It doesn't matter how you get it, you just want to get it, and today the Browns got their first win of the season. It was really starting to look bleak there during the second half, but the team stayed strong and controlled the clock in the fourth quarter to come away with a 23-20 victory against the Bengals.
I was really impressed by the tough running from Peyton Hillis today, especially in the second half. I have been an especially harsh critic of Brian Daboll, especially for what I found to be his lack of halftime adjustments, but I thought the Browns did a really nice job controlling the ball in the second half. Another thing that the Browns did well today was stay away from the turnovers. Even though Seneca Wallace threw an interception, it didn't turn out to be very costly - a credit to the defense. But again, I can't say enough about Hillis and how nice it is to see a big bruising back for the Browns' running game. I saw a graphic during the game today that I believe said that Peyton Hillis was the first Browns running back since 1975 to have a rushing touchdown in the first four games of the season. That's also great to see since the Browns haven't really had a consistent running attack since they came back in '99.
On the defensive side, it's definitely your day when you give up 371 yards passing and you still win. Carson Palmer really looked like he was back in form, and T.O. didn't look like he'd been in the league since 1996 (which I'm a little pissed about, because he's on my fantasy team and would've had a whopping 41 points if I'd started him...). But Rob Ryan's squad was able to pull out the victory with a little strategy called "Bend but not Break." It's not that I recommend that kind of thing, but if you're going to win in this league, a lot of times that is what's going to happen. Even though they gave up a disgusting amount of passing yards, they held the Bengals to only 67 yards rushing.
T.J. Ward committed a hit on Jordan Shipley that will probably get him fined, but all the same I think it gives off a nice impression to the rest of the league. I mean, yes I know Shipley got a concussion, and I know concussions are dangerous, and I'm not advocating for getting concussions, but I think that it's important to have a strong safety who's an enforcer - especially in the AFC North. I'm just saying that if you didn't know, now you know that Ward is a serious heavy hitter.
All in all, what's important is that the Browns got a huge win this week. Absolutely huge. We've got the Falcons next week - a game we can win if we play to our potential. I think having Jake Delhomme back next week will definitely help the passing offense, which has not been nearly as offensive as the past few years, but Mohammed Massaqoui could definitely use the boost of having his starting QB back in the huddle. But celebrate this win, Browns fans, it's always good to have one in the division. See you next week,
~MAS
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