I'm going to be honest with you right now and just say that I was expecting a whole lot worse from the Browns today. Sure they lost 28-10 to the rival Pittsburgh Steelers today, but with a rookie quarterback making his first start in the NFL against one of the premier defenses in the league, 28-10 really isn't so bad.
There isn't much to say about the offense in the second half today. I think Daboll did a really nice job with the game plan for the week, and I have to say that Colt McCoy was fairly impressive executing it. He ended the day 23/33 for 281 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions - both off of tipped passes. I thought his accuracy was as good as it was advertised as he threw some really nice tight spirals, and for the most part threw the ball where only his receivers could catch it. The amazing thing about McCoy today is that he completed 70% of his passes against the Steelers, which is an accomplishment Brady Quinn, Derek Anderson and especially Charlie Frye could only dream of during their stints as quarterback of the Browns.
The running game did not improve during the second half, as Peyton Hillis only got three more carries in the second half and finished with only 41 yards rushing. McCoy actually made a few good plays with his legs as well, running four times for 22 yards. I mean, I don't think the offense was really that ugly today, but plain and simple, they just didn't get enough done. In their defense, they played the Steelers.
On the other side of the ball, the defense just couldn't stop Ben Rothlisberger's passing attack during the second half of the game. He ended the day with 257 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception, but he really got going in the third quarter and poured it on during the fourth. The Browns also seemed to have a hard time stopping the rushing attack of Mendenhall and Redman, as they were allowed 84 yards and 31 yards, respectively. But I think the secondary needs to be called out this week on lackluster performances. They allowed passing plays of over 20 yards to four receivers - Wallace, Ward, Miller and Sanders. It's too hard to win like that when you don't have a quarterback.
Losing Josh Cribbs was clearly a huge blow to the Browns. As I wrote in the Halftime Blurb, I don't know too much about the NFL rulebook, but I feel like there should have been some kind of penalty for the violent hits against Cribbs and Massaquoi. When you think about it, the injury to Cribbs really gave the Steelers a touchdown because Chansi Stuckey miffed a punt (on the third time it was tried because of penalties...) setting up the Steelers deep in Browns territory. Based on that hit, I'd say it's likely that Cribbs won't play next week, unfortunately. It's not a huge loss for the Browns, but I think it's the best option if he's concussed because we need him for as long as possible - not just this season which is really another teaching year.
So what's the bottom line today? Colt McCoy went out against the Steelers and didn't die - in fact I'd go as far to say that he did fairly well for an NFL debut. That being said, he's still the third string QB in my mind, and I'm sure he is in the minds of Holmgren, Heckert and Mangini as well. I expect to see Seneca Wallace or Jake Delhomme as soon as they're healthy since McCoy definitely still has a lot to learn. Until next time,
~MAS
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