Each week the Sports Mixer takes a look back at the previous Browns game, this time a look at the Browns 30-7 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, and discusses what was learned. This intro is never the same, is it?
Jamaal Charles came to play, unfortunately, the rest of the Chiefs took Sunday off. He ripped off an 80-yard touchdown run on the first place from scrimmage, ultimately compiling 165 yards on 18 carries. That 9.1 average is gaudy, and averaging 5 ypc on his other 17 runs is still high, but considering what happened on that first play, the defense did a nice job clamping down on Charles and hitting him hard every time.
Trent Richardson appears to be hurt, but continues to soldier on and has picked up 9 touchdowns for his pain. Montario Hardesty has done a nice job filling in for Richardson from series to series, picking up 52 yards on 10 carries in this game. He could've had a touchdown, but he fumbled at the goal line, which prompted Pat Shurmer to reinsert Richardson to pick up the touchdown. Hardesty was upset, but he had only himself to blame. His fumbling problems in the preseason landed him third on the depth chart early on. That said, he doesn't waste any time in the backfield. He gets the ball, finds the hole, and runs through it quickly.
Josh Gordon continues to impress, not just with his hands, but with how much better his routes have gotten and how much better he sheds defensive backs at the line of scrimmage. Simply put, he's developing into a top-tier wide receiver at an alarming rate and it's not out of the question that he could reach 1,000 yards receiving. The other thing is he had a drop early in a drive that essentially helped stall it out on a slant. It was a good pass, he just dropped it. He made amends by making the grab on the exact same type of route later on to pick up a quick first down. Is he immune from drops? No, but he makes up for it and doesn't seem to become infected with the dropsies that his counterpart has struggled with.
Speaking of Greg Little, he's really come on strong of late. Since the bye week, he's had maybe on drop, made several tough grabs, and has been superb blocking downfield for other receivers and running backs when he's not getting the ball. Toss in a toss play where he lined up as the running back, and it seems like the Browns and Little are finally figuring out how to put it all together. He's been a different player with the emergence of Gordon, and that's a very good thing.
The defensive line has been impressive, this despite getting gashed at times by Charles. Fact is, Charles has gashed a lot of teams but the Browns made the proper adjustment and limited the damage after the first possession. Then they went after Brady Quinn after the Browns took command of the game in the second half, leading to five sacks.
The secondary looks so much better with Joe Haden out there, but it helps having better play from the defensive line and linebackers. It's allowed Sheldon Brown, Buster Skrine, and Dmitri Patterson to play in more comfortable roles. Quinn isn't a very good quarterback, but they didn't allow him to gain much confidence with his passes.
Travis Benjamin may have played his way into lead returner with his 93 yard return on what was supposed to be a punt block play. In the open field, you can see how challenging it is to bring him down. He blew past the first wave of defenders, then essentially ran past everyone, including his escort of blockers that was initially ahead of him. The punter saw Josh Cribbs coming and said no thanks. From there, Benjamin ran the Browns into the lead and possibly showed Cribbs the door after this season.
The offensive line doesn't do a great job of run blocking, but the improvement in the pass game is clear. Sure, Brandon Weeden gets a number of passes knocked down, but some of that is just because the defense isn't getting to Weeden and is jumping up to block passes. Steve Tasker mentioned on the TV broadcast that Weeden could benefit from a pump fake, a move he tried later in the game. It would have been successful if the defender hadn't managed to grab a hold of Weeden's jersey on the way by, preventing Weeden from putting enough on the pass to score an easy touchdown. Overall though, the line has played well.
Weeden has taken his lumps this season, but he's passed for over 3,000 in his rookie season, won five games, hasn't sustained any major injuries, and has managed to lead sustained drives at critical points the last couple of weeks. You'd like to see the batted passes drop and a little better accuracy, but overall, he's done well enough to earn the starting nod next season in this corner.
Pat Shurmer has taken lumps for his decisions, but he's drastically improved over the last few weeks. Some will question his challenge on the Cribbs run, but this observer couldn't tell if the knee was down and Cribbs deserved at least a chance at that score. The timeout wasn't wasted in the long run as the Browns time management was the best it's been all season long. At one point, this corner had realized that it was late in the game and not once had the Browns used a timeout due to the playclock running down. The imagination on offense was a welcome sight as well as the Browns used the wildcat twice, a double-reverse with Benjamin, and Little out of the backfield for nice gains.
It isn't entirely out of the question for the Browns to run the table and finish 8-8, although it's highly unlikely given the level of competition they have coming up. That said, they're in the playoff hunt still and that's something we haven't been able to say in a few years now. The Redskins game may be the most winnable game on the schedule though, seeing as trips to Denver and Pittsburgh follow this final home game. We'll see how far this team has grown over the next three weeks, or if they falter, how far they still have to go.
Finally, the NFL is such an unpredictable league in that few probably saw the Falcons losing to the Panthers, the Steelers getting rolled by the previously lethargic Chargers, the Texans failing to show up against the Patriots, or the Bears getting run over by the Vikings. It was a tough week for picks but that's what makes football great; any team can win any day.
Showing posts with label trent richardson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trent richardson. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
The Sports Mixer - After further review
Each week I take a look back at the last Browns game and point out the things that stood out to me. The most recent game was a 20-17 win over the Oakland Raiders....sorry Heny.
Brandon Weeden continues to make rookie mistakes, but he reminded fans why the Browns were high on him when he dropped a 44 yard touchdown pass to Josh Gordon that stunned the Raider crowd. Unfortunately, he dropped two picks into the laps of the Raiders when the Browns were driving down the field, removing two potential scoring opportunities. He now has 13 touchdown passes, but the 15 interceptions continue to be a concern.
Trent Richardson runs hard, but it seems like Montario Hardesty hits the hole faster and gets upfield quicker. Richardson doesn't go down easily though and is still likely going to hit 1,000 yards rushing despite missing all of preseason and significant time in other games due to a rib injury.
Josh Gordon has been the surprise of the year for the Browns. Showing a set of hands not seen in these parts in a long time to go with a good burst of speed and good size, the Browns may have found a number one receiver. Add in the sudden improvement shown by Greg Little, and the receiver situation is suddenly ten times better than previously thought.
The defense, well, Buster Skrine, allowed a big play, but otherwise played fairly well. There wasn't a ton of pressure on Carson Palmer, but the coverage was generally good. Sheldon Brown in particular had a solid game, defending three passes and picking off an underthrown pass from Palmer that directly led to the scoring drive that sealed the win.
The team showed tremendous growth on that scoring drive as Weeden threw for a couple of critical first downs and Richardson punched it in from three yards out, something we're becoming accustomed to seeing from him this year. He has seven on the season and it isn't inconceivable that he could pass Jim Brown's rookie record by the end of the season.
For the first time in a long time, Pat Shurmer didn't make any glaring mistakes in coaching. He went for it on fourth down on two different occasions and had Weeden throw the ball deep on several other occasions to keep the Raiders defense honest. Some may point to his lack of a challenge on a bad spot on the final scoring drive that burned a timeout, but in retrospect, that moment had little bearing on the final outcome.
The Browns matched their win total from last season with this win, and it's very possible they could win two more games this season. This week's game against the Chiefs is winnable despite the mini momentum that the Chiefs picked up in their emotional win last week. The following week gives them their first look at Robert Griffin III, then they travel to Denver where it's possible the Broncos could be resting some starters that day. They finish the season in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers could be fighting for their playoff lives.
The growth on this team can't be discounted, even from the most pessimistic of people. Jabaal Sheard's sack numbers are down, but he's been more involved in the steadily improving run defense. Rookie defensive tackles Billy Winn and John Hughes have both shown tremendous promise as part of a rotation that includes last year's rookie Phil Taylor and standout veteran Ahtyba Rubin. The young linebackers have shown growth as well, and despite Skrine's penchant for bad plays at bad times, even he has shown growth on the field. Offensively, Mitchell Schwartz's name is not being called, which is good for an offensive linemen. We've documented Weeden, Gordon, Little, and Richardson, but the offensive line has improved over the course of the season.
Josh Cribbs has complained about his role, but truth is, he's becoming less and less of a factor overall. Aside from being one of the first men down on special teams to make a tackle, his return numbers have been declining and he made one incredibly poor decision to bring a kick out from 9 yards deep. He still is capable of a big return, but it seems less and less likely he's going to break one anytime soon.
Last, but not least, a special shout-out to Phil Dawson, who's consecutive made field goals streak came to a halt, not because of a bad kick, but because of a high snap, treacherous field conditions, and a deflection because of the timing being thrown off. Dawson made two other field goals though and ultimately provided the margin of victory. Dawson has been steady and deserves one final contract before riding out into the sunset.
Brandon Weeden continues to make rookie mistakes, but he reminded fans why the Browns were high on him when he dropped a 44 yard touchdown pass to Josh Gordon that stunned the Raider crowd. Unfortunately, he dropped two picks into the laps of the Raiders when the Browns were driving down the field, removing two potential scoring opportunities. He now has 13 touchdown passes, but the 15 interceptions continue to be a concern.
Trent Richardson runs hard, but it seems like Montario Hardesty hits the hole faster and gets upfield quicker. Richardson doesn't go down easily though and is still likely going to hit 1,000 yards rushing despite missing all of preseason and significant time in other games due to a rib injury.
Josh Gordon has been the surprise of the year for the Browns. Showing a set of hands not seen in these parts in a long time to go with a good burst of speed and good size, the Browns may have found a number one receiver. Add in the sudden improvement shown by Greg Little, and the receiver situation is suddenly ten times better than previously thought.
The defense, well, Buster Skrine, allowed a big play, but otherwise played fairly well. There wasn't a ton of pressure on Carson Palmer, but the coverage was generally good. Sheldon Brown in particular had a solid game, defending three passes and picking off an underthrown pass from Palmer that directly led to the scoring drive that sealed the win.
The team showed tremendous growth on that scoring drive as Weeden threw for a couple of critical first downs and Richardson punched it in from three yards out, something we're becoming accustomed to seeing from him this year. He has seven on the season and it isn't inconceivable that he could pass Jim Brown's rookie record by the end of the season.
For the first time in a long time, Pat Shurmer didn't make any glaring mistakes in coaching. He went for it on fourth down on two different occasions and had Weeden throw the ball deep on several other occasions to keep the Raiders defense honest. Some may point to his lack of a challenge on a bad spot on the final scoring drive that burned a timeout, but in retrospect, that moment had little bearing on the final outcome.
The Browns matched their win total from last season with this win, and it's very possible they could win two more games this season. This week's game against the Chiefs is winnable despite the mini momentum that the Chiefs picked up in their emotional win last week. The following week gives them their first look at Robert Griffin III, then they travel to Denver where it's possible the Broncos could be resting some starters that day. They finish the season in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers could be fighting for their playoff lives.
The growth on this team can't be discounted, even from the most pessimistic of people. Jabaal Sheard's sack numbers are down, but he's been more involved in the steadily improving run defense. Rookie defensive tackles Billy Winn and John Hughes have both shown tremendous promise as part of a rotation that includes last year's rookie Phil Taylor and standout veteran Ahtyba Rubin. The young linebackers have shown growth as well, and despite Skrine's penchant for bad plays at bad times, even he has shown growth on the field. Offensively, Mitchell Schwartz's name is not being called, which is good for an offensive linemen. We've documented Weeden, Gordon, Little, and Richardson, but the offensive line has improved over the course of the season.
Josh Cribbs has complained about his role, but truth is, he's becoming less and less of a factor overall. Aside from being one of the first men down on special teams to make a tackle, his return numbers have been declining and he made one incredibly poor decision to bring a kick out from 9 yards deep. He still is capable of a big return, but it seems less and less likely he's going to break one anytime soon.
Last, but not least, a special shout-out to Phil Dawson, who's consecutive made field goals streak came to a halt, not because of a bad kick, but because of a high snap, treacherous field conditions, and a deflection because of the timing being thrown off. Dawson made two other field goals though and ultimately provided the margin of victory. Dawson has been steady and deserves one final contract before riding out into the sunset.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
The Sports Mixer - After further review
A quick look back at the previous Browns game, this time a 20-14 win over the Steelers. Yes, I know I skipped a week.
I didn't get to watch the last game. I know, for shame. Given the spat I'm having with Time Warner and the lack of options at my current apartment (a story for another time), it may be a while before I can catch a game at home at this point. Such is life, right? That said, I followed enough of it during the game online and watched several highlight clips, therefore I'm qualifying myself educated enough to look back at the game.
Brandon Weeden wasn't awful, but he needs to get better fast if he wants to state his case to the new management team that he's the quarterback of the future. Right now, he's on shaky ground. He made a good throw to Jordan Cameron on the touchdown pass, but too often he's off the mark, reminding many of Derek Anderson, another strong-armed quarterback that flamed out quickly.
The receivers are getting better, so you can't pin Weeden's performance on them so much. Greg Little has gotten better with the drops, Josh Gordon has become a viable option, Josh Cooper (when active) has shown the ability to catch the ball, and Cameron has shown he could be an option as well. A good offseason could be the difference between taking a big step forward next year or middling along where they're at.
Trent Richardson gets a lot of flack for dancing in the backfield, but it just seems to me that it's more of an issue with the line not opening up holes for Richardson and the coaching staff not using him correctly (I get running between the tackles, I really do, but where are the pitchouts?). He also didn't have a preseason due to his knee injury and has missed time due to a rib injury as well. Despite that, he's on pace for over 1100 total yards, which isn't too shabby, especially with how inconsistent the offense has been.
The line gave up some sacks, but it has played substantially better since the Philadelphia game when they looked lost as a unit and Weeden had the stuffing beaten out of him. Pittsburgh's defense will cause sacks. They're that good. But for the most part, the protection was there.
The defensive line is starting to look like the strength of the team. Now that Phil Taylor and Ahtyba Rubin are both healthy and part of the rotation, we were able to see the depth the Browns touted at the beginning of the year. Billy Winn and John Hughes have shown tremendous ability and now form a formidable tackle group. In the last two games, the run defense has been tremendous, bringing the Browns to 19th overall against the run, which seems amazing given how bad the run defense has been over the years.
The linebackers, as a result of the defensive line, were able to play free and easy and it showed. D'Qwell Jackson was named defensive player of the week and I have no doubt the play of the defensive line helped him earn that. Yes, he forced a fumble and recovered another, but the line made it possible.
The line also helped the defensive backs, who aside from a bad pass interference penalty on Sheldon Brown at the end of the first half (turn around already; you're a veteran and can't get turned around?), played a pretty solid game. It's remarkable though how much of a difference Joe Haden makes when he's out there though. Brown made up for his gaffe by picking off Charlie Batch, as did Haden later in the game.
The defense forced 8 turnovers overall. There were 5 fumbles, including one by each of the four running backs and three interceptions. If the offense could've taken advantage of the turnovers more, it could've been a blowout, but they still were able to get 17 points off those turnovers. Last week it was a sack-fest, this week it was attack of the turnovers.
Sure, it was Charlie Batch throwing the ball, but a win over the Steelers still counts for something for most Browns fans. It meant something to the players as well, especially veterans who have often been on the wrong end of a beatdown at the hands of the Steelers. Sure, Ben Roethlisberger may have made a difference, but the Browns finally found a way to win and fans will take it.
Finally, the white blow-up towel debate was way overblown by fans and media alike. Look, I get it. It comes across as waving the white flag at your rival, but after seeing the picture of the flag, I can't understand why fans get so riled up. I know we are Cleveland fans and often need to be riled up about something, but this seemed to be a real stretch. I wait for the day when this team is a winner and people are complaining because we only won by 10 and should've won by 20.
No, I'm not talking about coaching this week. I don't think I can add anything that hasn't been said by anyone else.
I didn't get to watch the last game. I know, for shame. Given the spat I'm having with Time Warner and the lack of options at my current apartment (a story for another time), it may be a while before I can catch a game at home at this point. Such is life, right? That said, I followed enough of it during the game online and watched several highlight clips, therefore I'm qualifying myself educated enough to look back at the game.
Brandon Weeden wasn't awful, but he needs to get better fast if he wants to state his case to the new management team that he's the quarterback of the future. Right now, he's on shaky ground. He made a good throw to Jordan Cameron on the touchdown pass, but too often he's off the mark, reminding many of Derek Anderson, another strong-armed quarterback that flamed out quickly.
The receivers are getting better, so you can't pin Weeden's performance on them so much. Greg Little has gotten better with the drops, Josh Gordon has become a viable option, Josh Cooper (when active) has shown the ability to catch the ball, and Cameron has shown he could be an option as well. A good offseason could be the difference between taking a big step forward next year or middling along where they're at.
Trent Richardson gets a lot of flack for dancing in the backfield, but it just seems to me that it's more of an issue with the line not opening up holes for Richardson and the coaching staff not using him correctly (I get running between the tackles, I really do, but where are the pitchouts?). He also didn't have a preseason due to his knee injury and has missed time due to a rib injury as well. Despite that, he's on pace for over 1100 total yards, which isn't too shabby, especially with how inconsistent the offense has been.
The line gave up some sacks, but it has played substantially better since the Philadelphia game when they looked lost as a unit and Weeden had the stuffing beaten out of him. Pittsburgh's defense will cause sacks. They're that good. But for the most part, the protection was there.
The defensive line is starting to look like the strength of the team. Now that Phil Taylor and Ahtyba Rubin are both healthy and part of the rotation, we were able to see the depth the Browns touted at the beginning of the year. Billy Winn and John Hughes have shown tremendous ability and now form a formidable tackle group. In the last two games, the run defense has been tremendous, bringing the Browns to 19th overall against the run, which seems amazing given how bad the run defense has been over the years.
The linebackers, as a result of the defensive line, were able to play free and easy and it showed. D'Qwell Jackson was named defensive player of the week and I have no doubt the play of the defensive line helped him earn that. Yes, he forced a fumble and recovered another, but the line made it possible.
The line also helped the defensive backs, who aside from a bad pass interference penalty on Sheldon Brown at the end of the first half (turn around already; you're a veteran and can't get turned around?), played a pretty solid game. It's remarkable though how much of a difference Joe Haden makes when he's out there though. Brown made up for his gaffe by picking off Charlie Batch, as did Haden later in the game.
The defense forced 8 turnovers overall. There were 5 fumbles, including one by each of the four running backs and three interceptions. If the offense could've taken advantage of the turnovers more, it could've been a blowout, but they still were able to get 17 points off those turnovers. Last week it was a sack-fest, this week it was attack of the turnovers.
Sure, it was Charlie Batch throwing the ball, but a win over the Steelers still counts for something for most Browns fans. It meant something to the players as well, especially veterans who have often been on the wrong end of a beatdown at the hands of the Steelers. Sure, Ben Roethlisberger may have made a difference, but the Browns finally found a way to win and fans will take it.
Finally, the white blow-up towel debate was way overblown by fans and media alike. Look, I get it. It comes across as waving the white flag at your rival, but after seeing the picture of the flag, I can't understand why fans get so riled up. I know we are Cleveland fans and often need to be riled up about something, but this seemed to be a real stretch. I wait for the day when this team is a winner and people are complaining because we only won by 10 and should've won by 20.
No, I'm not talking about coaching this week. I don't think I can add anything that hasn't been said by anyone else.
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 9, 2012
The Sports Mixer - After further review
On Sunday, the Cleveland Browns fell to the New York Giants, 41-27. In the game, they had a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, but mistakes plagued them the rest of the way on and the Giants ended up building a comfortable lead in the second half. The following are things I took away from this game.
Brandon Weeden still makes rookie mistakes, but he also is capable of big-time throws. I think the bigger question now is he going to be one of those quarterbacks who dazzles you one minute, the kills the team's chances the next? Or will he erase the mistakes and become a good, maybe elite quarterback? It's hard to say at this point. With limited options in the receiving game, he's putting up big yardage numbers, but he's also been forced to throw the ball a lot and that usually spells disaster for rookies.
Will the Browns be patient with Weeden, or will they scrap it if he doesn't continue to show promise and keeps making bad throws? The TMQ on ESPN highlighted a very good point in today's NFL: rookies don't get time to develop. Drew Brees, who just set the record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass, was very mediocre at best his first three years, yet now he's considered elite. Which quarterback in this year's class will get three years to grow? Will Weeden get that opportunity? I doubt it.
Why do the Browns continue to get away from Trent Richardson, even when he's piling up the yardage? He has scored a touchdown in four straight games, five overall. He can run, he can catch, and he's not a terrible blocker, yet he comes out at odd points. I get that the Browns don't want to overwork him, but let him stay in on third and one.
Speaking of third and one, what was that all about? I said it at the time that I felt the Browns were trying to get too cute with the playcalling. Richardson had been running over people, and while he had failed in one third and one situation, give him a chance to redeem himself in that situation. Instead, the Browns try to get cute, the Giants didn't bite, and Weeden made a horrible throw to compound the mistake.
Despite the large deficit, the Browns kept fighting and had a chance to make things interesting late. Then Weeden threw his second pick in Giants' territory, this time into the end zone, killing a drive that could've cut the game to 34-27. Instead, they turned it over, then the defense folded and gave up a long touchdown run. Ballgame.
The defense needs help, and it needs it badly. Joe Haden will be a sight for sore eyes, but Sheldon Brown is past his prime, Dmitri Patterson isn't a good option at number two, and Buster Skrine doesn't seem to have any ball awareness at all. He personally killed the defense a couple of times when they had stops on third down, giving the Giants new life. Also, there was no pressure on Eli manning all game long. Since the Browns only rushed four most of the time, the Giants double-teamed Jabaal Sheard and handled the rest of the line with ease.
Special teams would've been a win if Josh Cribbs doesn't fumble on the kickoff return following the Giants first conversion of a turnover to touchdown. Instead, the Giants were given a gift and made it 24-17 going into halftime. That 10 point swing can't be overstated. Instead of the Browns leading at least 20-14, the Giants took control of the game. Cribbs doesn't fumble a lot, but it seems when he does it's at the worst time.
Losing D'Qwell Jackson to a head injury was another blow, along with Patterson hurting his ankle and Ahtyba Rubin's leg injury, to a defense already depleted by injuries and suspension. Yes, Phil Taylor is eligible to come back in another week after Haden returns this week, but losing Jackson was large. The Giants, already gashing the Browns on the ground, continued to do so in the fourth quarter after the injuries piled up.
The coaching finally got to me this past weekend. Not only did Pat Shurmer make questionable calls during the game, he's become increasing hostile to the media when answering questions and doesn't seem to understand that they have a job to do. Yes, they sometimes ask him dumb questions that seem to be pointless and serve only to badger him, but this past weekend, he seemed to take the questions overall personally and that's not a good thing in a town that already has run a future hall of famer out of town for having a bad attitude.
I didn't think they'd win, but I didn't think they'd jump out to a 14-0 lead behind Richardson's legs and Weeden's beautiful pass to Josh Gordon (who showed us why the Browns selected him). Even at 17-7 I felt like it was a remarkable start. Then the interception occurred and reality hit the Browns. They couldn't get out of their own way, Manning found his bearings, and Ahmad Bradshaw took his first-possession fumble personally, rushing for 200 yards in the end. The collapse wasn't monumental (they did fight back after all), but it was still startling to see how quickly it unraveled on them.
What's next is a home game against the Cincinnati Bengals, a team they hung close with, losing 34-27. As mentioned, Haden will be back to (hopefully) shore up the secondary, but the injuries continue to mount. This corner thinks they need to win this week or risk the train coming completely off the tracks just in time for Jimmy Haslam III to take over the ownership chair.
Brandon Weeden still makes rookie mistakes, but he also is capable of big-time throws. I think the bigger question now is he going to be one of those quarterbacks who dazzles you one minute, the kills the team's chances the next? Or will he erase the mistakes and become a good, maybe elite quarterback? It's hard to say at this point. With limited options in the receiving game, he's putting up big yardage numbers, but he's also been forced to throw the ball a lot and that usually spells disaster for rookies.
Will the Browns be patient with Weeden, or will they scrap it if he doesn't continue to show promise and keeps making bad throws? The TMQ on ESPN highlighted a very good point in today's NFL: rookies don't get time to develop. Drew Brees, who just set the record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass, was very mediocre at best his first three years, yet now he's considered elite. Which quarterback in this year's class will get three years to grow? Will Weeden get that opportunity? I doubt it.
Why do the Browns continue to get away from Trent Richardson, even when he's piling up the yardage? He has scored a touchdown in four straight games, five overall. He can run, he can catch, and he's not a terrible blocker, yet he comes out at odd points. I get that the Browns don't want to overwork him, but let him stay in on third and one.
Speaking of third and one, what was that all about? I said it at the time that I felt the Browns were trying to get too cute with the playcalling. Richardson had been running over people, and while he had failed in one third and one situation, give him a chance to redeem himself in that situation. Instead, the Browns try to get cute, the Giants didn't bite, and Weeden made a horrible throw to compound the mistake.
Despite the large deficit, the Browns kept fighting and had a chance to make things interesting late. Then Weeden threw his second pick in Giants' territory, this time into the end zone, killing a drive that could've cut the game to 34-27. Instead, they turned it over, then the defense folded and gave up a long touchdown run. Ballgame.
The defense needs help, and it needs it badly. Joe Haden will be a sight for sore eyes, but Sheldon Brown is past his prime, Dmitri Patterson isn't a good option at number two, and Buster Skrine doesn't seem to have any ball awareness at all. He personally killed the defense a couple of times when they had stops on third down, giving the Giants new life. Also, there was no pressure on Eli manning all game long. Since the Browns only rushed four most of the time, the Giants double-teamed Jabaal Sheard and handled the rest of the line with ease.
Special teams would've been a win if Josh Cribbs doesn't fumble on the kickoff return following the Giants first conversion of a turnover to touchdown. Instead, the Giants were given a gift and made it 24-17 going into halftime. That 10 point swing can't be overstated. Instead of the Browns leading at least 20-14, the Giants took control of the game. Cribbs doesn't fumble a lot, but it seems when he does it's at the worst time.
Losing D'Qwell Jackson to a head injury was another blow, along with Patterson hurting his ankle and Ahtyba Rubin's leg injury, to a defense already depleted by injuries and suspension. Yes, Phil Taylor is eligible to come back in another week after Haden returns this week, but losing Jackson was large. The Giants, already gashing the Browns on the ground, continued to do so in the fourth quarter after the injuries piled up.
The coaching finally got to me this past weekend. Not only did Pat Shurmer make questionable calls during the game, he's become increasing hostile to the media when answering questions and doesn't seem to understand that they have a job to do. Yes, they sometimes ask him dumb questions that seem to be pointless and serve only to badger him, but this past weekend, he seemed to take the questions overall personally and that's not a good thing in a town that already has run a future hall of famer out of town for having a bad attitude.
I didn't think they'd win, but I didn't think they'd jump out to a 14-0 lead behind Richardson's legs and Weeden's beautiful pass to Josh Gordon (who showed us why the Browns selected him). Even at 17-7 I felt like it was a remarkable start. Then the interception occurred and reality hit the Browns. They couldn't get out of their own way, Manning found his bearings, and Ahmad Bradshaw took his first-possession fumble personally, rushing for 200 yards in the end. The collapse wasn't monumental (they did fight back after all), but it was still startling to see how quickly it unraveled on them.
What's next is a home game against the Cincinnati Bengals, a team they hung close with, losing 34-27. As mentioned, Haden will be back to (hopefully) shore up the secondary, but the injuries continue to mount. This corner thinks they need to win this week or risk the train coming completely off the tracks just in time for Jimmy Haslam III to take over the ownership chair.
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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