Each week I take a look back at the previous Browns game and recap what I learned from the game. I also write a different introduction to this page. Last week the Browns won 7-6 in adverse weather conditions.
The Browns won a sloppy game over a Chargers team that has been steadily dropping from week to week. It wasn't pretty, but the defense stepped up and the offense stayed away from major mistakes for the most part. I still haven't had a chance to watch the dvr of the game, but I've read enough about it to put some thoughts down.
Trent Richardson needs to get the ball at least 20 times a game. This has become abundantly clear. In the two games against Cincinnati and last week's game, the Browns made a conscious effort to run the ball and the offense hummed along nicely as a result, at least as much as it could given the weather last week. In the other games, they threw much more than they ran, and while competitive, the offense was a lot more disjointed. In this game, the offense HAD to go through Richardson and he delivered 122 yards and the game's only touchdown.
TJ Ward needed that defensive stop as much as anyone on this team. He came into the league as a physical safety who would be a force on the defensive side of the ball, but hasn't been the same since he was fined for a hit in his rookie season. He's been tentative since, but lately he's been getting more aggressive. Coming up with the stop on fourth and one was huge and gave the Browns the ball for their only score of the day.
The defense overall played a good game, getting stops when needed and holding a high-scoring offense to just 6 points. The popular stat going around is that the defense has held opponents to those 6 points in the last six quarters, which is a nice streak that needs to continue. The front four have held up nicely in the absence of Phil Taylor and Ahtyba Rubin, who both could be back this weekend.
Drops again plagued the receiving corp, as they dropped at least 4 passes this past week, most notably another drop from Greg Little and Josh Cooper getting in on the act, both on third down plays. The receivers haven't helped Brandon Weeden at times, but he's refused to throw his teammates under the bus thus far.
One guy not dropping the ball is Josh Gordon, who caught three more passes in the game without a drop. This on the heels of his infamous drop in Indianapolis when the ball bounced off his hands as he entered a sunfield. It could've been a game-winning catch, but instead it was an unfortunate drop. Gordon didn't let it linger though and has continued to be an integral part of the offense.
The coaches didn't overthink things as much in this game. Sure, there weren't many chances to be taken in this game, but when they needed to roll the dice, they did. Of course, when your owner's reaction is all over social media after a previous fourth and one decision, it makes the next one easier to make.
Brandon Weeden didn't have a great game, but he managed the game well given the fact that northeast Ohio was dealing with the preliminary effects of Hurricane Sandy. It was windy, it was rainy, it was cold, but Weeden was under control. He didn't throw any interceptions and didn't fumble the ball away, as was the worry coming in. He missed on some passes, but he gets a pass given the conditions since Philip Rivers was having his share of issues as well. Overall, it was a solid effort by the rookie.
Alex Smith may have earned himself the fullback job after he helped open up some running lanes for Richardson. The offensive line overall did a nice job of run-blocking and has continued to grow throughout the season. There were a couple of sacks in the game, but overall they have done a nice job since the opening week. Smith certainly did his part by blocking well.
Next week is a big game for the Browns as they host a depleted and wounded Ravens team coming off its bye week. The Browns, if they're smart, should be able to run the ball against the Ravens, which should, in theory, open up the passing game more for Weeden. He needs to do something about the batted balls though. That's been an ongoing issue lately for him and it needs to be corrected soon. A third win would do a lot for the coaching staff in its efforts to keep their jobs.
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
The Sports Mixer - After further review
A look back at this past Sunday's Browns game, a 17-13 loss to the Colts.
The Browns had a golden opportunity to win a second straight game, end a lengthy road-losing streak, and give new owner Jimmy Haslam a reason to consider keeping Pat Shurmer. Instead, they lost a very winnable game. The following are my observations in the wake of the loss.
A week after establishing a balanced attack on offense, the Browns went away from the run again. Brandon Weeden put the ball up 41 times while the Browns only rushed 17 times. Remember last week when you beat the Bengals? Remember how balanced the offense was with Montario Hardesty picking up the injured Trent Richardson? Yeah, they forgot and instead put it on the rookie quarterback, who played well, but shouldn't have had to carry the load again.
Josh Gordon, drop aside, is establishing himself as a legitimate deep threat every time he touches the ball. Yes, he should've caught the long pass on 3rd and 1 from Weeden, but I can't fault him for dropping a pass that hit his hands right as the sun field hit his eyes. He may not use it as an excuse, but it was pretty obvious he lost that ball at the last second. Aside from that, he made another spectacular catch and a very-well thrown ball by Weeden on his back shoulder, then backed his way into the end zone. The two have developed immediate chemistry and could be exciting for years to come.
Josh Cooper, Weeden's college teammate, has also come up big in his two games. Weeden has started looking for him regularly on third down and for good reason; he catches most everything thrown his way. With Travis Benjamin coming back, the Browns actually might have a good, young set of receivers to grow with Weeden.
The offensive line hasn't made a lot of noise lately, and that's a good thing. Weeden gets hit from time to time, but he now has more confidence in his pass-blocking unit. He's only been sacked twice in the last couple of weeks, a stark contrast to the first couple of games. It helps that Weeden has become more decisive with the ball, getting rid of it quickly in many cases. They still have room to improve with run-blocking, but it's getting there.
The defense needs some help and they need it soon. Phil Taylor returning to practice is a welcome sign, but Ahtyba Rubin was largely ineffective last week as he battled a calf injury and asking two rookies to fill that void is asking a lot. The defensive line has shown promise at times, but has been gashed at others. The Colts weren't a good running team and were able to rack up big yards, especially when they needed it most. They may have to address this in the offseason.
Jabaal Sheard isn't recording the sacks, but it isn't for lack of effort. The guy is simply getting double-teamed since no one else is generating any pressure, and in the case of last weekend, being held constantly without any flags flying. The Browns may want to send some footage into the league office since there were numerous times it was obvious Sheard was being held. I'm not worried about him, but the Browns need to find ways to get pressure from other areas. Opposing quarterbacks have had entirely too much time to scan the field.
For the first time this year, I was completely disappointed with the coaching, and that's saying something. I've generally been able to understand a lot of what's going on, but the more I watch them use play-action passes without establishing a running game, the more I wonder if they understand how play-action works. The 4th and 1 situation was a chance for the Browns to gain momentum, instead Pat Shurmer punted, much to the dismay of Jimmy Haslam, who clearly thought they should go for it. Now, Haslam isn't a coach, but they didn't have much to lose if they didn't convert there. The bigger disappointment is their inability to stick with the run, even though the Colts were the worst rushing defense in the league. That's simply inexcusable.
Special teams didn't do the team any favors this week, as Ray Ventrone was hit with a couple of questionable holding calls. They didn't hurt the team much either, but we all keep waiting for Josh Cribbs to break one and he hasn't so far.
How serious is the injury to Richardson, and why was he in at all if it were that bad? I would rather them give the ball to Hardesty 25 times than try and force a bad situation to become worse. Richardson's value is infinitely more important in the years to come, not when the team is already down and out. Get him healthy, until then, give it to Hardesty and see what he can do.
The Browns have two more games before their bye week, and to me, it's imperative they win them if Shurmer wants to keep his job next year. San Diego is a winnable game, especially with the way the Chargers keep imploding, but Phillip Rivers is dangerous and it's possible he could light up a weak Browns defense. The following week is a rematch against the Ravens, a team decimated by injuries and who will be coming off a bye after getting manhandled by the Houston Texans. These are two winnable games, much like all the rest this season, but the Browns need to show up on both sides of the ball.
The Browns had a golden opportunity to win a second straight game, end a lengthy road-losing streak, and give new owner Jimmy Haslam a reason to consider keeping Pat Shurmer. Instead, they lost a very winnable game. The following are my observations in the wake of the loss.
A week after establishing a balanced attack on offense, the Browns went away from the run again. Brandon Weeden put the ball up 41 times while the Browns only rushed 17 times. Remember last week when you beat the Bengals? Remember how balanced the offense was with Montario Hardesty picking up the injured Trent Richardson? Yeah, they forgot and instead put it on the rookie quarterback, who played well, but shouldn't have had to carry the load again.
Josh Gordon, drop aside, is establishing himself as a legitimate deep threat every time he touches the ball. Yes, he should've caught the long pass on 3rd and 1 from Weeden, but I can't fault him for dropping a pass that hit his hands right as the sun field hit his eyes. He may not use it as an excuse, but it was pretty obvious he lost that ball at the last second. Aside from that, he made another spectacular catch and a very-well thrown ball by Weeden on his back shoulder, then backed his way into the end zone. The two have developed immediate chemistry and could be exciting for years to come.
Josh Cooper, Weeden's college teammate, has also come up big in his two games. Weeden has started looking for him regularly on third down and for good reason; he catches most everything thrown his way. With Travis Benjamin coming back, the Browns actually might have a good, young set of receivers to grow with Weeden.
The offensive line hasn't made a lot of noise lately, and that's a good thing. Weeden gets hit from time to time, but he now has more confidence in his pass-blocking unit. He's only been sacked twice in the last couple of weeks, a stark contrast to the first couple of games. It helps that Weeden has become more decisive with the ball, getting rid of it quickly in many cases. They still have room to improve with run-blocking, but it's getting there.
The defense needs some help and they need it soon. Phil Taylor returning to practice is a welcome sign, but Ahtyba Rubin was largely ineffective last week as he battled a calf injury and asking two rookies to fill that void is asking a lot. The defensive line has shown promise at times, but has been gashed at others. The Colts weren't a good running team and were able to rack up big yards, especially when they needed it most. They may have to address this in the offseason.
Jabaal Sheard isn't recording the sacks, but it isn't for lack of effort. The guy is simply getting double-teamed since no one else is generating any pressure, and in the case of last weekend, being held constantly without any flags flying. The Browns may want to send some footage into the league office since there were numerous times it was obvious Sheard was being held. I'm not worried about him, but the Browns need to find ways to get pressure from other areas. Opposing quarterbacks have had entirely too much time to scan the field.
For the first time this year, I was completely disappointed with the coaching, and that's saying something. I've generally been able to understand a lot of what's going on, but the more I watch them use play-action passes without establishing a running game, the more I wonder if they understand how play-action works. The 4th and 1 situation was a chance for the Browns to gain momentum, instead Pat Shurmer punted, much to the dismay of Jimmy Haslam, who clearly thought they should go for it. Now, Haslam isn't a coach, but they didn't have much to lose if they didn't convert there. The bigger disappointment is their inability to stick with the run, even though the Colts were the worst rushing defense in the league. That's simply inexcusable.
Special teams didn't do the team any favors this week, as Ray Ventrone was hit with a couple of questionable holding calls. They didn't hurt the team much either, but we all keep waiting for Josh Cribbs to break one and he hasn't so far.
How serious is the injury to Richardson, and why was he in at all if it were that bad? I would rather them give the ball to Hardesty 25 times than try and force a bad situation to become worse. Richardson's value is infinitely more important in the years to come, not when the team is already down and out. Get him healthy, until then, give it to Hardesty and see what he can do.
The Browns have two more games before their bye week, and to me, it's imperative they win them if Shurmer wants to keep his job next year. San Diego is a winnable game, especially with the way the Chargers keep imploding, but Phillip Rivers is dangerous and it's possible he could light up a weak Browns defense. The following week is a rematch against the Ravens, a team decimated by injuries and who will be coming off a bye after getting manhandled by the Houston Texans. These are two winnable games, much like all the rest this season, but the Browns need to show up on both sides of the ball.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
The Sports Mixer - After further review
A look back at last weekend's Browns game with some additional commentary thrown in for good measure.
Yes, I'm doing things differently this week.
Well, that was an atrocious week of picks. I started off well enough, but the afternoon slate of games absolutely bombed me and I needed Peyton Manning's miraculous comeback to finish .500 for the week. But hey, the Browns won! So that makes looking back at this game much easier.
Without further ado, here are the things I took from the game after briefly watching it on DVR.
Brandon Weeden continues to mature in front of us. No, you can't take away his abysmal first start, but you can see the progress being made from week to week. This game is his best simply because of the victory and the fact that he came alive in the second half. Take away the 71 yard bomb to Josh Gordon (more on him in a minute), and the first half was a dud. The second half was different. He was decisive, he was on-time with his throws, he was accurate, and as his 23 yard pass to Jordan Cameron showed, who fell on the route initially, he was patient and didn't give up on plays. Two touchdowns and one interception while being efficient is a good way to win games.
The defense was lifted by the return of Joe Haden despite AJ Green running wild at times. Haden had seven tackles, three knock aways, and an interception, but more importantly, his energy lifted a sagging unit that was missing several starters again. Green got his, but no one else did much against the Browns defense with the exception of one other long touchdown pass.
Montario Hardesty finally showed what he can do when healthy and running hard. In relief of Trent Richardson, Hardesty was quick to the hole and showed a burst I didn't know he had. He also chipped in his first career rushing touchdown. What was even better was seeing all four running backs coming together on the sidelines when Hardesty came off the field.
D'Qwell Jackson recovered nicely from his concussion, helping a defense that was frankly gashed after he left the previous game against the Giants. Is he a huge difference maker in the run game? I can't say for certain, but his return certainly shored up things for a defense missing Scott Fujita, Ahtyba Rubin, Phil Taylor, and Dmitri Patterson.
The Browns finally found some balance with their offensive attack in this game, which made all the difference in the world. There's no better example than on the touchdown pass to Ben Watson, who was left all alone in the endzone when the entire Bengals defense bit hard on playfake by Weeden to Hardesty. Weeden was able to float the pass over the defenders for an easy score that made it 27-17 at the time.
The defense stepped up when needed most, especially in the fourth quarter when the Bengals were attempting to come back. First, following the Watson score, Sheldon Brown picked off Andy Dalton and took it back 19 yards for a score to make it 34-17. Then, after Green hauled in a long touchdown pass, they strip-sacked Dalton when the Bengals were in field goal range. Finally, after Reggie Hodges pinned them down at the five yard line, Ursama Young picked off a desperation pass in the end zone, allowing Weeden and the offense to use the nearly-forgotten victory formation, sealing the victory.
Don't forget Josh Cribbs' importance in this game. He was a beast on special teams, returning a punt for 60 yards and consistently giving the Browns good starting position on kickoffs and punts. It wasn't long ago that people were questioning whether he should be no longer returning kicks and since then, he's responded with several big returns. He's overdue for a touchdown still though.
Josh Gordon is developing into a big-play receiver in a hurry. He doesn't have a ton of receptions, but the ones he's made the last two weeks have been big ones. First there was the 61 yarder against the Giants. This week he decided to haul a 71 yarder through a stiff wind with one hand. That play demonstrated two things: one was Weeden's arm strength to throw the ball through the wind that far; the second was Gordon's ability to catch a difficult throw on the run. He's young, he's still raw, but he's shown a lot of upside.
The coaching staff needed this as much as the players did. Pat Shurmer has been under a lot of heat this year and for once, the coaching wasn't being questioned. Third and one wasn't an issue this week as they converted a number of them. In fact, Weeden was exceptionally good on third down in this game.
The key will be to continue this next week against the Indianapolis Colts, who were demolished by the New York Jets. Richardson left with an injury, but is expected to be healthy, and if Hardesty is running well still, the Browns could pick up a lot of yardage on the ground against one of the worst rushing defenses in the league. The Colts have been better just because of the play of fellow rookie Andrew Luck though and will not be an easy team to beat.
Never bet against Peyton Manning on Monday Night Football. Last night, he and the Broncos spotted the Chargers a 24-0 lead at halftime, then came storming back as Phillip Rivers turned the ball over multiple times in the second half. Manning meanwhile was brilliant, leading the charge back with several pretty passes as the Broncos won 35-24. Thank you Peyton for saving my horrible week of picks.
Yes, I'm doing things differently this week.
Well, that was an atrocious week of picks. I started off well enough, but the afternoon slate of games absolutely bombed me and I needed Peyton Manning's miraculous comeback to finish .500 for the week. But hey, the Browns won! So that makes looking back at this game much easier.
Without further ado, here are the things I took from the game after briefly watching it on DVR.
Brandon Weeden continues to mature in front of us. No, you can't take away his abysmal first start, but you can see the progress being made from week to week. This game is his best simply because of the victory and the fact that he came alive in the second half. Take away the 71 yard bomb to Josh Gordon (more on him in a minute), and the first half was a dud. The second half was different. He was decisive, he was on-time with his throws, he was accurate, and as his 23 yard pass to Jordan Cameron showed, who fell on the route initially, he was patient and didn't give up on plays. Two touchdowns and one interception while being efficient is a good way to win games.
The defense was lifted by the return of Joe Haden despite AJ Green running wild at times. Haden had seven tackles, three knock aways, and an interception, but more importantly, his energy lifted a sagging unit that was missing several starters again. Green got his, but no one else did much against the Browns defense with the exception of one other long touchdown pass.
Montario Hardesty finally showed what he can do when healthy and running hard. In relief of Trent Richardson, Hardesty was quick to the hole and showed a burst I didn't know he had. He also chipped in his first career rushing touchdown. What was even better was seeing all four running backs coming together on the sidelines when Hardesty came off the field.
D'Qwell Jackson recovered nicely from his concussion, helping a defense that was frankly gashed after he left the previous game against the Giants. Is he a huge difference maker in the run game? I can't say for certain, but his return certainly shored up things for a defense missing Scott Fujita, Ahtyba Rubin, Phil Taylor, and Dmitri Patterson.
The Browns finally found some balance with their offensive attack in this game, which made all the difference in the world. There's no better example than on the touchdown pass to Ben Watson, who was left all alone in the endzone when the entire Bengals defense bit hard on playfake by Weeden to Hardesty. Weeden was able to float the pass over the defenders for an easy score that made it 27-17 at the time.
The defense stepped up when needed most, especially in the fourth quarter when the Bengals were attempting to come back. First, following the Watson score, Sheldon Brown picked off Andy Dalton and took it back 19 yards for a score to make it 34-17. Then, after Green hauled in a long touchdown pass, they strip-sacked Dalton when the Bengals were in field goal range. Finally, after Reggie Hodges pinned them down at the five yard line, Ursama Young picked off a desperation pass in the end zone, allowing Weeden and the offense to use the nearly-forgotten victory formation, sealing the victory.
Don't forget Josh Cribbs' importance in this game. He was a beast on special teams, returning a punt for 60 yards and consistently giving the Browns good starting position on kickoffs and punts. It wasn't long ago that people were questioning whether he should be no longer returning kicks and since then, he's responded with several big returns. He's overdue for a touchdown still though.
Josh Gordon is developing into a big-play receiver in a hurry. He doesn't have a ton of receptions, but the ones he's made the last two weeks have been big ones. First there was the 61 yarder against the Giants. This week he decided to haul a 71 yarder through a stiff wind with one hand. That play demonstrated two things: one was Weeden's arm strength to throw the ball through the wind that far; the second was Gordon's ability to catch a difficult throw on the run. He's young, he's still raw, but he's shown a lot of upside.
The coaching staff needed this as much as the players did. Pat Shurmer has been under a lot of heat this year and for once, the coaching wasn't being questioned. Third and one wasn't an issue this week as they converted a number of them. In fact, Weeden was exceptionally good on third down in this game.
The key will be to continue this next week against the Indianapolis Colts, who were demolished by the New York Jets. Richardson left with an injury, but is expected to be healthy, and if Hardesty is running well still, the Browns could pick up a lot of yardage on the ground against one of the worst rushing defenses in the league. The Colts have been better just because of the play of fellow rookie Andrew Luck though and will not be an easy team to beat.
Never bet against Peyton Manning on Monday Night Football. Last night, he and the Broncos spotted the Chargers a 24-0 lead at halftime, then came storming back as Phillip Rivers turned the ball over multiple times in the second half. Manning meanwhile was brilliant, leading the charge back with several pretty passes as the Broncos won 35-24. Thank you Peyton for saving my horrible week of picks.
Friday, September 28, 2012
The Sports Mixer - After further review
A look back at last night's Browns-Ravens game...
The Browns lost to the Ravens 23-16 last night. The following are some things I took away from this game as I've had time to digest what I saw and come to some reasonable, if not biased conclusions.
The Brandon Weeden debate will probably rage on, but he's continued to show improvement from week to week despite Pat Shurmer's reluctance to run the ball after halftime. Trent Richardson wasn't lighting the world on fire, but he was gaining yards against a good defense. Weeden made one very bad throw on the pick-six, but outside of that and his final airmail, his passes were catchable. His receivers didn't help him by dropping at least five passes. The drop by Greg Little that would've made it 23-20 was particularly rough. Weeden did enough to win this game though.
The offensive line wasn't as offensive tonight. Yes, Weeden was hit, but for the most part, he was able to get the passes off before the hits came. There were a couple of times where that wasn't the case, such as when Haloti Ngata shoved Alex Mack up against Weeden, completely disrupting the play and causing a sack. Overall though, it was a good enough performance. They still need to open up more holes in the run game though. Joe Thomas was hit with another holding penalty, his fourth this season. It was a weak hold, but a hold nonetheless.
Trent Richardson needs the ball more and someone needs to remind Shurmer of this. 14 rushes for 47 yards isn't a lot, but his average of 3.4 ypc was better than Ray Rice's, who was held in check by the Browns defense. Richardson did catch 4 passes for 57 yards, but it still feels like he's being underutilized. Maybe the coaches are still being cautious, but he's seen the endzone four times in four games. Get him the ball. Also, kudos to him seeming to pick up on blitz protection when he was in there.
Josh Cribbs should be lucky to be standing today. The hit he took on a punt return wasn't malicious, but it was still a hard hit that caused his helmet to fly up in the air, knock him out, and cause a fumble. The referees had to review the play to make sure his helmet was on still when he fumbled (a rule I wasn't aware of; if a helmet comes off the ballcarrier while being tackled, the play is whistled dead), but Cribbs was clearly out for a few moments. He has a few extra days to recover from the apparent concussion before the next game, which is good because the Browns need him.
Greg Little still can't reliably catch the ball, but he made a couple of tough catches to help his cause. Unfortunately, the ones he dropped are the ones we all remember, particularly his drop as he fell in the endzone that would've made it 23-20. Instead, the Browns had to kick a field goal to make it 23-16. Little has the ability to make plays, but he just can't seem to consistently do so.
Josh Gordon made a nice catch in the fourth quarter, his lone catch. It was good for 16 yards and he was hit almost immediately after cradling the ball. He held on though and the drive continued after that. He needs to pick it up and show he was worth the second round pick the Browns spent on him. His size and athleticism are apparent, but he still seems to be figuring out the speed of the NFL.
The Browns miss Joe Haden in a bad way. Three games, three big passing days from opponents despite the defensive line and linebackers doing a pretty good job. Dmitri Patterson was picked on in the second half last night while Buster Skrine was attacked last week. Skrine was also hit with a defensive holding on the Ravens final drive that prolonged things and took time away from Weeden on his final drive. It's clear the Browns need another corner to play opposite when Haden comes back regardless.
Phil Dawson just keeps hitting field goal after field goal, no matter what the distance is. He hit three last night, all from 50 yards or beyond to keep the Browns in the game. The scary part? All three could've been good from 60 or beyond. He had that much leg in each kick. The man should get one long-term contract to help finish his career and retire as a Brown.
The defense overall played a solid game, despite the secondary's issues. Craig Robertson played an inspired first half, picking off a Joe Flacco pass in the end zone. Billy Winn continued to show that he belongs in the rotation even after Phil Taylor comes back. Between Ahtyba Rubin, Taylor, Winn, and John Hughes, the Browns have the potential to have a very deep interior in the defensive line. Frostee Rucker was in the backfield a couple of times and Jabaal Sheard picked up his first sack and pressured Flacco on a few other occasions despite being double-teamed at times. D'Qwell Jackson was in on several plays as he continued his strong start to the season.
Travis Benjamin is giving the coaches a reason to keep him in, catching two passes for 26 yards and bringing a punt back 40 yards in relief of the injured Cribbs. Jordan Norwood and Benjamin Watson also played well, although Norwood dropped a couple passes, including a potential touchdown pass. The group needs someone to step up and Benjamin looks like he wants to.
A lot will be made of the wasted time in the first half, as once again Pat Shurmer played it safe when there was plenty of time to try and get a score. Down 9-7 the Browns forced a punt after taking a timeout to stop the clock. They had over 1:30 to move the ball with two timeouts still, yet the first play after the punt was a draw to Richardson for two yards. Maybe Shurmer was trying to catch the Ravens napping, but if not for a big stand on defense, this could've backfired as the Ravens got the ball back with time to spare. However, Sheard picked a great time to get his first sack and the Ravens ended up running out the clock.
Finally, the real referees made their return and the flow of the game was so much better. There was still some chippy play, but the refs were quick to jump in and separate the players involved. Unsportsmanlike conduct penalties were called on either side, Shurmer was hit with one after a questionable intentional grounding penalty was called on Weeden, and Paul Kruger was hit with one with two seconds left when he shoved Thomas down (who did a great acting job to boot; nevertheless Kruger still shoved him and the ref caught him), allowing one last play for the Browns. The refs were decisive and there were no issues with reviews, penalties, spotting the ball, or clock management. In short, they weren't really noticed, and that's a good thing
Going forward, when will the Browns win a game? It doesn't appear to be next week, as they venture to the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants in New York. The Giants are a pass-happy team and this will be the last game missed for Haden, which means a depleted secondary could get scorched one last time unless something crazy happens. After that is a rematch with the Cincinnati Bengals at home, which seems like a much more likely time to get a win. Haden will be back and Richardson and Weeden should have one more game under their belt.
The Browns lost to the Ravens 23-16 last night. The following are some things I took away from this game as I've had time to digest what I saw and come to some reasonable, if not biased conclusions.
The Brandon Weeden debate will probably rage on, but he's continued to show improvement from week to week despite Pat Shurmer's reluctance to run the ball after halftime. Trent Richardson wasn't lighting the world on fire, but he was gaining yards against a good defense. Weeden made one very bad throw on the pick-six, but outside of that and his final airmail, his passes were catchable. His receivers didn't help him by dropping at least five passes. The drop by Greg Little that would've made it 23-20 was particularly rough. Weeden did enough to win this game though.
The offensive line wasn't as offensive tonight. Yes, Weeden was hit, but for the most part, he was able to get the passes off before the hits came. There were a couple of times where that wasn't the case, such as when Haloti Ngata shoved Alex Mack up against Weeden, completely disrupting the play and causing a sack. Overall though, it was a good enough performance. They still need to open up more holes in the run game though. Joe Thomas was hit with another holding penalty, his fourth this season. It was a weak hold, but a hold nonetheless.
Trent Richardson needs the ball more and someone needs to remind Shurmer of this. 14 rushes for 47 yards isn't a lot, but his average of 3.4 ypc was better than Ray Rice's, who was held in check by the Browns defense. Richardson did catch 4 passes for 57 yards, but it still feels like he's being underutilized. Maybe the coaches are still being cautious, but he's seen the endzone four times in four games. Get him the ball. Also, kudos to him seeming to pick up on blitz protection when he was in there.
Josh Cribbs should be lucky to be standing today. The hit he took on a punt return wasn't malicious, but it was still a hard hit that caused his helmet to fly up in the air, knock him out, and cause a fumble. The referees had to review the play to make sure his helmet was on still when he fumbled (a rule I wasn't aware of; if a helmet comes off the ballcarrier while being tackled, the play is whistled dead), but Cribbs was clearly out for a few moments. He has a few extra days to recover from the apparent concussion before the next game, which is good because the Browns need him.
Greg Little still can't reliably catch the ball, but he made a couple of tough catches to help his cause. Unfortunately, the ones he dropped are the ones we all remember, particularly his drop as he fell in the endzone that would've made it 23-20. Instead, the Browns had to kick a field goal to make it 23-16. Little has the ability to make plays, but he just can't seem to consistently do so.
Josh Gordon made a nice catch in the fourth quarter, his lone catch. It was good for 16 yards and he was hit almost immediately after cradling the ball. He held on though and the drive continued after that. He needs to pick it up and show he was worth the second round pick the Browns spent on him. His size and athleticism are apparent, but he still seems to be figuring out the speed of the NFL.
The Browns miss Joe Haden in a bad way. Three games, three big passing days from opponents despite the defensive line and linebackers doing a pretty good job. Dmitri Patterson was picked on in the second half last night while Buster Skrine was attacked last week. Skrine was also hit with a defensive holding on the Ravens final drive that prolonged things and took time away from Weeden on his final drive. It's clear the Browns need another corner to play opposite when Haden comes back regardless.
Phil Dawson just keeps hitting field goal after field goal, no matter what the distance is. He hit three last night, all from 50 yards or beyond to keep the Browns in the game. The scary part? All three could've been good from 60 or beyond. He had that much leg in each kick. The man should get one long-term contract to help finish his career and retire as a Brown.
The defense overall played a solid game, despite the secondary's issues. Craig Robertson played an inspired first half, picking off a Joe Flacco pass in the end zone. Billy Winn continued to show that he belongs in the rotation even after Phil Taylor comes back. Between Ahtyba Rubin, Taylor, Winn, and John Hughes, the Browns have the potential to have a very deep interior in the defensive line. Frostee Rucker was in the backfield a couple of times and Jabaal Sheard picked up his first sack and pressured Flacco on a few other occasions despite being double-teamed at times. D'Qwell Jackson was in on several plays as he continued his strong start to the season.
Travis Benjamin is giving the coaches a reason to keep him in, catching two passes for 26 yards and bringing a punt back 40 yards in relief of the injured Cribbs. Jordan Norwood and Benjamin Watson also played well, although Norwood dropped a couple passes, including a potential touchdown pass. The group needs someone to step up and Benjamin looks like he wants to.
A lot will be made of the wasted time in the first half, as once again Pat Shurmer played it safe when there was plenty of time to try and get a score. Down 9-7 the Browns forced a punt after taking a timeout to stop the clock. They had over 1:30 to move the ball with two timeouts still, yet the first play after the punt was a draw to Richardson for two yards. Maybe Shurmer was trying to catch the Ravens napping, but if not for a big stand on defense, this could've backfired as the Ravens got the ball back with time to spare. However, Sheard picked a great time to get his first sack and the Ravens ended up running out the clock.
Finally, the real referees made their return and the flow of the game was so much better. There was still some chippy play, but the refs were quick to jump in and separate the players involved. Unsportsmanlike conduct penalties were called on either side, Shurmer was hit with one after a questionable intentional grounding penalty was called on Weeden, and Paul Kruger was hit with one with two seconds left when he shoved Thomas down (who did a great acting job to boot; nevertheless Kruger still shoved him and the ref caught him), allowing one last play for the Browns. The refs were decisive and there were no issues with reviews, penalties, spotting the ball, or clock management. In short, they weren't really noticed, and that's a good thing
Going forward, when will the Browns win a game? It doesn't appear to be next week, as they venture to the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants in New York. The Giants are a pass-happy team and this will be the last game missed for Haden, which means a depleted secondary could get scorched one last time unless something crazy happens. After that is a rematch with the Cincinnati Bengals at home, which seems like a much more likely time to get a win. Haden will be back and Richardson and Weeden should have one more game under their belt.
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