browns are still a struggling work in progress, but the Bengals have crashed back to earth, so we like the Browns and the points this week.

Record picking the Browns (using the point spread) this year: 6-3-1.

(Photo by Cleveland Browns.com)

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